CCS with Small Hands

[Harrison]

If I attempt to do a ccs, because I have small hands, it basically becomes a no set due to pinky coming completely off and my ring finger partially off. 

Ive tried to place the gripper in my hand in different locations but my pinky finger always has to come off to get that wide.

 

Any people with small hands have the same problem? How did you fix it or overcome the problem?

[C8Myotome]

Where are you taking your 6.5" hand measurement from? Can you post a picture? Do you have a CCS video to share?

For CCS you may not have your pinky on the handle until it gets to the GHP block side point if the rear handle is forward. If you keep the rear handle back a bit, you can keep all fingers on at all times

I've done it both ways, credit card setting a number 3, with handle placement allowing all fingers on at all times, or pinky off until it can reach, so both are definitely possible 

Edited October 15, 2023 by C8Myotome

[slazbob]

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to bring the palm handle lower in your hand and out of the sweet spot. 

[Cannon]

1 minute ago, slazbob said:

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to bring the palm handle lower in your hand and out of the sweet spot. 

This. I have to really concede optimal positioning.

[mcalpine1986]

4 hours ago, Harrison said:

If I attempt to do a ccs, because I have small hands, it basically becomes a no set due to pinky coming completely off and my ring finger partially off. 

Ive tried to place the gripper in my hand in different locations but my pinky finger always has to come off to get that wide.

 

Any people with small hands have the same problem? How did you fix it or overcome the prob

My hands are not small but I do have proportionately shorter pinkie's so I have the same problem, my pinkie doesn't reach the end of the handle when doing a CCS.

There isn't much you can do other than getting your other fingers stronger so I just focused on getting my whole hand and my fingers stronger and I can CCS or TNS my coc 2 no problem but I mainly focus on MMS closes.

Looking at your Instagram pics I find the 6.5" length of your hands hard to believe tbh, they look quite normal in length. Are you measuring them from the first wrist crease to the top of the middle finger? 

[EmilBB]

It's the same for me, I have to bring the gripper lower in my palm when doing CCS and my pinky still can't reach. Training the starting strength of the CCS is very important for people with smaller hands, at least that's where I'm struggling the most.

[Cannon]

There are some great old threads about this:

Coc Rules For Closing The #3 (2006)

Hand Size and Credit Card Set (2018)

Optimum Hand Size For Closing Grippers? (2014)

What makes CCS harder and by how much? (2023) This is the closest I have come to "complaining" about CCS   

[stranger]

I have slightly under 8" hands and I take my pinky off for CCS. 

 

 

[C8Myotome]

Here is a slow motion #3 CCS 

 

[dubyagrip]

I have quite large hands, and even though my little finger can stay on during the card insertion...I always pull it off as I start my close.  Smaller hands do require extra training for the setting strength, but that will make it all the more satisfying when you touch the handles.

 

 

[matek]

11 hours ago, stranger said:

I have slightly under 8" hands and I take my pinky off for CCS. 

 

 

I very rarely do CCS, but when I do I'm the same. I don't have small hands but if I want my pinky properly on the handle, I have to sarficie the optimal palm-handle position. And it doesn't worth it because even if it's easier to start, the final crush would be much harder. 

Edit: and I'm with the others: @Harrison, are you sure about that hand measurement?

Edited October 16, 2023 by matek

[Harrison]

That’s from the base of my palm to my middle finger tip. 

[mcalpine1986]

6 hours ago, Harrison said:

That’s from the base of my palm to my middle finger tip. 

How tall are you? I see from your IG and bio you are about 200lbs.

Your hands sure don't look that short, especially as you have the palm listed at 3.5" wide. 6.5" long hands are the same length as my 5ft tall 110lb wife. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by mcalpine1986

[Alex K]

52 minutes ago, mcalpine1986 said:

How tall are you? I see from your IG and bio you are about 200lbs.

Your hands sure don't look that short, especially as you have the palm listed at 3.5" wide. 6.5" long hands are the same length as my 5ft tall 110lb wife. 

Yeah, 6.5" seems somewhat too short. A pic of the measurement would be helpful!

As for CCS, I have moderately sized hands for my height (6ft), around 7.75", and CCS is quite a challenge. My pinkie can't stay on the handle, would be mechanically impossible with my current technique, but the ring finger still holds well. I feel like CCSing with the pinkie still confortably on the handle would require much much larger hands or a technique change. I've seen people with very small hands CCS with great technique, so I think it's a challenging factor but not a showstopper!

Edited October 16, 2023 by Alex K

[matek]

Just to make it clear; we are not "hand-shaming" () anybody, we just know that a lot of people don't actually know how to measure their hands; from the first wrist crease to the top of the middle finger. It's just usually the other way around with other people  . 
If you do have a 6.5" hand, I guess even your ring and middle finger barely cover the handle for the CCS, right?  

