If you are currently using grips or looking to use grips for CrossFit or functional fitness the information I am about to tell you very important. Why? Because understanding how the two main style of grips are supposed to fit and be properly used will help you increase performance, keep you safe and save you money.

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WHAT ARE CROSSFIT GRIPS AND WHY USE THEM?

First, what are grips? Grips are the gear you wear on your hands for protection and to help you hold on to a pull-up bar or rings for skills such as kipping or butterfly pull-ups, toes to bar, and muscle ups. Some people may call them hand straps or wraps, but the proper name is grips. It is the one piece of equipment that you will help you increase your power output instantly that is legal in competition. However, you need to make sure the grips you are purchasing are designed correctly, sized appropriately, and you know how to use them correctly.

THE TWO MAIN STYLES OF CROSSFIT GRIPS

The two main styles of grips used in CrossFit or functional fitness are the ones with finger holes and the others without finger holes also known as fingerless grips. Grips with finger holes are the original style. You may see people, or you may be one these people, that don’t use the finger holes and just flap them over the bar because you find you get a better grip that way. Why is this so? The answer is simple. Your grips with the finger holes are too short for your hands! If you your grips have the proper length and you are using the finger holes you will actually get a more efficient and stable grip, and they are more durable compared to fingerless grips. Fingerless grips do have their merits. Please note, you should never use grips with finger holes as fingerless because it can be a safety issue and you can damage the grips. I will explain this point and more about fingerless grips later. Let’s first focus on how grips with finger holes should fit, why they create a more stable grip on the bar or rings and are more durable.

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FINGER HOLE GRIPS

Grips with finger holes should have enough length so that when gripping the bar, you can create a fold of material between the bar and your fingers while having a smooth surface on the palm. This fold of material, also known as the dowel effect, is what helps you hold on by creating torque. The edge of this fold should come to your fingertips. If the edge of the of fold is anywhere below the first knuckle crease of your fingers the grips are too short. You need the edge to come to your fingertips because your fingertips are fundamental in creating torque. The fingertips need to be able to dig into the material to apply force so the grips don’t slip and tighten around the bar. The stability and durability come from the finger holes themselves. The top of wall of the finger holes, when engaging the dowel effect, will put downward pressure on the fingers creating a tighter hold. Additionally, when your fingers are in the holes it helps distribute the forces on the material of the grips helping prevent them from prematurely ripping at the junction of the palm portion and the wrist strap, which is the vulnerable point of all grips. Therefore, when using finger hole grips properly they are more durable than fingerless grips.

FINGERLESS GRIPS

Fingerless grips work in a similar fashion, but with no fold of material to create the dowel effect. By flapping the single layer of the palm portion over the bar your hand, more specifically your fingertips, will be able to dig into the material to apply force so the grips don’t slip and provide torque. This is the same principle as the dowel effect, but without the finger holes pushing your fingers down into the bar. The main benefit of the fingerless grips is the ease of transitions from a skill where you need the grips, such as muscle ups, to one where you prefer to go barehanded, such as double-unders. The fingerless grips will save a little time by not having to take the grips off your fingers.

NEVER USE FINGER HOLE GRIPS AS FINGERLESS GRIPS

So why should you not use grips with finger holes as fingerless? It comes down to safety and durability. If the grips you use a fingerless are too long the excess material can become wedged between the bar (or rings) and your fingers causing your hand to be locked onto the bar. When you go to dismount form the bar your hand will not release and yank your wrist and shoulder potentially causing injury and possible damage to the grips. When gripping the bar your fingerless grips should come no more than an inch or two past your fingertips. Anything more is superfluous. Additionally, the narrow palm portion of 2 or 3 finger grips are not enough surface area to ensure durability. The Victory Grips fingerless style is specifically designed and made of materials to help ensure safety and durability.

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WHICH TYPES OF GRIPS ARE BEST? FINGER HOLES OR FINGERLESS?

