Guest Euclid Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Okay, I've been trying to close a double stamped coc #2 for almost 2 months now. It's a real beast and I'm about 1/4 in away from closing it. The highest calibrated #2 on the website is like 307 ip. I just got a PDA 333 ip and it was RIDICULOUSLY easy compared to the #2. If I had to make an estimation based on the PDA, I'd say the #2 feels like about 375-400 ip. Do these numbers have any meaning whatsoever? Would I be wasting my time if I had my #2 calibrated? I wouldn't want to get it back and find out it was less than my PDA because then I would really be confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Say Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 I've wondered this too. How could a guy who can close, say, a 300 easily but have trouble with a 280 while another guy might have the opposite problem? ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Well... I COULD give you my answer.... but since Bearcat is the self-proclaimed EXPERT in this area (and I'm not), ask him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 The calibration of a gripper isn't that important it seems and now it's really coming to light for everyone. Like I said in a previous post if you can close a gripper and I can't then you are stronger than me. That said it doesn't make sense that someone can close one gripper easier than another and yet another person has the opposite trouble. I think it really depends on where your strength in the close lies (sweep, speed, full close) and how the gripper is set and also how each person is feeling that day. There's obviously lots of factors at play. I would still say that a no.3 close is a good effort and worthy of a COC certificate no matter what it's IP rating. The SOS grippers are good training tools and will improve your crushing strength and ability to close different grippers. One last thing - only one man has closed a no.4 still. This must mean that all the no.4's in existence are mega tough and that says something about Ironmind's grippers IMO. They may not be IP rated but they are relatively all tough and made for a certain catagory (ie no2, no3 or whatever). Randall came up with this idea and really everyone here is chasing a close on his grippers of some sort. If you are clever you'll find your weaknesses and your strengths and bring them all into line (now there's a tip for you!!!) Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Euclid Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 OK, I checked out the PDA website which I'm sure most of you have already seen and they give this explination, "The relative tightness of the coil wind may contribute to the apparent level of difficulty between otherwise similar grippers, perhaps due to inter-coil friction. The IPs would still be valid but one gripper could ‘feel’ more difficult at a particular spot in the sweep." I have the highest regards for Richard Sorin's grip abilities but there is one thing I don't understand. I know that he closed a 621 ip gripper and that apparantly is the highest rated ip gripper ever closed. And Joe Kinney closed a #4. I looked at the ip ratings on this site and the #4's ranged from 522-587 ip. So can Richard Sorin close a #4? By the looks of the ip ratings on the #4's I would assume he could close one. I apologize if this is a stupid question but what are everyone's thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 To those who are competitive, I say that instead of trying to close a #3 which is supposedly more difficult than other tested #3,s, prove yourself by training for and closing a #4. This would be a good way to also prove that your way of training was superior. Some on here like to argue that there way is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat 74 Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Never said I was an expert cheif. I just said they don't mean much. Why don't you give us an answer, we'd love to hear it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terminator Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Snott, your lack of credibility increases with every post. Nice tactic, if you can't explain what's going on, inflame the person who probably can. Bottom line, no way to compare one gripper to the other via a single IP number. Nick is right on the mark, still only one #4 has been officially closed. Maybe Heath should be considered the expert, he has closed many many more hard grippers than anyone I'm aware of (currently active at least). Just because one gripper has a certain number on it, and you have closed something supposedly higher, doesn't mean crap. You can either close what's in your hand or you can't. I'll tell you, I'm uncomfortable talking about myself (not my style, I'm just as happy being anonymous), but I've closed at least six different #3 grippers, both left and right handed. Yes they vary, some were way harder than others, that's well understood. I haven't met a #3 yet that I haven't closed, but I know there's some out there. Imagine how stupid one would feel if they closed their own #3 and then picked up another COC's gripper and couldn't get it past parallel. I will try not to let that happen to me. Keep training instead of making assumptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroman Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Is the Ivanko Super Gripper comparable to the regular grippers and is it as inconsistent in it's difficulty ratings? Does anybody train with one? Are they of any use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest StrongerthanArne Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Euclid, The answer is PROBABLY. I have tried four IM #2's, three IM #3's and six PDA grippers at 302, 338, 359, 399 and 437 ip. Based on this sample, the IM nominations say more about the relative difficulty than do the PDA ip ratings. The hardest IM #2 is still much easier to close than the easiest IM #3, as it should be. However, the difference between the 338 and the 359 is larger than in the previous example (which it should not be). So, based on these seven IM and six PDA grippers, IM's nominations are a more reliable guidance than PDA's ip numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Snott, Bearcat, and Terminator... Listen guys, no more ON the board. If you want to take it offline do it. In