Grips are devices that are worn on the hands of artistic gymnasts when performing on various apparatus. They are worn by female gymnasts on the

uneven bars The uneven bars or asymmetric bars is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is made of a steel frame. The bars are made of fiberglass with wood coating, or less commonly wood. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is UB or ...

, and by male gymnasts on the

high bar The horizontal bar, also known as the high bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in artistic gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal (typically steel) bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a syste ...

and

still rings The rings, also known as still rings (in contrast to flying rings), is an artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it. It is traditionally used only by male gymnasts due to its extreme upper body strength requirements. Gymnasts ofte ...

; it is rare to wear them on the

parallel bars Parallel bars are floor apparatus consisting of two wooden bars approximately long and positioned at above the floor. Parallel bars are used in artistic gymnastics and also for physical therapy and home exercise. Gymnasts may optionally wear ...

. Grips enhance the gymnast's grip on the apparatus and reduce

friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Types of friction include dry, fluid, lubricated, skin, and internal -- an incomplete list. The study of t ...

, which can cause painful blisters and ''rips'', in which outer layers of skin separate and tear away from the hand. Grips are optional and not used by all gymnasts. Some athletes substitute sports tape or

gauze Gauze is a thin, translucent Textile, fabric with a wikt:loose, loose open Weaving, weave. In technical terms, "gauze" is a weave structure in which the weft yarns are arranged in pairs and are crossed before and after each Warp (weaving), w ...

for grips, while others use bare hands. Most gymnasts apply powdered chalk (typically

magnesium carbonate Magnesium carbonate, (archaic name magnesia alba), is an inorganic salt that is a colourless or white solid. Several hydrated and Base (chemistry), basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals. Forms The most common magnesium car ...

) to their grips or to their hands if they are not using grips so that they do not slip.

Construction

A grip consists of a wide strip of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

joined to a wrist strap. The leather strip, which covers and protects the palm of the hand, is approximately five centimeters wide and has finger holes at one end. On properly fitted grips, the finger holes will be positioned at the first

knuckle The knuckles are the joints of the fingers. The word is cognate to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as the Dutch "knokkel" (knuckle) or German "Knöchel" (ankle), i.e., ''Knöchlein'', the diminutive of the German word for bone ( ...

s of the inserted fingers. Some grips, known as ''dowel grips'', incorporate a leather-covered dowel rod or pipe to create a linear bump on the outer face of the grip. This bump, in conjunction with the bar, forms a

detent A detent is a mechanical or magnetic means to resist or arrest the movement of a mechanical device. Such a device can be anything ranging from a simple metal pin to a machine. The term is also used for the method involved. Magnetic detents are ...

that leverages the gymnast's grip, thus reducing the hand pressure needed to maintain a hold on the apparatus. The wrist strap is used to secure the grip on the gymnast's hand and to transfer body weight from the fingers to the wrist. The grip is enhanced when the dowel rests on the apparatus, pulling the leather tight and transferring some of the load to the wrist, reducing the grip required during the most dynamic elements. The leather portion of the grip encircles the wrist and is then locked in place with either

velcro Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...

buckle A buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Often taken for granted, the invention of the buckle was indispensable in securing two ...

s. Gymnasts typically wear soft material, such as cloth

wristband Wristbands are encircling strips worn on the wrist or lower forearm. The term may refer to a bracelet-like band, similar to that of a watch, wristwatch, to the cuff or other part of a sleeve that covers the wrist, or decorative or functional ...

s, under the wrist straps to prevent skin chafing. Some brands of grips include soft, removable pads that fit under the wrist straps.

Types of grips

Most competitive gymnasts wear dowel grips. On the high bar, men use grips with three-finger holes and a small dowel, whereas grips on the still rings have a larger dowel and two-finger holes. Grips used on the parallel bars (Very uncommon) have two finger holes and a small dowel. Women's grips have two finger holes and resemble men's ring grips with a smaller dowel. Some gymnasts do not use grips because they prefer to have their hands in close touch with the bar. Svetlana Khorkina of Russia, the Olympic gold medalist on bars in 1996 and 2000, did not wear them, and several Chinese gymnasts do not either. Gymnasts at lower competition levels and those participating in recreational gymnastics typically use grips without dowel rods. Such grips provide no mechanical advantage for gripping the bar; they are mainly used to minimize friction injuries. These grips are usually less expensive and are made of thinner leather.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grip (Gymnastics) Gymnastics apparatus Protective gear Handwear