Dexterity Balls

[Drama]

Im new to had straingth traing but believe I have stronger than average hand strength.

What pair should I start with?

Iron mind #1 or #2 maybe?

My hand are 7 1/2 inches from wrist crease to top of middle finger

Edited June 19, 2007 by Drama

[crobb1320]

i would start with the level 1 balls,you can get bigger ones when you master the level one dexterity balls.it definitly takes some practice,and is a great workout. good luck with your training.

[gerryg]

i would start with the level 1 balls,you can get bigger ones when you master the level one dexterity balls.it definitly takes some practice,and is a great workout. good luck with your training.

I agree, start with the IM level 1 balls!

[Drama]

Any cheaper alternatives. I guess there not very expensive though..

[vikingsrule92]

Any cheaper alternatives. I guess there not very expensive though..

A lot of chinese restaurants or stores will carry meditation balls for around $5 and they're about the same thing as the IM level 1 balls except they usually come in 2's.

Edited June 20, 2007 by vikingsrule92

[gerryg]

Any cheaper alternatives. I guess there not very expensive though..

http://www.handhealth.com/ctb_all.asp

[Scott Styles]

What do you want to use them for? Personally I would get the 2" or 2.5" solid balls from handhealth.com. Heck, they're cheap, get a pair of each. I think the medium sized lighter ones are great for hand health.

The large, heavy ones are a fun diversion or variation for strength training in the open handed position, but I don't think they will earn a place in your training long term. They certainly didn't earn a place in mine.

[TelegraphKey]

Really, Scott? That's surprising; I thought you were really into feats with the large ones, as in your avatar (which is still very cool).

I ordered my IM set about 1-1/2 years ago, just the Large size, and I definitely use them occasionally for active-recovery. I did also locate some regular-size ones but, to be honest, I like the IM Large ones well enough & definitely use them the most often. (I still would like to get ahold of some larger shot-sized ones, though.) I haven't (yet) ever made a real workout regimen of them the way Brookfield outlines, but I still like the IM Large ones pretty well. I don't think they're too large to be used routinely by people with average hands.

[Drama]

Any cheaper alternatives. I guess there not very expensive though..

http://www.handhealth.com/ctb_all.asp

The balls here are only $1 less and only come with 2 balls. That doesnt sound like a better deal to me.

Unless Im missing something?

[Scott Styles]

The deal is that you can get larger sizes without shelling out the $35 for the IM Level II balls. They are lighter than the ironmind balls, but I don't think it really matters.

TelegraphKey, I was very interested in the dexterity balls for awhile. I read Brookfield's course and got the DVD from handhealth.com. I worked up to the 4lb shots in my avatar, but eventually decided I wasn't getting enough out of the work with them to justify the time. I've since sold the shots and my Ironmind level II balls. I now use a pair of the solid hand health 2" balls for active recovery. Occasionally I'll also use a 1.25" solid bearing with one of the 2" balls to get a different feel. The rest of it turned out to just be a fun diversion from real training, at least for me.

[Drama]

The deal is that you can get larger sizes without shelling out the $35 for the IM Level II balls. They are lighter than the ironmind balls, but I don't think it really matters.

TelegraphKey, I was very interested in the dexterity balls for awhile. I read Brookfield's course and got the DVD from handhealth.com. I worked up to the 4lb shots in my avatar, but eventually decided I wasn't getting enough out of the work with them to justify the time. I've since sold the shots and my Ironmind level II balls. I now use a pair of the solid hand health 2" balls for active recovery. Occasionally I'll also use a 1.25" solid bearing with one of the 2" balls to get a different feel. The rest of it turned out to just be a fun diversion from real training, at least for me.

Thanks! Ok, I ordered the 2'' solid balls..I now also know to use them mostly for dexterity and recovery instead of trying to build strength..