Boy, was I ever wrong!!! - Page 3

Aussie_coach · #21 06-24-2008, 05:15 AM

You are right about your daughters hands, 6 years old is really way too young to be wearing grips. The grips can in fact damage their growth plates. She wont rip much at her age because she sill be so light, the heavier the girls are the more pressure on their hands.

Shawn · #22 06-24-2008, 06:17 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_coach You are right about your daughters hands, 6 years old is really way too young to be wearing grips. The grips can in fact damage their growth plates. She wont rip much at her age because she sill be so light, the heavier the girls are the more pressure on their hands.

I understand where the coach is coming from in ordering the grips for her level 4 team. But I'm watching my 6-year-old kid, you know? Also, DD is the youngest on the team by two years. The next youngest is 8 and most of the girls are 9 or 10.

Tumblequeensmom · #23 06-24-2008, 07:05 AM

IF AND ONLY IF you're interested in the grips from 10-O... have you checked out the little "pixie" grips? They're just the cutest thing! One of our tiny, tiny 8 year olds at the gym is getting them!

Tumblequeensmom · #24 06-24-2008, 07:07 AM

Ooops... I see Gymdog already mentioned the Pixie grips! I should read all posts before I respond!

gymjourneymom · #25 06-24-2008, 10:26 AM

My DD never wanted to wear grips either. In mid- level 5 she started wearing palm grips b/c she was getting rips so often. She did well with them & was State champ & AA champ that year. Then training for 6 she was suppose to switch to dowel grips(per the bar coach). I got them for her (Gibson Just right)& encouraged her to break them in....but she never liked them & still refuses to wear them(wore palm grips all level 6 ). She's now training for level 7 & having trouble with giants. All of her team mates wear dowel grips(they switched when they were told, to back between levels 5-6), but she's still using palm grips. She says whenever she tries to wear the dowel grips she gets yelled at b/c she performs poorly in them(can't cast high enough,etc.). So now she just refuses to even try them. I can't help but think she's making it harder on herself by not switching...her team mates who wear the dowels seem to progressing faster then her. Maybe I sould have encouraged her to switch when everyone else did. But she was "comfortable" & didn't want to "mess with a good thing" back then....now she's too comfortable & can't bring herself to switch to dowels. Can she progress in palm grips????

Shawn · #26 06-24-2008, 10:38 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by gymjourneymom Can she progress in palm grips????

Well, I was just watching Nadia's bars routine from the 1976 Olympics, a perfect '10' that she did without grips. So I'd have to say, yes, it is possible. Maybe it's not usual, and maybe it's harder, but it's definitely possible. I'm going to do a bit more research and see what other Olympic gymnasts don't use grips. I wonder when gymnasts actually started using grips in the first place. Anyone know when grips were invented?

gymdog · #27 06-24-2008, 10:50 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by gymjourneymom But she was "comfortable" & didn't want to "mess with a good thing" back then....now she's too comfortable & can't bring herself to switch to dowels. Can she progress in palm grips????

I suppose, although I've never known anyone who used palm grips, it was either fingertip (dowel) grips or bare hands. We weren't allowed to use palm grips really. To me (never have used them), it seems like they would kind of be in the way of gripping the bar for circling skills, by making the palm bigger but not doing anything for the fingertips (sorry if that doesn't make sense, I'm not exactly sure how to phrase it). But I really don't know anyone who has used them. It takes awhile to get used to grips for a lot of people, the ideal thing for some might be to do some swings with them rather than expect to be able to do all their skills immediately. I didn't start using grips until level 6 because of this (was supposed to have them in 5, but I had learned long kip without and it took me awhile to transition without messing up the long hang kip). I had kind of a disorganized transition because I was switching from a rec program to competitive so I had sort of been on my own with grips and then put in a competition group that was using them more consistently. This could be part of the problem if she is trying to switch when everyone else is used to them, the bar workout won't be designed for someone to be just getting used to grips. Have you talked to her coaches lately about it?

gymjourneymom · #28 06-24-2008, 12:56 PM

The coach says she should be using the dowels for at least part of every practice to get used to them...but she's not doing it. No one is enforcing this at practice. They are leaving it up to her. She has had "issues" with "change" in the past. She really "fights" change. I think the coach wants her to decide on her own that she needs the dowels. DD says she's having trouble with "hand postioning" in giants with the palm grips(she can do them in the strap bar, no grips there). But "can't cast high enough" with the dowel grips to practice . I'm wondering if she should just try no grips at all??? But after wearing palm grips all this time I'm afraid her hands will rip severely. Thanks for you in put.

Ingymmom · #29 06-24-2008, 08:01 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by gymdog Hmm yeah sounds like what I have (not in size 0 ). The 501s? (I have buckle). To be honest I know a lot of people who don't like them, although I do (I'm only on my second pair right now, although the stitching is wearing away). Or rather, I'm used to them. The kind I am I thinking of are the US Glove hot shots. It looks like they now have the ten-o 501s in a slim cut (seems pretty new, don't recall this from a couple years back but I got my last pair about 5 years ago when I was training level 8). They're calling them "pixie." They come in velcro too it seems. I prefer buckle and I think it's not a bad idea to start with the buckles, they don't come undone as much, but it's pretty much personal preference (my coaches require buckle though).

I think these are the same as my dd's. They are the buckle 501-12 (also 0's like the OP). All of our girls wear them (coach required at our gyms pre-team level) and they seem to like them, no complaints - although our coach customizes some, and my gymmie has such tiny fingers the holes have to be taped. All of our gymnasts have great bars so guess they work for us

Ingymmom · #30 06-24-2008, 08:27 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Yes, they are. She has taught herself a lot of skills, which has allowed her to skip from L2 to L4. She already has all of the L3 skills from teaching herself. She had the complete L4 bars routine before they introduced the grips. That messed her up. Since we've told her she doesn't have to use them, she's found a renewed excitement about bars. She's been practicing all weekend, she's so happy.

I have never met a single coach from rec to competitive that was OK with this kind of practice at home. Very surprising.