WAG getting the kip while already using grips?

[SHELOVESGYM]

DD has had grips for many years -but still doesn't have her kip despite working on this skill for 4 years. I know it's uncommon to get grips before having the skill but unfortunately one of DD's previous coaches did not agree with this. DD has not given up the grips because she says her hands aren't callused enough to not use grips now. Her current coaches have never mentioned that she shouldn't have the grips or suggested taking them off for now. Is it even possible for her to get her kip while using grips?

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

It is very possible, I've seen my teammates with grips get it before teammates without grips, and also girls with and without grips who don't have it. The kip is so technical and requires quite a bit of strength. Just tell her to keep working hard in the gym, and it will come!

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Do you have a video of her kip?

Most probably something else is causing her inability to do the kip. But it can be possible that she's not able to learn to shift her wrists with grips on. It would be very helpful to see a video. 4 years sounds like a long time. Has she practiced it actively all those years? How close is she?

 

[Aussie_coach]

It’s not really an issue to have grips before kips. The point of wait7nh before getting grips, is to allow the gymnast to learn to grip the bar properly with their hands. Many coaches choose the moment they get their kip as the milestone to indicate they now have enough understanding of bars to start using grips. But there is no hard and fast rule.

 

[Carly]

All 16 of the girls on dd’s level had beginner palm grips when learning to kip. Once they mastered it, they were allowed to move into dowel grips. What type does she have? I have no idea if that makes a difference. I’m sure that someone with more knowledge than me would have that info.

 

[MuggleMom]

We've had several girls on DDs team that learned the kip after getting grips (dowel grips at that) it doesnt really make a difference as someone above said its the timing/mechanics that are the biggest determining factor.

 

[Amanda]

My daughter got her kip more consistently when wearing her grips. She had it a few times without grips. Then got grips, took a little while to get it, then had it consistently- then took awhile to get it without grips (they were considering her doing a kip at state instead of a pullover for the Level 3 routine which was she was trying to do it without again.) 4 years has to be frustrating! Hope she gets it soon.

 

[Splat]

Our gym requires gymnast to get grips when moving to level 4 which is when they have kips in their routines. Many girls have struggled with getting their kips but I don't think that is because of grips.

 

[Flyaway]

dd got her kip before she got grips, but her kip definitely improved (straight arms) AFTER she got grips and broke them in.

 

[Taxidriver]

Most of the girls at my dd gym got grips before they learnt their upstart (kip)

 

[SHELOVESGYM]

I'm glad to hear that it is possible to get the kip while using grips. Yep, she's been consistently practicing it for 4 years and still doesn't have it -repeated level 3 (so started training kip after her 1st level 3 season) and now in her 2nd season of xcel. She does well on floor and beam but struggles with strength on bars and vault -and I'm sure the lower hours of x cel versus JO don't help with this. It has always seemed to me that other girls build strength much more easily than DD -though if you look at her she looks very strong and toned like a gymnast. I don't have a video because I haven't actually seen her practice in years, so I'm only going by what she tells me. She has been saying she's very close for years now -a couple of years ago she made a couple of them.