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Levski · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 949 Location: USA

Hi

I have a girl who has been using grips for the last 2 months. They fit her well as far as i can tell (Can someone explain exactly what categorizes a good fit). The problem is this. we have 1 set of UB. When i chalk up the bars (How do you chalk up the UB and keep them that way??), by the time the competitive girls get on all the rec kids have wiped of the chalk. Unfortunately everytime she gets on we have i am slipping issues. I chalk up the bar, 2-3 goes later she feels the bar is slippery again.

I guess my questions are:
1- How do you a grips supposed to be fitted. What makes good fitting grips
2- How do you maintain and upkeep you grips so they stay gripy. The girl i refer too, her grips are smooth as silk. I get her to sand/rub of the chalk and roughen them up..is that good.??
3- How do you chalk up the UB?? what do you use?
4- How do you keep the chalk up?

I was never a gymnast so i have never worn guards. Personally having done more UB work than HB work, i feel like i would rather have sore hands than use guards (on HB its a different story). ANy help would be really handy. I suppose i am after finding out all there is to know about using hand guards and preparing the bars?

Thanks
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ryantroop · Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 83 Location: Skokie, IL

I take about 2 teaspoons of honey, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and pop it into a water sprayer, and fill with water.

it smells absolutely AWEFUL!! but it makes stuff sticky if you let it sit overnight with chalk on it. You will have to do it a few times to make it stay, but it works. Especially if they use the spray on their grips every once in a while instead of water or spit.

As for the grips - As I learned it, the grips should be straight, with the dowell right under the first knuckle. If the hole is too big, you can add tape to it, or use rubber bands to help keep them in place.

If you can, get a steel brush (like a sweeper made of steel wool), and between turns, scrape the **** out of the grips. Rub them against the tension wire of the bars as well, and they will begin to roughen up. Chalk actually will, over time, fill in grooves in the grips, and will need to be scraped out (hence, the steel brush).

I agree.. grips are kinda.. useless for most girl's skills.. but there is usually a sense of safety associated with them. They do cut down on rips, and makes girl's hands hurt far less.

As for your bar problem and the chalk.. as long as you have rec programs, youre gonna have to keep chalking your bars. Just ask the other coaches to make sure that they are chalking as well.

Take care,

Ryan
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Coach Blair · Joined: 09 Jan 2003 Posts: 1492 Location: Bay area/Sacto

Simply put, make the rec kids use chalk. I know that some gyms don't implement this because the rec kids will clap, make a mess or the cost issues, but in the long run it's probably worth it.

If they don't like chalk, well...I don't care. Even young compulsory kids sometimes don't like using chalk. So long as you implement a correct protocol and rules for using chalk, you'll be fine.

I have heard of the old days of men using chalk and honey with little bottles of honey at meets in the chalk area. I haven't seen it but considering my boss would have competed in the late 80's it's not that far off.

Levski · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 949 Location: USA

Thanks for the reply's

the "everyone uses chalk" policy would be impossible to make, as i am not the boss, and the boss will never go with that. But its a thought.

Doesn't the water and stuff up the bars and the grips?
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Coach Blair · Joined: 09 Jan 2003 Posts: 1492 Location: Bay area/Sacto

Water+chalk does sort of make a paste and end up caking on the bars. When it gets too big, ya gotta scrape and rub it off.

ryantroop · Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 83 Location: Skokie, IL

However, since your bars are stripped clean naturally by a willing group of workers (aka, non-chalk users), I doubt this will ever happen to you.
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TipGuy · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:32 pm Post subject:

Not having everyone use chalk is dangerous. If the rec kids strip one small part of the bar and later a more advanced gymnast is swinging anything with giants and turns they could place their hand unknowingly on a chalk free part of the bar and peel without warning. If you have any high level swinging going on, then everyone that goes on the bar needs to use chalk. Or have separate bars for higher level kids. Otherwise you are just waiting for a major crash to occur.
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ryantroop · Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 83 Location: Skokie, IL

agreed. Using safety as a reason why all gymnasts should chalk up, rec or otherwise, is definately a good way to get your bosses more willing to take a second look at their policy.
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Levski · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 949 Location: USA

Hi

I understand what you mean TipGuy. However we do only have 1 set of bars. The bars get chalked as best as possible before every session for the kids who do anything on them. That is my biggest concern that in about 3-4months this girl is going to be doing her giants on there and i don't like this slipping thing.

Our bars are way to shinny, because i dont put water on them as well. and cacking on the chalk makes clumps it which later falls in clumps, scary again. However when she complains about her handguard and slippriness other don't so it may be to do with the actual handguards.

Thanks thought
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TipGuy · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:02 pm Post subject:

Possible that the leather is too hard on her grips, then they can get slick, though that is pretty uncommon. Brand?
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Levski · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 949 Location: USA

Well problem solved.. yesterday she said she didn't want to wear handguards anymore, so i told her to make a final decision forever!!!! haha. Handguards or no handguards, because we can spend all the time mucking around.

Well at the end of the session she took them off and decided NO MORE, and boy 200% improvement.

She was the only girl with the problem so that is that.

Thanks everyone..
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Valentin Uzunov
The Gym Press
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