Linear Vs. Rotational Resistance

[Josh]

I have been thinking about getting (re: making) a plate loaded grip machine. I get frustrated with grippers b/c of the big jumps in resistances and price of getting more.

THEN it occured to me there's a difference between how grip machines close and how grippers close. with most grip machines the two bars come to gether "guillotine" style while in a gripper they scissor. i woundered if this made a big difference. i mean it deffinetly feels different, the resistance doesnt change for the grip machine, but it deffinetly is harder to close a gripper toward the end than at the beggining, and allso the range of motion is different for each finger with a gripper but its the same for a machine.

then i found this: http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/ques...ripmachine.html

i get linear vs. rotational, but what i dont understand is why rotational would be better than linear. i figured linear had alot of advantages like the restance being consistant throughout the whole range of motiona and the range of motion being the same for all four fingers.

i also found this: http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/blog/2007/...th-gripper.html

which basically says the same thing, that rotational is better than linear, that you lose somthing by not doing a rotational movement.

i've looked on the board and all over the internet but i cant find an answer. what is the difference between rotational and linear resistance when it comes to crushing strength and why is rotational better? is it really better?

alot of guys on the grip board seem to favor grip machines so im thoroughly confused.

[ae_yogi]

If you do a search on the Gripboard on the "secret weapon" you will find information to make a grip machine that mimics a gripper; or you can get a Vulcan gripper from David Horne. I think most are interested in closing grippers because of the challenge of doing so. From what I have read and experienced grippers are not actually the best tools for developing hand strength; for example some find that blockweights and thickbar to be superior. If you want to excel at grippers you have to train with grippers or with an implement that mimics the action of a gripper, which is why we have tools to train the rotational motion. I'm no authority, but that's my opinion.

[acorn]

resistance is resistance. From a training perspective its more important to consider whether its: Too much, Just Enough, or Too Little and whether its hitting the appropriate target. Anything else is extraneous info IMHO.

- Aaron

[chop163]

Rotational resistance is superior because Functional Hand Strength sell grippers, and linear resistance is inferior because they don't sell plate load grip machines

Edited March 6, 2009 by chop163

[meelhama]

I've also noticed that torsion grippers tend to rotate a bit when you squeeze them.