Kinney Gripper Speed

[Sybersnott]

Given how HARD the #4 is....

Watching that Kinney video of him closing that #4; I am convinced he speeds up on the close and doesn't slow down.  There is NO sticking point.... in fact, watch his fingers as he rolls the gripper, and then moves it back and forth grinding it.

Words can't describe it.  It's incredible to watch!!

[Bill Piche]

Slow.

In fact, the way he closed it is why there are so many skeptics.

[supersqueeze]

I also cast my vote for slow. No wrestling the gripper into position prior to the squeeze either. I have never seen anyone close a gripper, #2 or harder, the way Joe closes his #4 in the video.

Mike M.

[Bill Piche]

Plus he grinds it too.

Joe called the last 1/4 "his place" or something along those lines. He said he was actually stronger the last 1/4 inch.

[Rick Walker]

the OCs in action.  Joe was not human-a crushing machine was his original DNA but some how he came out?  :p  :crazy !

Rick Walker

[Guest Harlan Jacobs]

Untill I bought a #4, I really didn't understand how amazing his close is. That is almost scary. All kidding aside, I don't know if I would shake his hand. He could actualy break your hand. And how about the beer cans ?  That may be even better.

[Guest 115-1005574997]

But hasnt it casued him a lot of long term physical damage, the way he trained for the #4

Lets not forget Richard Sorin has shut a 615PI so Kinney isnt unique

[Rick Walker]

Well, out of the 10 billion people in the world, only Kinney, Sorin, and probably Brookfield have had the strength to do it.  3 out of 10 billion??  I would say they are certainly unique!

Rick Walker :hehe

[Guest]

Lets not forget Richard Sorin has shut a 615PI so Kinney isnt unique

If Sorin did close a 615PI why did he not get certified with a "easy" number 4? He was concerned with getting his 3 certified and becoming the 1st COC why not the 4?

I have no doubt the man has an excellent grip and I respect him.

Scott how can you say Kinney is not unique he's one of a kind. He's the only man to close the number 4, he closed it 1 year after closing the number 3 - some other people have been training for years and can't even close the 3. In my opinion this man had the best crushing grip EVER.

[Guest 115-1005574997]

Rick

Unique in the sense that others have shut the #4 NOT ONLY Kinney (well unofficially of course)

But I don’t want to split hairs.  Just acknowledge the achievements of Sorin and Brookfield.  

I wonder who the next person will be to do it (officially and witnessed)

[terminator]

Kinney's the only one that's done it.....Heath Sexton will be next.

[Guest 115-1005574997]

Terminator

so what are you saying Richard Sorin and John Brookfield havent closed a gripper of over 600IP which is, in effect a #4

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Scott,

They may have closed it but not under the conditions that Joe closed his. He is on tape doing it. If you could only see Heath Sexton easily mash it down to a hair away it will make you a beleiver in Joe and in what he has provided with his video and his method of training.

Richard, closed his on impromptu occasions with little witnesses. Do I think he closed it? Heck yes. The man is no liar all his feats are documented and many have photo proof.

Brookfeild, closed his only with the balancing with the other hand. That does not qualify as a legitimate close by the standards set forth by Randy Strossen.

[terminator]

I don't want to start the great debate again but here is my view.  My respect for both of these men is well established.  That stated, neither of these gentlemen closed a #4 gripper in a certified/certifiable manner.  From what I understand, when John Brookfield closed his version of the Phantom #4 he did it in front of a witness, but had to hold the coil for support.  He was very comfortable in admitting this and went on with his life, grippers are not really his thing I guess.  Regarding Mr. Sorin, I choose to require something more than words to get credit for something as significant as closing a #4 gripper, although corroboration from John Brookfield would have been sufficient had it been there (it wasn't).  Sorry, but anything else takes away from the Herculean effort of Mr. Kinney.  Much effort went into proving that this one gripper is so much harder than other #4's.  If that is true, then by all means close one of those "wimpy" #4's, it should be no big deal.  Talk is cheap, actions are much more valuable, and the grippers are "the ultimate put up or shut up devices".  

As Roark is fond of saying...doubt,doublecheck,decide.  I have done this very objectively and my decision is that Joe Kinney stands alone with the #4 closure (at least for the time being).  Please, prove (and I do mean prove) me wrong.  Words won't do it.