Learn all the Do's and Dont's of buying a grip and how to ensure you wear it safely.

What is the purpose of gymnastics GRIPS?

Grips were originally developed to protect the hands from the high levels of friction when swinging on the bars.  They were simple flat leather strips.
However, as time passed the skills became more difficult and demanding on the hands.  The hands needed to be able to handle more pressure to simply hang on to the bars. So the grips with dowels were developed, which allow the athlete to handle higher pressures when doing higher level skills.  Ultimately grips help hold on to the bar better in addition to taking some of the friction away.  However, it does take some time to break them in and get used to them.

What type of grips are there?

The dowel grips are different when used on different apparatus.  Men use different shape grips for high bar versus the rings.  Women have one set of grips. 

What is the purpose of Dowels?

Dowels are an essential part of what makes gymnastics grips effective for high forces placed on hands. They are the tube part of the grip that allow the leather to fold over the bar.  Dowels (when used correctly) elongate the fingers and allow for a higher grip strength.  It is estimated that a male gymnast experiences about 5 times their body weight when passing through the bottom of the high bar.  for an average gymnast of 150lbs weight that would be about 750lbs of weight they have to hold on to when passing through the bottom.  Obviously without the dowels that would not be possible and the gymnast would slip away.

When should I get gymnastics grips?

Many young athletes rush into getting grips and there are a few considerations that must be made prior to spending the money on a new pair of grips.
Looks cool - Many think that having grips is a sign of great gymnastics.  Although many great gymnasts wear them, there are numerous international gymnasts competing at the world level without grips on the women's side.  Difficult but not impossible.  Only get them when necessary.

Preventing Rips - If your reasoning is to not get any more rips on your hand then you will be surprised that with grips you will also get additional rips due to leather rubbing against your wrist and fingers. So that should not be the deciding factor.

Small Hands - When you have small hands and you put grips on, it will actually make it harder to grasp the bar and have a good solid grip.  In turn, a pair of grips would hinder your gymnastics ability since now the bar seems bigger in your hands.   We do not recommend them for smaller gymnasts.

Increased gymnastics capability - When you are getting better and performing harder skills, that might be an indication to get grips.  When swinging bigger it would prevent slipping away from the bars.  Our general rule for our students is: If you swing below the bar then no grips are required.  If you swing above the bar, then grips are warranted.

Do grips prevent getting rips on bars?

As mentioned above, grips will not prevent rips from happening.  What prevents rips from happening is understanding how to grip the bar and when to squeeze. Beginner gymnasts squeeze the bar 100% of the time, but professional gymnasts only squeeze the bar at certain times and relax the hand to decrease friction and heat generation.  That is mainly the reason why you experience getting more rips at the beginning of your gymnastics career than when you are a seasoned one.
On the other hand grips can cause additional rips and blisters due to the leather rubbing against your wrist and fingers. 

How should gymnastics grips fit?

Gymnastics grips need to fold in a S-shape to hug the bars.  Many gymnast use their grips the wrong way and it is very surprising when we see coaches not pay attention to this important factor.  A gymnasts ability to perform dynamically and with confidence is 100% related to how confident they are with the grasp on the bars.  If they feel uncomfortable they will not swing with full swing and will hold back to prevent a slip.  Therefore it is very important that the grips are fitted correctly and most importantly broken in correctly.  Since they are made out of leather, they will form and shape to the way you fold them and use them. Consult with your coach about the correct folding and gripping the bar.

What size grips should I get?

