ring guards

Former Team GB gymnast and now a member of the Jamaican national team, Danusia Francis will give you some tips on how to identify when you need to replace your handguards

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Your Gymnastic handguards are a very important piece of equipment that require constant attention and maintenance.

Only handguards in good condition will provide you with great grip, protect you from blisters and be safe to use.

Unfortunately, we see far too many damaged and stretched handguards worn by boys and girls on Rings and Bars (high and asymmetric).

In this article we will cover the most common signs, when your guards need to be replaced.

• With wear and tear, the leather surface of gymnastic guards (grips) can become very thin. This can cause handguards to snap, or a rip will

Reposted with permission of US Glove BLOG (www.usglove.com)

You have just got your new pair of handguards – what now?  

Once you have chosen your style of handguards (we will focus on dowel guards in this article), make sure they fit properly before you start breaking them in. They should be snug, and you shouldn’t be able to fully extend your hand with your new handguards on. They may feel a little too small at first, because the leather is stiff. That’s normal.

 After you have determined that you have the right guard (grip) size, decide which guard will go on which hand. Then use a permanent marker to mark one with an L and the other with an R. Ladies handguards for asymmetric bars and Men’s Ring Guards are made uniformly for either hand, but once you break them in you can’t alternate. Men’s High Bar guards