WAG Any Deductions on wearing grips in Level 4 Uneven Bar meets?

[step15]

These are the questions for judges: In a sanctioned meet, can a Level 4 gymnast wear grips to compete her uneven bar routine? Will that cause some deductions on her score? The Level 4 girls in our gym all wear grips to practice their bars. Yesterday, when they competed in a sanctioned meet, I noticed that we were the only gym wearing grips. I wonder whether that cause deductions, that's why no one else wear them. If so, how much deduction is it?
Thanks.

 

[bogwoppit]

No deductions at all. Most gyms start gymnasts in grips after they have learned to kip, so yes it is unusual to see grips on L4 gymnasts.

 

[AmandaLynn]

No deductions at all. Most gyms start gymnasts in grips after they have learned to kip, so yes it is unusual to see grips on L4 gymnasts.

I think that it depends on how much uptraining you do. If your L4 kids are working L5 skills like tap swings, then it would not be out of the ordinary for them to be wearing grips.

 

[Quadqueen]

We've never encountered an L4 team wearing grips. For the most part, our girls get grips after their L5 season.

 

[thefellowsmom]

My daughter is a second year level four. At the gym they are training level five, six and have even started working giants on the strap bar. She has her kip. She wears grips for meets because she can't do bars without them anymore. Only a small number of fours at our gym are in this situation, most don't wear grips yet. As far as I know, the judges haven't cared that she has grips, but they have been the only few girls in the level four session with grips.

 

[krisnkids]

Our first gym in California did not use grips until level 6. our current gym uses the non towel grips for girls when they start team to cut down on the inevitable rips that always happen and I must say that there are a lot less tears with the use of non towel grips for the compulsory.

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[bogwoppit]

It is dowel grips, the dowel is the little bump sewn onto the leather.

 

[sglemon]

I was always told you couldn't do mill circles with dowel grips. Our gym purchases dowel grips, once the girls move completely to level 5. We do up train second year of level 4 and most of the girls have all of their level 5 skills before moving up. So when they get their grips, it is a small transition, about a week, before they are comfortably doing all their level 5 skills with grips.

 

[clrmom]

I am not a judge but at dd's gym, they do not like the Level 4 girls to wear grips. There is one girl that wears them, but she came from another gym and wore them there. A couple of girls have asked for them, but the coaches have told them no. I think maybe it is just a gym preference type of thing.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

what a crazy question that was...

 

[thefellowsmom]

I was always told you couldn't do mill circles with dowel grips.

The fellows doesn't have any problems doing her mill circle with them. She got a 9.6 on bars at the last meet so it must not be too much of an issue. There are, obviously still deductions there so I guess it is possible that one of them has something to do with how she does her mill circle in her dowel grips.

 

[AmandaLynn]

The fellows doesn't have any problems doing her mill circle with them. She got a 9.6 on bars at the last meet so it must not be too much of an issue. There are, obviously still deductions there so I guess it is possible that one of them has something to do with how she does her mill circle in her dowel grips.

I have never tried a mill circle, and I now coach Xcel and don't even have to teach them...

however... It's an under grip skill. Girls do more advanced under grip skills with dowel grips. I don't really see why it would be different to do a mill circle with them than to do front giants, ya know?

 

[step15]

Thanks to all the caring coaches' and parents' reply, I can conclude that there is no deductions on just wearing grips to compete L4 meets.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I have never tried a mill circle, and I now coach Xcel and don't even have to teach them...

however... It's an under grip skill. Girls do more advanced under grip skills with dowel grips. I don't really see why it would be different to do a mill circle with them than to do front giants, ya know?

that sums it up, AmandaLynn. i'm just wondering who told this poster that it would be a deduction to wear grips at L4, or any level for that matter, or if the poster just saw other kids not wearing grips at all, but i then wonder why a question wasn't asked if a deduction is taken for not wearing grips at Level4. just pondering...

 

[krisnkids]

that sums it up, AmandaLynn. i'm just wondering who told this poster that it would be a deduction to wear grips at L4, or any level for that matter, or if the poster just saw other kids not wearing grips at all, but i then wonder why a question wasn't asked if a deduction is taken for not wearing grips at Level4. just pondering...

Grips are not a requirement, just make certain skills 'easier' accroding to many. I highlight easier because there are elite girls who do not use them from other countries. There are girls from Russia competing in the olympics with homemade gauze grips.

 

[JBS]

We put our gymnasts in grips when they need them...not when they want them...at a certain level...or before or after a certain skill set.

If they are having a hard time hanging on...and they need a better grip...then we put them in grips.

EDIT: We have had L4's in grips and L8's that do not wear grips. We have never had a L9/10 that does not wear grips...but I've seen it before.