How to: make a tape grip

(this is salvaged off the swingaring.com message board that is about to be decommissioned)

Tape grips allow you to swing with a rip, sort of. Takes some of the pain off and reduces the direct rubbing against raw flesh.

Rip off a length of trainer's tape that's more than 2x the length of your hand and wrist:


Fold it in half lengthwise:


Then curve it around itself, forming a loop at the middle, leaving both ends lying flat:


Line up the ends and tape them together, leaving a gap at the top near the loop:


Do the same for the back side:


Now slip your finger through the loop (pick the appropriate finger so that the tape grip covers your rip):


Then tape it to your wrist:


It should be taut against your palm when your wrist is neutral (it should be just tight enough that you can't quite extend your wrist up past neutral):


Then wear your wristbands and grips on top of the tape grip. The tape grips can be re-used a couple of times before they get torn up or bent out of shape.

Oh - the last thing I forgot - we usually folded the long bottom end back over the wrist tape and then taped it down. That (somewhat) prevents the tape grip from sliding up away from the wrist tape.

The whole thing takes a little practice (especially taping the grip to your wrist with only one hand) but eventually you can do the job in under a minute.