Optimum Hand Size For Closing Grippers?

[Hubgeezer]

I am curious if there has been much thought on what the "ideal" hand size would be for closing grippers, closing them with a credit card set. And when I am talking "hand size", I am not just speaking of the measurement from hand base to fingertip.

Most of the "hand size" discussions over the years have centered around "hand size is an advantage for thick bar", which it is. Coming in second place is "my hands are too small to close grippers with a credit card set", which is seen as an "excuse" by many.

A few years back, Rex, just to jerk on people's chains, was saying smaller hands were an advantage to closing grippers.

Here is a case where extremely large hands are probably a disadvantage to closing grippers, the widely viewed Mark Felix video:

About 15 years ago, when I first got into grip, my brother, who had been squeezing grippers for two years before me, and had been lifting weights for 25 years longer than I, could not close the Number 2. We put ours hands against each other's, and our hands were of identical lengths, perhaps 7 7/8th inches. But his fingers were longer than mine, and the body of his hand was smaller than mine. He theorized that this was an advantage for me versus his. I thought it was silly.

But recently, I heard about someone who was extremely good at grippers, with average sized hands, who had relatively stubby fingers, but with a disproportionately larger hand section. It was not a "little bit", as in the case of my brother's versus mine, but significantly more.

I no longer think my brother's theory was silly, and I don't think Rex's idea that "small hands is an advantage" for closing grippers was without merit. Like a lot of things, "it depends".

I am curious if anyone had thoughts on what the "ideal" hand size and proportions would be. Perhaps there is a future Number 4 Closer walking around out there who had the right stuff and doesn't even know it...or maybe a future Number 3 Female Closer...

[Electron]

I remember mikael s. mentioned that a shorter pinky is an advantage for the close.

I feel that long fingers are an advantage for pinch and thickbar because of friction and surface area, but shorter fingers favor grippers and hub.

So, if I were to genetically engineer a human gripper closing machine, I'd say 8.5" hands with shorter fingers and a meaty palm would cover all the bases.

[dave murray]

I remember mikael s. mentioned that a shorter pinky is an advantage for the close.

I feel that long fingers are an advantage for pinch and thickbar because of friction and surface area, but shorter fingers favor grippers and hub.

So, if I were to genetically engineer a human gripper closing machine, I'd say 8.5" hands with shorter fingers and a meaty palm would cover all the bases.

do you think the "weight" of the hand makes any difference? my hands are about 7.5 inches from wrist to tip of middle finger. but, they are skinny and boney. no meat on them, if you know what i mean? i'm not making excuses, i just think chubby hands might cushion the palm side handle of the gripper. just a thought. thank you.

[PeterSweden]

His set was so bad, I don think even chez could get it like that.

The range of motion he mentions in the end is because of the back handle almost touching his wrist...

If he watched Paul knight video on setting and used his offhand he would get it!

Edited December 7, 2014 by PeterSweden

[Hubgeezer]

If he watched Paul knight video on setting and used his offhand he would get it!

There was a followup a short time later:

[jvance]

Damn I didn't realize how cartoonishly huge Felix's hands are...The gripper looks a mini gripper lol... Definitely a setback. I would say 8" hands equally proportioned probably optimal but I'm no engineer

Edited December 7, 2014 by jvance

[Electron]

I remember mikael s. mentioned that a shorter pinky is an advantage for the close.

I feel that long fingers are an advantage for pinch and thickbar because of friction and surface area, but shorter fingers favor grippers and hub.

So, if I were to genetically engineer a human gripper closing machine, I'd say 8.5" hands with shorter fingers and a meaty palm would cover all the bases.

do you think the "weight" of the hand makes any difference? my hands are about 7.5 inches from wrist to tip of middle finger. but, they are skinny and boney. no meat on them, if you know what i mean? i'm not making excuses, i just think chubby hands might cushion the palm side handle of the gripper. just a thought. thank you.

I agree that weight will make a difference. This is because both the size and density of the closing hand matter when you're setting the gripper. In other words, a soft, fat hand will be better than a hand with no meat, but a muscular, tough hand well trump all else.

