The COC #2 Closed at Last! Also, a steel triangle question!

[terryduty]

Today, I finally closed my COC # 2!  

I closed it once with my right hand, but not with my left, yet. I was visiting my training partner and while I was talking with his wife, he handed me the BeefBuilder Beginner and I instinctively squeezed off a couple of reps with it. Next, he exchanged that gripper with a different one in my hand. I gave it a hard squeeze and the handles clicked! He said "Wow! You just closed the #2!" I was shocked, not realizing what I'd just done and while continuing to keep this gripper closed, I examined the number on the bottom - sure enough, it was the #2!

I hated to see the handles part, but I rcouldn't keep 'em together any longer.

I guess my next grippers challange is the BeefBuilder Master with my right and COC #2 with my left!

I do wonder if I was unconsiously inspired by this same training partner who just called me up a couple of days ago and told me that he'd managed to close the BeefBuilder Master for the 1st time ever that day! We are very competitive, but he is a little bit farther along in his progress. Then he informed me that he'd closed it on 3 different attempts that same day!

He told me the way he'd accomplished this: he'd squeeze the handles about an inch with his right hand and then slide a steel triangle over the top of the BB Master with his left. Next, he'd release his squeeze which resulted in the triangle holding the grippers (about 3/4" away from completely open). Next, he'd position the grippers perfectly into his dominate hand and squeeze slightly to cause the the steel triangle to fall off. Once the triangle was off, he'd then bear down on the grippers and close them completely! I argued that he was really "cheating" the grippers by using his steel triangle to "start" the close. But he asked me if it is OK to use the left hand to compress the grippers some while positioning it into the right hand before attempting a certified closure and I said that I thought it was OK. (Please let me know if I'm wrong about this.) He said that what he was doing was comparable to this and that after the triangle falls off he still has to shut the thing with just the power of his grip.

I tried this "triangle" technique myself on the BB Master and got it down to about 3/4" from closure!

What do you guys think?

Is there a limit as to how much the left hand can be used to compress the grippers in order to optimally position them in the right before a certified closure attempt? Anyone have any specific distances that are allowed?

Note: Be warned that the steel triangle bites into the gripper and mars the finish, so try this at your own risk!

Sorry for the long post, I guess I'm excited!

Strongman

[Bearcat 74]

Congrats on closing the #2.  Be careful when you shake hands.  :)

As for the left hand and closure, I use mine until my pinkie can reach the handle, then I remove my left hand.

Again good job with the #2.

[Guest woody36]

Strongman,

              Well done!    

     I think reading your post that maybe you were

capable of closing the coc2 some time ago you just

didnt no it yet.

    all the best.

       Woody.

[Guest Russell Latterman]

Good job with the #2.

That positioning trick is pretty cool.  How big are his hands anyway?

[terryduty]

His hands are 8".

Another word of caution that I neglected to point out about using the Triangle method is that the triangle must be very strong steel - or else there might be a danger that it could break and then become shrapnel!  

Each of the three sides of the triangle that my training partner uses has a different length. This way, he has the flexibility to rotate it to control the degree of assist that it provides.

Strongman