Grip Aids tried & tested

 Extra Grip for slippery pole dancers!

In most cases, if you get slippery, sweaty hands when you pole, it’s something that gets better with time, especially when you have mastered the moves that at first made you panic and sweat. 

That said,  if you’re trying to learn a tricky move or you need to be on top form for a performance in a hot room, just wiping your hands down and keeping the pole clean might not be enough.

There are generally 4 groups of products available:

1. Gloves    (Nomis gloves) 
2. Sports grip products   (Gorilla Grip, Surgrip)
3. Alcohol based substances    (Acetone, Gin, Alcohol)
4.  Chalks   (Climbing chalk, Mighty Grip, Beal Pure Grip)

 

All are useful in different ways so it’s best to try and sample each if you can to find out what works best for you.  Below is a quick guide of products you can try and how they work:

Gloves

Becoming more popular amongst pole dancers, leather gloves with their fingers cut off  give you added grip.
Sam Remmer (from the Pole Dance Community) has spent a few years trying and testing various gloves to find the best ones to use for pole dance, and has recommended the Nomis brand.
Nomis gloves come in a range of sizes, you need to make sure the gloves fit you tightly, as like a new pair of shoes, they need a bit of wearing in.  Wearing tight gloves is also important to avoid them slipping.
Many Candy & Chrome students are choosing this as the best grip aid for them, although we try to encourage that they should be used only as a learning aid, so the student does not become dependant on using gloves all of the time as gloves are not ideal for spins.
If you would like to buy a pair, contact us and we can get them ordered in specially for you. 

Chalks

Chalk is used by climbers to help them stick to rock faces, but it’s also great for helping you stick to your pole. Climbing shops sell chalk in blocks, as balls and as a liquid.

You can will find a variety of grip chalks from the Rock & Run website

Liquid chalk is the best for pole dancing as you won’t have any problems with dust. Just rub a little on your hands (or thighs) and allow it to dry before jumping back on your pole!  Be careful not to use too much liquid chalk, or you’ll end up with unsightly white patches on your skin.  Some good brands are:

1. Mighty Grip looks like chalk dust but is actually a thermoplastic. Rub a little on your hands to block sweat. You don’t need to use much, and one application should last a lot longer than chalk. You can buy this from Mighty Grip’s website.
2. Beal Pure Grip liquid chalk  is a new generation chalk is designed to suit the needs of climbers. On indoor walls the Pure Grip makes no dust and lasts twice as long. When bouldering, the grip obtained with Pure Grip, compared to powder chalk, is exceptional. You can buy this from the Amazon website.

Sports Grip Products

Traditionally these are designed for tennis players and golf players to help them grip the handles of their equipment.  Of all the available brands, these two have been tested the most by pole dancers and have been rated highly all round.

1. Surgrip is a liquid designed to keep your hands dry even under stress and in heat. Just spread a few drops on your hands, let it dry for a few seconds and get back to your pole work!  Many pole dancers refer to this as ‘Gold Dust’ as it has stopped being produced and you can only no find it on ebay, if you’re lucky!
2. Stickum is apparently ‘The new Surgrip’, according to old Surgrip fans. Stickum is a spray to be directly applied to the palms of the hands or on any surface to increase grip. The spray works by forming a tacky surface on the area which increases grip and a resistance to sliding. Only one application is required each time and if, after application, grip begins to deteriorate simply rinse hands with water to restore full stickiness. It’s also useful in conditions when skin can become either wet or greasy and is also available as a powder. You can get Stickum from the First aid 4 sport website.
3. Gorilla Gold is a sticky towel impregnated with bees wax. Squeeze the cloth to get your desired tackiness, or just rub it on your hands, thighs and arms. Use it lightly for a little extra grip, squeeze harder for more stickiness.
   Gorilla Gold repels moisture and won’t leave any marks on your clothing. It’s designed to dissolve quickly from your hands so it shouldn’t leave any residue on your skin. On the other hand, you’ll probably need to use the towel several times during a long pole session.
   Some people find that the residue it leaves on the pole can become quite abrasive on their skin, so do make sure you clean your pole regularly. The towel comes in a resealable bag and should last you 3-6 weeks.  You can buy this from the Gorilla Gold website.

Alcohol based substances

A quick wipe with alcohol or acetone (nail polish remover) will really dry your hands. Just make sure you don’t get too much on your skin – put a dash of liquid on a towel and then use that to rub your hands.
Alcohol is really good for cleaning your pole too, followed by a dry towel. Vertical Leisure recommend that you don’t use acetone to clean your X-Poles, so only use that on your hands.

You can buy acetone from any Boots or Superdrug store, and you should be able to find cheap gin in any good booze shop!