How to Stay On the Bars...

[GetaGrip]

Well, today I peeled off the high bar in a flyaway to my face. This was for multiple reason, (probably not technique though, I've done giant flyaways for years... just putting that out there...), but mostly because the bar was VERY slippery. This got me thinking, how on earth do you prevent this?

I currently use chalk and honey water, and wear dowel grips, but by the end of my routine I'm still barely hanging on. Most elite gymnasts have pretty long bar routines, and they stay on some how, but thing is I just don't KNOW how they do it!

What are some ways you prevent slipping off of bars?

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I used to have a problem staying on at the end of my bar routine - when I was a compulsory, and the bar routines had tap swings at the end. After doing about 5 tap swings, or at the end of a routine, I would start to slip off in the back. I never actually fell but sometimes I was hanging on literally by my fingertips. This was both with just palm guards and later dowel grips, although the dowel grips helped a bit. However, I don't have any problem staying on doing giants, because I only ever came close to peeling in the back.

Sometimes it's a grip strength/endurance issue. You can do exercises with stress balls and lots of pull-ups or bar hangs to help with that. At my gym we just use regular water and chalk.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lack of conditioning...which includes grip strength also. talk to your coach about that.

 

[sbonham]

Getta,
Look carefully at this videoclip from youtube:
It's a drill for a Tkatchev - but watch the girls hands at the end of the tap swing. The WRISTS flex (bend) so that the hands, fingers and dowels stay ATOP the bar. This technique should be learned as early as a stretched glide kip.

Flexing the wrists in this manner keeps the hands and dowels is a great position for maintaining a good hold on the return swing of the kip and on the BACKSWING of a tap swing.
Hope this helps.

S

[video=youtube;asDgU7aDDWo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asDgU7aDDWo[/video]

 

[GetaGrip]

Thank you so much to all of you! I haven't done a flyaway yet, but I've been doing lots of giants working on tight grip and good hand positions.

Mack & Dunno: I recently took 2 weeks off, so that's probably why my grip strength wasn't at it's best. I've been using stress balls and working on holding on, and so far so good. I haven't even had a giant where I'm holding on by the tips of my fingers.

sbonham: That video actually really helped! I peel often in kips too, but I never knew you needed your grips above the bar.

Another thing to add, I also found out that I've been tapping right before I pass the low bar, which makes gravity want to rip me off the bar a lot more. I've never really thought it was a problem because I am too short to hit the low bar, but now I'm going to the smaller bar set to focus on hollowing and tapping at the right times.