Dowel handguards (aka hand grips) with a narrow style palm piece, such as our popular Angel Guards, Pixie Guards, US Glove Hot Shots and Bailie narrow style guards are a great option for younger women’s artistic gymnasts learning core bar skills. But it’s important to know when to move on from these to a more advanced handguard style. Here are some helpful signs:

You’ve become too advanced

Handguards with a narrow palm piece are ideal for younger gymnasts training core circle skills such as giants (aka long-swings) and close-bar elements like clear-hip (aka short-clear), toe-on and stalder circles. They allow for greater direct hand contact, helping gymnasts with smaller hands to feel secure whilst rotating a full 360° around the bar.

When you move on to advanced skills like release-and-catch or high-to-low elements, it’s time to upgrade your guards along with your skillset. Highly dynamic skills tend to have faster or ‘jerkier’ technique motions to create acceleration and directional changes. These skills involve physical forces many times above the gymnast’s own weight, such as during the re-grasp and down-swing of flight elements.

This may sound a bit technical but simply put, hard skills require more durable handguards, capable of withstanding all that ‘push-and-pull’. Standard dowel guards can take the strain.

You’re growing up

There’s an outdated stereotype that artistic gymnasts are always extremely petite, but we all grow and that’s generally a benefit. Whilst it’s true that shorter levers can rotate faster, the acrobatic feats of modern elite gymnastics (like the insane skills we’re currently seeing from US GOAT Simone Biles) require significant strength and power. Progressing towards full FIG routines means generating enough ‘oomph’ (official technical term) to get those fibreglass bars to ping you into the air! 

Simone Biles’ Uneven Bars routine at the 2023 Core Classic. You can see so much dynamic power and control throughout a full FIG bar routine (and it’s not even her best apparatus)!

However, as you grow greater physical forces mean more stress on the leather of your handguards. As a guideline, we wouldn’t recommend using narrow dowel guards beyond the age of 12. If you’re using the biggest size available in your current handguards, that’s also a good indicator that you may want to consider switching to a more mature style.

Your Handguards are wearing more quickly 

Harder skills and higher reps will take their toll on your handguards, particularly if you’re not using a style that matches your training demands. Narrow handguards are designed for younger gymnasts early in their gymnastics journey and the softer, narrower leather will wear more quickly when used beyond their intended purpose. If you notice more wear than usual on your guards/ grips, or if you’re having to replace them more frequently, it’s probably time for a thicker style. Remember to always have a quick check of your guards for signs of wear prior to use.

You’re getting more rips

Hand-to-bar contact is helpful for young gymnasts with small hands who are still building their grip strength (these exercise tools can help with that). But as your training hours increase and bar skills advance, you may start gaining more rips and find you need a higher level of protection. For instance, sometimes when training different grips and turning elements on bars, your guards can shift slightly sideways. With wider (standard) handguard styles, it’s less likely that this might result in insufficient palm coverage.

Regular width handguards are designed to give maximum protection against rips by creating a buffer between the bars and as much of your palms as possible.

What Comes Next?

If some of the signs above apply to you and it’s time to switch from narrow to standard dowel handguards, we have some tips to aid the transition.

Firstly, don’t feel daunted because narrow and standard guards utilise the same manufacturing methods and won’t feel completely alien to you. Different styles exist to ensure your training accessories progress as you do, and to cater to individual preferences.

We suggest choosing standard width styles that still utilise softer leather for easy break-in. A great option is our Angel Nova guards, a natural progression from the narrow style Angel guards with a familiar feel. Caitlin Rooskrantz of South Africa, who won silver on the Uneven Bars in the 2023 African Championships, uses this style! Another recommended choice for your first standard dowel guards is Reisport Ladies, a popular option made from supple yet durable leather.

As always, if you’re a gymnast, parent or coach with questions about how to find the right handguards, please get in touch!

Links:

https://gymnasticplanet.com/angel-ladies-uneven-bars-handguards-buckle-or-velcro-options
https://gymnasticplanet.com/products/gymnastic-handguards/womens-handguards/womens-narrow-dowel/pixie-uneven-bar-dowel-guards-velcro-or-buckle
https://gymnasticplanet.com/products/gymnastic-handguards/womens-handguards/womens-narrow-dowel/hot-shot-ladies-uneven-bars-velcro-or-buckle
https://gymnasticplanet.com/products/gymnastic-handguards/womens-handguards/womens-narrow-dowel/hot-shot-ladies-uneven-bars-velcro-or-buckle
https://gymnasticplanet.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=grip+strengthener
https://gymnasticplanet.com/products/gymnastic-handguards/womens-handguards/womens-standard-dowel/angel-nova-ladies-asymmetric-bars-handgrips
https://gymnasticplanet.com/products/gymnastic-handguards/womens-handguards/womens-standard-dowel/reisport-ladies-uneven-bars-velcro-or-buckle