If you are looking to develop you grip strength, then there are a range of different hand grip exercises that you can perform.

It’s important that you decide what your goal is before you begin your grip exercises. For instance, you may want to build up your grip strength, however you may want to develop your grip endurance.

And depending on what your goal is, will largely determine what workout or grip training tool you may want to use.

So here are some great grip exercises that you may want to try out:

Ivanko Super Hand Gripper

This tool will help you develop grip strength as depending on the direction in which you hold it, it will increase and decrease in resistance. This tool is great for using whilst on the move and is the perfect compliment to any grip strength training routine.

Captains of Crush

This tool will also help develop your hand grip strength, as it uses a lot of resistance during your workout routine. You can use this grip strength tool as part of your grip training program, to build up strength as well as grip endurance.

Tennis ball Squeeze

This exercises will help you build endurance. The aim is to hold a tennis ball in your hand and squeeze it as many times you can in a 30 second period. Try not to stop.

You will find that the more often you perform this exercise, the better your grip endurance will become.

So those are 3 great grip training exercises that you can use as part of your overall grip training and wrist training program, to enhance your grip during sports such as golf, baseball, wrestling or any other sport that heavily relies on a good grip.

Enjoy and make sure you always train safe!

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The most important technique learned and the one that should be mastered first is the grip. The casual player has a different grip than that of a professional player, but in either case, if your game is to progress, you must master your grip.

It should be comfortable, relaxed, and remain fairly consistent throughout the range of the stroke. A relaxed grip is usually best since too tight of a grip can tense up muscles in the arm that can cause your stroke to perform erratically. Likewise, too loose and you could lose control.

One way is to play with an all finger grip where all five fingers remain in constant contact with the butt all the way through the stroke and never alter except for perhaps a slight squeeze on contact with the cue ball. This method requires the cue arm to be perfectly vertical at address of the cue ball or the cue will lift on the backswing causing a scooping motion. This is the most common way to grip a cue stick among beginners and casual players, and allows the most control. Do not put your thumb on top of the cue, because this will lock up your wrist, and it’s very important for your wrist to stay relaxed.

Most pros use a different grip, only the thumb and first finger remain constant , the others flex open on the backstroke and close on the forward stroke. This has the effect of tracking the cue and keeping it on line, also greatly increasing cue ball control and cue power. On the final backswing the little finger practically comes off the cue altogether, this allows the cue to remain flat , on the follow through the fingers all close and return to the original position.

No matter what style grip you use, it is important to keep your grip loose and relaxed. This will allow you to follow through on your stroke. A proper grip allows you control and accurate shots. Bad grips will limit your potential for improvement. At all times, your cue should feel well balanced in your hand. For normal shots, your hand should be in the center of the wrap.

For shots that require more ‘touch” and accuracy, try moving your hand forward on the wrap, shortening the length between your bridge hand and the ferrule. For shots that require more power, try moving your hand back on the wrap, lengthening the distance between your bridge hand and the ferrule. Always remember to stay down and follow through on your shots.

The key to determine your grip is to find the balance point of the cue. To find the balance point, take your index finger and balance the cue stick on it so that it teeters on its own. Once it is balanced, take a mental note of the point on the cue stick where your finger was holding it and use this as your balance point or reference point.

In general, but depending on how tall you are, you should grip the cue at least six inches back from the balance point towards butt end of the cue stick. Shorter players should place their grip hand slightly closer to the balance point we found earlier, while taller players should put their gripping hand a greater distance away from the balance point. This process will eliminate the chance of developing a bad grip and will start your beginners’ career off on the right foot.

Technorati Tags: cue grip, grip, Grip Training, Wrist Exercises

A good golf grip is essential to playing a good game of golf. If you are gripping the club incorrectly or too hard, you will end up with shots that go places you don’t want them to go. There is no one exact science to the golf grip, but there are three basic golf grips that golfers use today:

* The overlapping grip is the most common golf grip used. It is used mostly by male golfers and those with strong wrists and forearms. The little finger of the right hand lies on top of or overlaps the index finger on the left hand.

* The baseball grip is most commonly used by younger golfers, females, seniors, and those with weaker wrists and arms. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand meet but do not overlap or interlock.

* An interlocking grip will be used by golfers with shorter hands and fingers, those with thicker or chunkier palms, and golfers who have difficulty with the overlapping grip. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand overlap each other and interlock. Here is the basic way to grip a golf club no matter which grip you use. Start by holding the club directly in front of you with your right hand with the club head pointing away from you at about a 45 degree angle.

Next grip the club with your left hand. The club will be mainly in the palm across the pads at the base of the fingers. However, the club will lie across the first section of the index finger. The thumb will be positioned straight on top of the golf club shaft. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in the twelve o”clock position.

Now, with your right hand, grip the golf club just above your left hand with the fingers, not the palm, of your right hand. The thumb will be positioned slightly off to the left. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in an eleven o”clock position.

If you have gripped the golf club correctly, only the first two knuckles of your left hand will be visible. Also, your left thumb should be completely hidden under your right hand. The index finger position of your right hand will look and feel like a gun trigger finger. If your golf grip pressure is right, the club could almost be pulled out of your hands, but not quite.

A correct golf grip will make you feel as if you are holding the club mostly in the palm and last three fingers of your left hand. Regardless, both hands should hold the club with equal pressure. A correct golf grip doesn’t guarantee a successful golf swing; however, a defective golf grip will almost always result in a failed golf swing.

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Having a strong grip is essential for most forms of martial arts. Wether it’s increasing your grip strength for better control during a muay thai clinch or allowing you to secure wrist control when attemting to apply a Kimura in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition, the importance of grip training should not be overlooked.

That is why this article looks to focus on a few basic grip training and wrist exercises that martial artists can perform to build stronger wrists and grip strength.

Grip Training Exercises

Kettlebell Drop & Catch

This grip exercise is good for getting warmed up. It will help develop your grip strength and assist in holding onto your opponent for longer during competition.

Use a kettlebell with a weight you’re comfortable working with and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and bend at your knees. Then slowly pull the kettlebell up infrom to your chest and as you drop the weight, catch it with the opposite hand. Then repeat this process until you feel your wrists, hands and forearms are adequately warmed up.

Note- Safety is the most important element here and this exercise is best performed outdoors on grass, as you don’t want to damage your floor or carpet should you fail to catch the kettlebell during the drop. Also, consider wearing toughened shoes e.g. steel toe capped boots, as you don’t want to hurt your toes either.

Captains of Crush Squeeze & Hold

This grip exercise requires a Captains of Crush hand gripper or some other grip strength tool that replicates the squeezing motion. The importance here is that you counter pressure against your closed grip throughout. This is a simple exercise whereby you squeeze the hand gripper until it is in its closed position and then hold for a count of 10.

Note – As the Captains of Crush hand grippers come in varying strengths, you will require one which will not be easy to keep closed during the 10 seconds. If however you find 10 seconds to easy, increase the squeeze time to 20 and so on.

Hand Gipper Squeeze & Rotation

This is my favorite grip training exercise as I replicates a real grip scenario. In this grip exercise you repeat the above instructions, but this time during the 10 second count you rotate your wrist clockwise and counter clockwise until the 10 second count is over. You should find this grip exercise places alot more pressure on your wrists and subsequently help build an even stronger grip.

These are some of my favorite exercises to help get me in the flow or things. If you wan’t to take your grip training to the next level and really intimidate your opponents, then check out the Grip Master’s Manual.

Technorati Tags: grip strength, Grip Training, Wrist Exercises