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I finally saved enough to buy gymnastic grips to do the drills on BTB but I'm not sure how to put them on. I've sanded them quite a bit and I don't want to damage them. Do the holes go all the way down to the second knuckle (where the joint bends) or do they go half way between the third and second? Thanks.

Depending on the type, most grips just go over the tips of the fingers and sit just above or on the first knuckle. Did you purchase grips with a dowel? Keep in mind it can take some time to break in the grips.

The little piece of filling covered with leather correct? Mine came with that. The thing with my fingers is they get wider around my middle knuckle lol. But thanks, I just bought some sandpaper and I'll try to make the holes a little bigger :]

i hate grips. i just put chalk on my hands and hope i dont damage them too much.

man up, having raggedy hands is what Pole vaulting is all about... that and the giant paychecks

Grips do provide some protection, but I have still had many of rips while still wearing grips. I think they are very useful for certain drills, i.e. Free-hip circles, giants on high bar. These moves can be dangerous without grips, and wreak total havoc on your hands. For basic swings, Bubka's, pull ups, etc., go without grips and build up some tough hands, for the advanced stuff wear your grips and be safe. For the dowel grips definitely just put them around the first knuckle.

Yup, I've been doing bubkas, windshield wipers, and weight lifting (including pull ups and deadlifts) without any type of hand protection for years. I bought the grips to do the high bar skills on polevaultpower and the BTB DVD :] My mom's giving me a ride in 10 minutes to the park to try them out. I transferred the videos to my ipod so I can try all the drills. I hope I can do at least half :]

Some people have stronger hands than others, but the longer you put your hands through the pain of bare gripping, the easier it will get. I used to wear grips, but now im either vaulting or doing a weight workout everyday, which beats up my hands enough to make them used to it after a week or so.

by grips do you mean gloves?

No. I got mine from here: http://www.american-gymnast.com/catalog/index_4_55.cfm

oh those. got ya, thanks

euroeva wrote:i hate grips. i just put chalk on my hands and hope i dont damage them too much.

I used to hate grips...and chalk. Then when I started doing clearhip to handstand, my hand kept flying off. I realized that I would have to get grips. I found these "hot shots" grips that cover enough of your hand to protect but not so much that you can't feel the bar. I really like them.