Get a Grip
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2015 20:09
- Written by Jamie Taylor
GRIPS
If you have ever wondered what your grip does and why, and what goes where? Then here is your basic break down of the most used grips in UK Pole Dance classes.
CHALK:
Chalk balls sold as mountain climbing chalk is the cheapest way to keep your sweaty palms from getting slippery. Usually got from Ebay for less than £3.
It is messy, it will get on your pole clothes and all over the floor, but it IS very cheap. GENTLY pat your palms onto the ball, then lightly rubbed your hands down the pole to get rid of any excess before you spin. Pole Dance is not in the Olympics yet, there is no need to bash the poor ball like a gymnast and emerge from a dramatic, 80s style cloud of white smoke.
LIQUID CHALK:
Known as Mega Grip, Liquid Grip, Liquid Chalk. A less messy version of the above. Obtained from weight lifting online stores. Usually over double the price but will not end up all over your clothes or the floor. Some solutions include Rosin, which is pine resin that becomes sticky when hot (Ballerinas use it on the pointe shoes to prevent slipping). Rosin bought on its own, is about the same price as a Chalk Ball, smells like pine, but is a light brown powder that looks more dodgy in a bag than loose chalk does!
MIGHTY GRIP:
This powder is thermoplastic, which means when it heats up in your palms is creates a sticky grip. It is usually prices between £8 and £10. Mighty Grip is great for tacking up a humid pole, and also for drying places that refuse to stay dry when you work out, such as inner thighs and backs of knee’s. When using a grip like this on an invert grip point, such as knee’s, though; always use sparingly and remember that skin grip is a lot more reliable than a fake grip aid.
DRY HANDS and GIRLIE GRIP:
These widely used liquid grips are an anti-perspirant for your palms. Usually around £10, a small drop rubbed between both hands can last between 5 and 30mins of training. Depending on how wet your palms get. Out of all the palm grips listed I recommend Girlie Grip.
DEW POINT:
My all time fave grip aid!! Long gone are those cold Winter days when your legs would never tack up enough to do a simple Leg Hang. We now have Dew Point! Unless you have extremely dry hands, Dew Point is NOT for your palms!!
Dew Point is a pole friendly `moisturiser` that helps the dry skin on your legs or waist, or any other grip point that is not your hands, mimic the tacky feel of hot Summer skin.
I bought the large £40 bottle 3 years ago and am only now half way through, so a little goes a long way.
It comes in 3 different strengths: Red/Ultra for Winter. Green/Medium for Autumn and Spring. And Yellow/Light for Welsh Winters that are very similar to Autumn, but with more flowers.
ITAC2:
Unless you are competition training and have some super scary, barely there grip point tricks in your routine. I would avoid Itac2. It is a painful, super glue type grip that is really difficult to get off the pole. I am not going to tell you where to buy it from. But I have some samples going spare at the studio if you would like to find out how difficult it is to get off YOUR home pole?
DIRTY GIRL POULTICE:
There are now 3 different preparations of this product. Usually around £10. The original 2 powders, are to be mixed with water to form a paste for your palms, which once washed off creates a barrier on your palms that sweat cannot penetrate. It is for those who have serious problems with hyperhydrosis and need to use something stronger than Girlie Grip or Dry Hands. The latest version is a no-rinse preparation.
TITE GRIP and TITE GRIPII:
Smells like minty lavender! I wish this stuff worked on me because it smells so nice. Costs £7.25 from its co.uk store. This is another anit-persperant, but a cream version. I have heard from Defy Gravity members, that it is best to apply it a few hours before class or training, as for some reason it takes a few hours to work.
There are other grip aids available, such as Gorilla Grip which is made from honey and wax, meant for the body. Not the palms and totally messes up your pole.
And also Stickum, which is a spray for the body that creates such a good skin grip, it mimics the pain of a bikini wax.
Back in the early days, before pole dancing classes were even thought of, we used sugar water, hairspray, shaving foam and even put Rum on the pole to make it sticky.
Now imagine using all of that on your body then doing floor work on the dirty club floor?
This is one of the reasons why you should never try to lick a stripper!
