Grip Aids:
Page 3 of 3
There
is some discussion over the use of products to aid your grip. Just as
various finishes affect your ability to grip and hold onto the pole, there
are
products that may enhance your grip as well. Some instructors feel you
should
not use these products when you are learning a new move so that you learn
to do it correctly without the aid.
My personal belief is that when you are learning new and difficult moves or
holds, there are two challenges...that of the strength and ability to grip
correctly as well as being familiar with the mechanics of the move itself. I
find it's easier to
learn the basic mechanics of the move without struggling with your grip at
the
same time. Once you learn HOW to do the move, then you can work on improving
your grip.
Some
products you can use:
| Hair
Spray |
|
| Baby
Wipes |
Cheap
brands without added oils, lanolin or lotion |
Wet Ones
(or other hand cleaning disinfectants) |
Original
version with red cap: does not have softeners in it |
| Gel Shave
Cream |
Just a
tiny dab |
| Corn
Huskers Lotion |
Leaves a
mildly sticky residue on your skin. |
| Mighty
Grip |
Powder
that is activated by the heat of your body. Can leave a build up
on pole. Adds grip and helps somewhat with sweat. |
| Cramers
Firm Grip Spray |
Strongest
product available - difficult to wash off skin |
| "Fluid
Chalk" brand product |
This
climbers chalk adds tackiness. Not all climbers does. |
| Weight
Lifters Chalk |
Does not
add tackiness but absorbs perspiration on your hands however it
can leave a build up of chalk that you need to clean off your
skin & pole |
| Gorilla
Grip Towels |
Adds
tackiness. Usually sold for golfers |
| PVC
Products |
Shoes,
boots or tape (bondage tape) will help your feet and legs grab
and hold onto the pole |
| "Dry
Hands" brand product |
Make
certain that you shake this product really well or it will make
your hands extremely sticky so that you cannot even spin on the
pole. This is sold for those with problems with sweaty palms and
it does keep them dry but it also improves the grip with a
slightly sticky residue so you can use it on other parts of the
body that you need to grip with. |
| "Grrrip"
brand product |
Truly the first product we've found
that actually dries the hands without tackiness! The spray on is
a lite version which still allows a bit of grip.
The PLUS is for
extremely sweaty palms and works quite well to stop sweating w/o
adding stickiness at all. |
| "Tite
Grip" brand product |
This is a cream product that works
wonderfully. Described as a hand antiperspirant, it keeps your
hands dry for long periods of time. It improves grip, so you
have to be careful that you don't wind up too sticky, but it is
water soluble so can wash off if it does. |
| "ITAC" brand product |
This product is made in Australia
though available for shipping to the US.
There are 4 "levels" of strength with level 2 being recommended for pole
dancing. We found this product to initially grip well but quickly left a
damp and waxy feeling on the palms of those who tried it in our classes. We
did not notice a difference between 2 & 4. |
Keep in mind that everyone's
chemistry is different so try various products to find the one that works
best for you.
When
you feel the need to apply a lotion to dry skin, you may try using baby
lotion. Experiment with different brands but you will generally have best
results with cheap brands that have no aloe, vitamin E, or other products
that may result in the lotion being greasy and leaving a slick build up on
your skin. Nighttime brands of baby lotion generally fit this description.
Aloe can also be a good moisturizer to use without leaving a greasy build up
on your skin.
A
final consideration is that the grip of a pole changes with it's
temperature.
A pole that is cold will be more
difficult to grip, but a pole that is warm will be easier to hold on to and
may even become too sticky. Pole practice over a fairly brief period of time
will cause the pole to heat up - making it easier to grip or even too
sticky. |