[The Mac]

In my opinion, the debate is this this simple - Sorin's and Brookfield's closes were not done under certifiable conditions so they should not rank on a par with Kinney's close. It is not a question of whether or not I believe that Sorin or Brookfield closed the #4's (in fact, the reputability of the people involved should never play a part in making up your mind) they did not do it under the correct conditions. It would be similar to Antonio Kratsev (Bulgarian Superheavy weightlifter who held the world snatch record for years with 216kg) being given credit for snatching 220kg in training. Enough people have seen this lift for me to believe it, but it wasn't done in competition (paralleled in the grip world to "certifiable conditions") so will never appear on the world lists.

The entire point of having feats recognised by a "governing body" (as Ironmind is over Captain of Crush verification) is that unless they are recognised by that body they cannot be held to be "official". This is something similar to the debates that we had on this board about IGC recognition - what do you have to do to be recognised at a certain level in a certain feat?

I don't think that many people would disagree that Sorin or Brookfield have (or had) the ability to close the #4  officially, but they have not done so.

[supersqueeze]

This makes me SICK!!

[Nathan Say]

Brookfield & Sorin have nothing to prove. They'll still have the strongest hands whether they get official or not. Kinney would be a nobody if he close the #4.

[The Mac]

I agree - the above point was solely on the #4 closure. Sorin and Brookfield are true grip legends and real inspirations.

[Guest omniexist]

I don't see what the big deal is! Why don't some one just ask Sorin if he can or could ever close a #4, not a gripper that is supposed to be tuffer than a #4 just a regular run of the mill #4? But i have a better idea insted of worying about who closed what, how about training so that maybe one day you can close a #4. As you can tell I'm not much into hero worship.

[The Mac]

I don't think hero worship is the issue here - although I agree that sometimes it might get in the way of thinking about what really matters in the way of one's own training. But I think that we all love what we do, and sometimes the details DO matter - I think the #4 is such a sought after goal BECAUSE it has only ever been closed in a recognised manner by one man (or, OK, unofficially by three men). The feat has a great mystique about it. I agree being pragmatic is almost always the best way to improve oneself, but the reason I want to improve is because a) I enjoy the process; and b) I want to achieve the "greatness" (I can't think of a better way of describing it) that Horne, Sorin, Brookfield, Kinney et al have achieved, and maybe (just maybe) surpass it.

[Guest wales]

1 :Lets not forget Richard Sorin has shut a 615PI so Kinney isnt unique

2 :so what are you saying Richard Sorin and John Brookfield havent closed a gripper of over 600IP which is, in effect a #4

if they have closed them, then great -  good for them. If they have closed a harder gripper then why not get a "wimpy" 4 and get that certified.

But you can't go around saying that Sorin and Brookfield can close the 4 when they haven't and that Joe Kinney isn't unique,  it's just not true. Joe Kinney is the only man to have closed the Number4. It makes no difference what other people can do, they haven't closed a number 4 gripper. So Joe Kinney is unique.

Don't get me wrong, Both Sorin and Brookfield are grip masters and I have great respect for them.

[Sybersnott]

Remember also that Kinney doesn't come from an "athletic" background (like Richard does).  I don't know about Brookfield.  

Another point:  do you notice that when Kinney is closing that #4.... he is able to talk?  Richard told me that uttering ANYTHING while doing that is amazing.  What do you think?

[Nathan Say]

Would it take John Brookfield, Richard Sorin or David Horne officially closing a #4 to convince anybody that they're grip legends? Or are they grip legends already? If they're grip legends already, why bother with closing a #4 officially, especially if they aren't interested in closing it?

[The Mac]

Because the #4 is there to be conquered?

[Rick Browne]

Everyone has talked about Joe Kinney`s grip strength, which is the "benchmark" by his closing the #4. However, I remember an article in Milo on his squating prowess. He would squat 350 for 10 or more singles everyday throughout the day.

I recall Joe saying , " I would go out to the bar and squat a single then go mow the lawn. come back squat a single."  He said he did this through out the day. (except to mow the lawn, you guys know what I mean).

I think he is just a overall strong individual!!