[mcalpine1986]

1 hour ago, Alex K said:

Yeah, 6.5" seems somewhat too short. A pic of the measurement would be helpful!

As for CCS, I have moderately sized hands for my height (6ft), around 7.75", and CCS is quite a challenge. My pinkie can't stay on the handle, would be mechanically impossible with my current technique, but the ring finger still holds well. I feel like CCSing with the pinkie still confortably on the handle would require much much larger hands or a technique change. I've seen people with very small hands CCS with great technique, so I think it's a challenging factor but not a showstopper!

Agreed a pic would be good. 

Have a look on his Instagram profile, plenty of hand pics on there and see what you think.

I agree technique plays a big part in CCS.

1 hour ago, matek said:

Just to make it clear; we are not "hand-shaming" () anybody, we just know that a lot of people don't actually know how to measure their hands; from the first wrist crease to the top of the middle finger. It's just usually the other way around with other people  . 
If you do have a 6.5" hand, I guess even your ring and middle finger barely cover the handle for the CCS, right?  

Oh yes, no shaming at all. I just find it hard to believe a man could have hands of 6.5" when looking at his pics. I've been on this board since 2009 and have read every hand size discussion on here going back even further than that. I have never heard of, read about or seen a man with hands under 7" when accurately measured.

Also with having a palm width of 3.5" which is about average I just can't see it. 

I thought the same matek regarding the other fingers, they wouldn't reach.

Along the sames lines, he has a Ironmind Blockbuster pinch block on his Instagram, they are wide at 3"/ 76mm. I have one and can't see how someone could use that at 6.5" hands. 

 

[Harrison]

Here is second crease of the wrist and width. I’m 5’9”, 215lbs. My wife is 5’3” and has bigger hands than me.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Harrison

[Cannon]

So you’ve been measuring to the index finger, right? You want to go to the middle finger. From your photo it appears you have a roughly 7-1/4 to 7-1/2” hand.  

[dubyagrip]

Well now that we know he has average hands, what I'm taking from this is that his wife needs to start training grip if hers are larger than his.

Edited October 17, 2023 by dubyagrip

[mcalpine1986]

4 hours ago, Harrison said:

Here is second crease of the wrist and width. I’m 5’9”, 215lbs. My wife is 5’3” and has bigger hands than me.

It should be the first wrist crease but ethier way your hand looks to be about 7.25" which is in the normal range not 6.5". An extra .75" is a big difference, especially when it comes to grip training.

I don't think you realise how short 6.5" hands would be on a man unless he had dwarfism. 

Time to update your bio I think. Your hands actually look pretty thick with a decent sized thumb pad

 

[Harrison]

Now that everyone knows what my hands look like, suggestions for CCS sets?

[EmilBB]

1 hour ago, Harrison said:

Now that everyone knows what my hands look like, suggestions for CCS sets?

Don't do them. Seriously though, I don't think you need to do them unless you're getting close to the #3 cert. Gaining strength through 38mm block sets or MMS is gonna be more beneficial for you, then when you're closing #3's with MMS or 38mm block sets then you can try to transition to CCS to see where you're at. 

As for technique, you're gonna have to try different things to see what works for you. Like moving the palm handle lower, so you can reach further with your fingers. Getting the pinky on from the start is not necessary, so I would not worry about that.
 

[Alex K]

I think @C8Myotome and @stranger provided two great examples on how to perform CCS with regular sized hands. I'm training the same way and it seems to be the best technique for me too (Hands around 19.5cm or around 7.75")

[Alex K]

Just now, EmilBB said:

Don't do them. Seriously though, I don't think you need to do them unless you're getting close to the #3 cert. Gaining strength through 38mm block sets or MMS is gonna be more beneficial for you, then when you're closing #3's with MMS or 38mm block sets then you can try to transition to CCS to see where you're at. 

As for technique, you're gonna have to try different things to see what works for you. Like moving the palm handle lower, so you can reach further with your fingers. Getting the pinky on from the start is not necessary, so I would not worry about that.
 

And yes, this is 100% correct. I train for the cert with, well, micro reps from 5mm or below All you need is strength, and when you're close you can start implementing CCS to practice technique a bit

[Harrison]

25 minutes ago, EmilBB said:

Don't do them. Seriously though, I don't think you need to do them unless you're getting close to the #3 cert. Gaining strength through 38mm block sets or MMS is gonna be more beneficial for you, then when you're closing #3's with MMS or 38mm block sets then you can try to transition to CCS to see where you're at. 

As for technique, you're gonna have to try different things to see what works for you. Like moving the palm handle lower, so you can reach further with your fingers. Getting the pinky on from the start is not necessary, so I would not worry about that.
 

hahaha I had missed that with all the hand comments. Thanks @EmilBB, @C8Myotome, @Alex K, & @stranger!