Depending on the brand you are getting the sizing might be numbered from 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 or sized by XS, S, M, L.  Below you will see a list of a few vendors that sell the different brands of grips with a recommended sizing.  Remember the size of the grips must be the perfect fit for your hands.  Also as you use them they will stretch (like leather shoes) and will get longer.  So definitely do not go bigger than recommended.Measure from your fingertip of the longest finger (usually your middle finger) to the wrist.  That measurement is what the manufacturers use to say which size belongs to which length.  make sure to follow their guidelines.  In general, these are the measurements.
GRIP SIZE
XXS
XS
S
M
L
XL
GRIP SIZE
00
0
1
2
3
4MEASUREMENT
Up to 6"
6" - 6.5"
6.5" - 7"
7" - 7.5"
7.5" - 8"
8" and up
If you fall between two sizes, ALWAYS choose the smaller one.
Please check with the manufacturer's recommendations as these might be a bit different for each brand.  Links are provided below.

Correct way of wearing your grips

Your safety and ability to perform with confidence are related to how your grips fit around the bar and how secure you feel while performing.  The grips should not be misformed and skewed to the side. WRONG WAY
Grips are moved to the side and can possibly crack on the side and rip.  Also, the hand now is more exposed to friction and heat, since the grips are not in the center and are moved to the side.  This can occur if your grips are too long or you have not tightened it well at the wrist.RIGHT WAY
Grips are in the center of the palm and the finger tips are actually pushing on top of the dowel which will create the best grip strength.

What are the most popular gymnastics grip brands?

The most popular gymnastics grips are:

 - Reisport
 - Gibson
 - ReichelSport
 - DGS
 - Bailie
 - English Bulldog
 - Nastia Liukin
 - Super Grips
 - TruGrip
 - US Glove 

Should I get Buckle or Velcro grips?

The choice on getting a velcro grip or a buckle grip is pure preference.  One is not better or superior over the other.  Some gymnasts enjoy one versus the other.  There are some inherent differences and benefits of one versos the other.  You just have to choose what is more important to you.BuckleThese grips have double buckles and can secure the grips to the wrist well.  If you prefer the buckles make sure to always get the double buckles as with a single you will stretch the grips more and they will warp easier.

Pros:  The stay more secure than velcro to the wrist.

Con:  They take longer to put on, adjust and can be problematic if the size you need is in between the holes provided.  They can also stretch (since leather stretches) and  wear out.VelcroThese grips have velcro to secure the wrists.

Pros:  Can easily be put on and taken off.  You can make them as tight as you like and have many sizes in between.  

Con:  Can sometimes not be very tight and slip at the wrist level. Velcro can collect chalk, dust, hair and eventually fail to stick together. 

What are dangers of grips?

The two main dangers of grips are:

Grip Snapping - This occurs when the grips are too dry or stretched unnaturally. When you use water on the grips the grips become dry and stiff, which makes them more prone to creating cracks and weakness.

Sometimes the grips also spontaneously snap due to the weakness of a knot in the leather.  This is obviously not preventable or foreseeable.
Grip Locking - This is a very traumatic event both for the athletes and those who witness it happening.  When the grips are stretched and oversized there comes a moment when the tip of the folded dowel will touch the bottom of the grip going around the bar.  That will cause an immediate locking of the leather and tightening, which will stop the affected hand from moving.  If the gymnast is going high-velocity skills and giants, they will continue moving around the bar while their hand is stuck in the same position causing multiple fractures at the wrist and arm level.  Needless to say, the grips should NEVER be oversized and stretched out due to overuse.
Alway check your grips prior to usage for any cracks dry areas and make sure the grips are not to long.  This is an important safety check that must be done and must be taught to the athletes to learn to to take responsibility for their own safety and health.

Should I use water on my grips before putting chalk?

This is something that has been abused and it makes me cringe when I see athletes completely wet their grips with water spray.  As mentioned above wetting your leather grips will cause them to dry up and become unsafe for use, as they will potentially snap.
The concept of water usage is to slightly mist your grip and only a few drops.  

Where can I buy gymnastics grips?

Gymnastics World and the author do not endorse any of the following vendors, nor have any affiliation with any of these vendors.  The following list is for your convenience and quick search for grips.  You can always search the web for appropriate grips and the pricing as they do vary based on vendors.Author:   Coach Freddy Behin