If gymnastics is your passion and you want to be a part of the high bar or horizontal bar sports team, you must learn how to balance your body on the bar without hurting your hands. Most gymnasts complain of hand ripping as they put much pressure on controlling their weight on the bars. And as they practice, the hands keep ripping and hurting. Gymnastic bar grips are designed to reduce the friction of hands against the bar and prevent injury.
Who can use Gymnastic Grips?
Any athlete who indulges in aggressive exercises with equipment that involves repetitive friction of hands can use bar grips to protect the hands. The bar grips are unanimously designed to ensure a strong grip and safety to the hands.
How Gymnastics Grips Help?
The grips are important for gymnastics training as they help a gymnast stay focused on the exercise. The grips enhance the overall experience of the gymnast by preventing calluses and blisters on the hand through repetitive movement on the bars. Many gymnasts succumb to hand injury due to repetitive swings on the bars.
Another benefit of using gymnastic bar grips is that they can help prevent slipping and accidental falling from the apparatus. The grips provide better gripping and support to the wrist at the time of high-impact releases and catch.
What is the Right Gymnast Level to Start Using Grips?
According to the USA Gymnastic program, grips should be introduced to the gymnast as soon as he reaches the level of 4 or 5. It should be introduced when the gymnast has started doing complex moves on the bars. Complex movement often requires aggressive wrist movement and grip. Swing is one of the complex movements that start causing blisters on the hands. A rapid practice of swinging on and around the bar may cause hands to rip. Some coaches advise the gymnast to relax the hands and let the hand slide around the bars instead of holding it tightly, which causes ripping.
By using the gymnastic bar grips, a gymnast can protect his hands from ripping. Some coaches even recommend chalk to reduce sweating and friction. But chalk alone is not enough to protect the hands from the bruises of aggressive movement on the bar. Grips, however, can prove to be beneficial in protecting the hands and reducing the discomfort of friction.
Things to Consider before Getting Gymnastics bar Grips
- Size:
The size of the grip should be comfortable to wear. A loose grip can fall off and may cause difficulties in performing the gymnastics moves. A tight grip may cause discomfort to hands and may even lead to injuries. So, always try the grip before buying it.
- Consult With Coach:
If you are planning to buy a gymnastics hand grip to perform better, make sure to consult with your coach. Recreational gymnasts do not necessarily need to have a grip. But professional gymnasts should never miss on that. A gymnast coach can better guide you on whether or not you should buy a grip. The coach can further advise on the type of grips most suitable for you.
- Brands of the Grips:
When you start looking for grips, you may find many gymnast suppliers, but Gibson is the most reliable brand for gymnastics grips and accessories. You can check reviews of the brand before buying the grip. In case you plan to buy grips from some other supplier, make sure to cross-check their reputation by reading reviews and customer feedback. If gymnastics is your passion, you should not leave any stone unturned to find the best gripping accessories.
- Pricing:
Gymnastics grip accessories can be expensive. Even if you have a good budget to buy, make sure you don’t end up spending more than the market price of the grips. In case you are tight on the budget, you can always ask a friend to lend you the grip for your practice. If you are lucky enough, your friend may gift you one on your birthday. Well, there is no harm in dreaming.
- Type of the Grip:
Just as it is important to find the right size of the grip, it is equally important to find the right type of grip. The grips are also gender specific. Some grips are specially designed for women, while some are designed for men. Then there are high bar grips, hand grips, rainbow grips, and more. You need to have a fair deal of information on all the types of grips available in the market so you get the most suitable one.
Conclusion:
Gymnastics grips are designed to help gymnasts swing through the bars without hurting their hands. Gymnastics is a sport that involves rapid and aggressive movement of the body. Gymnastics bar grips make it easier for the gymnasts to move their bodies and give their best performance.