fact, set up a time for a fist fight in a neutral location! No more snide remarks to or about each other. OK? THANK YOU from your local GripBoard Administration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest baldy Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Pat, I think you hit the nail on the head about being able to close every #3 you encounter: That is a worthy goal. You are right, someone would feel strange if they could rep their #3 and not even get near a close with someone else's. Where the rubber hits the road, if you close a gripper and I grab the same gripper and can't close it, IPs don't matter at that point. It seems that for the people on here who want to compete with one another, that is the only true test (as Nick stated also). Snott, if you would think a little about what people here (who have a lot of insight into the situation) write instead of just getting defensive, you might learn something. Did it ever cross your mind that what they are saying is true? I have one more question for you: If you detest IronMind and their grippers so badly, why have you played the game and gotten certified with your #3? That seems utterly ridiculous to me. By doing that you become just another punk bowing down to the man and compromising your supposed principles. Why not just close it for your own personal enjoyment, if that is how you feel? In your MILO write-up are you going to say that IM grippers are crap because they don't all require the same torque to close? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 I don't usually post on this topic because my knowledge is limited, but here is my thought; use it for target practice if appropriate. In any exercise, but particularly the standing barbell curl, and the bench press, there is a 'sticking point'. In the curl, it is obviously when the barbell is directly in front of you just about at the waistline; in the bench, just before the elbows reach right angles approx. In these two examples, it is the bodypart fulcrums/leverages that are varying. In the grippers it is probably the spring (as well as the hands' parts sticking points) so the variables seem to be enormous. It seems that we should consider anything short of full closure, a point at which the 'sticking point' defeated us, whatever its registered ip. Can you close it or not; all or nothing. I once used a curl machine in a hotel which was so wrongly geared (machine not the hotel) that it was absolute murder to start and go to midway with the machine, but after that it was total ease; the fully contracted part of the biceps got no significant resistance. Maybe some of the grippers have similar characteristics- though I have not heard of any #3s which become easier near closure. For this reason, I think Tom Black's idea posted many months ago was solid. Have a certain set of calibrated grippers to take to competitions. Everybody uses the same gripper- can you close it or not, ip's not material. I'm out of my field here, but wanted your reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest baldy Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Bill, I just saw your post after I sent mine. Dropping it now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Black Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 Roark, Odd you should mention my old idea. I've been working on another post for the IGC thread with a similiar idea, here it is: The IGC ranking list originally was going to be simply based on IP, I don't want to give up on that, but even if we do there is another option. I've noted that a lot of us have mailed grippers to other people. That's how we know that Heath is a crush monster- he closed a gripper (forget the IP) that other COC's could not close. If the IGC has to we can create a bank of grippers that people can try. It won't take long to figure out relative placement of the grippers (just like I know without calibration the relative strength of my four #3 grippers). They can then be mailed around, starting with the higher end of the list, and you would simply provide evidence and witnesses for whatever the strongest gripper you could close. Come to think of it, we could just send out 5 or so un-calibrated grippers and you would simply have witness verify whatever you closed. Eventually, the cream would come to the top because not everyone would close the complete set (they would be chosen to create a range of strengths). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 :crazy wats giong on? Double post weird :crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2002 Share Posted March 21, 2002 aeroman I just received my super gripper and it’s great BUT feels much different from the grippers. The range of motion is better than the IMG and you have to close it further due to the thinner handles and the handles close to parallel on all the fingers. So all the fingers start almost parallel and close to parallel. This works all the fingers at the same intensity unlike the IMG that work the pinkies the hardest and the first fingers the least. The little bit of training that I have done with it has made closing the #2 especially the last 1/8 much, much easier. :0 But the greatest feature is the variable and easily adjustable resistance. I haven’t used it for long enough to give you any more detail than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Euclid Posted March 22, 2002 Share Posted March 22, 2002 I think Tom's idea is great. I'd be willing to donate funds to help a set of grippers make their rounds to various grip masters. I just wish I could get my grip up to par with the rest here within the next two years. I sure would like to see someone close a #4 before 2003 though I am somewhat skeptical it will happen. The longer the record stands, the more respect it brings to Kinney's accomplishment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat 74 Posted March 22, 2002 Share Posted March 22, 2002 I belive that the #4 will be closed by 2003. Nick, David, Steve, Roger, and some more have all the ability needed...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Piche Posted March 22, 2002 Share Posted March 22, 2002 I agree. That's a GREAT idea. The stories to go along with the attempts will be great as well. Same witness and picture needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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