Going a step further, narrow fingers will probably help a big deal. You'll be able to concentrate all finger force on the best leverage, unlike somebody with super sausage fingers.

[dave murray]

I remember mikael s. mentioned that a shorter pinky is an advantage for the close.

I feel that long fingers are an advantage for pinch and thickbar because of friction and surface area, but shorter fingers favor grippers and hub.

So, if I were to genetically engineer a human gripper closing machine, I'd say 8.5" hands with shorter fingers and a meaty palm would cover all the bases.

do you think the "weight" of the hand makes any difference? my hands are about 7.5 inches from wrist to tip of middle finger. but, they are skinny and boney. no meat on them, if you know what i mean? i'm not making excuses, i just think chubby hands might cushion the palm side handle of the gripper. just a thought. thank you.

I agree that weight will make a difference. This is because both the size and density of the closing hand matter when you're setting the gripper. In other words, a soft, fat hand will be better than a hand with no meat, but a muscular, tough hand well trump all else.

Going a step further, narrow fingers will probably help a big deal. You'll be able to concentrate all finger force on the best leverage, unlike somebody with super sausage fingers.

thanks for your response. all help is welcome.

[acromegaman]

Let me just say that fat meaty palms do nothing for me but get in the way. I have to use a modified grip and mostly use my fingertips because when I go to crush a gripper it grabs ahold of my skin.

[acromegaman]

Let me just say that fat meaty palms do nothing for me but get in the way. I have to use a modified grip and mostly use my fingertips because when I go to crush a gripper it grabs ahold of my skin.

[Electron]

Let me just say that fat meaty palms do nothing for me but get in the way. I have to use a modified grip and mostly use my fingertips because when I go to crush a gripper it grabs ahold of my skin.

Interesting. I would think this happens with wider width closes (1.5"+) but does it also happen with MMS? Also, isn't your hand freakishly big?

[acromegaman]

Lol.I wouldn't say freakish but they are big. I have a problem with thrillers no matter the set.

[dave murray]

Lol.I wouldn't say freakish but they are big. I have a problem with thrillers no matter the set.

i suppose everyone is different. just needs exploring , to get the best that suits you.

[Cannon]

I have felt that my hand is well-suited for grippers. Some meat in the right places, slender otherwise. Comically short pinky. 7-5/8" length. A little bigger would be nice for CCS. That's really hard for me.

[bencrush]

My hand seems pretty well suited in terms of not feeling like I am juggling them too much to TNS or CCS - unless the spread is really wide. 7 and 7/8" length. Not a delicate hand, but not Joe Kinney's (unfortunately) either. Kind of a mid-range model.

[The Natural]

A few years back, Rex, just to jerk on people's chains, was saying smaller hands were an advantage to closing grippers.

I no longer think my brother's theory was silly, and I don't think Rex's idea that "small hands is an advantage" for closing grippers was without merit. Like a lot of things, "it depends".

Not just. That I wanted to say something true, relevant, and not widely known was my primary motive.

Edited February 8, 2015 by The Natural

[Justin Matney]

I honestly never understood that Mark Felix video. He wasn't even trying to close it.

[David_wigren]

My hands are about 8" with long fingers (my thumb and fingertips can reach around an RT handle). And alot of the challenge for me while closing grippers is keeping the fingers from curling around the handles and getting in the way, especially with CCS and TNS. It becomes a bit of a balancing act actually. I don't know if this is a common problem, never really heard anyone talk about it before.

[Chuck Hench]

My hands are about 8" with long fingers (my thumb and fingertips can reach around an RT handle). And alot of the challenge for me while closing grippers is keeping the fingers from curling around the handles and getting in the way, especially with CCS and TNS. It becomes a bit of a balancing act actually. I don't know if this is a common problem, never really heard anyone talk about it before.

I have occasionally ran into the same issue of my finger tips touching the other handle preventing a close if my set slips at all. CCS and tns is also when I see it. I also run into the issue on my left hand where the skin from my palm pad pinches in between the handles preventing a close.