Grip Science Overview
To fully understand grip, it is important to understand the effects of the sweat glands, sebaceous or oil producing glands, muscles and the nervous system.
SWEAT GLANDS
Our fingers sweat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not only do we have 1000’s of sweat glands on our fingers, we also have sebaceous glands that secrete an oily substance. The combination of these 2 secretions makes our fingers and hands quite slippery. One of the things that we have learned from forensic science is that these secretions are always there. We leave these secretions behind on almost every object that we touch as a fingerprint.
When we are exercising, if it is hot or humid outside or if we get nervous or excited, the amount of sweat increases. What this means, of course, is that if you are gripping with your bare hands, it is impossible to have your best grip.
TOUCHING YOUR FOREHEAD
Our foreheads are loaded with sebaceous glands, those same glands we talked about in the beginning of this article. Whenever we touch our foreheads, we transfer this oily substance to our hands and then, having an optimal grip becomes even more of a challenge.
YOUR BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM
All of us have about 3000 sensory nerve receptors on each fingertip that send an incredible amount of information to our brain. Many of these nerves act like miniature motion detectors. If they detect even the slightest movement of an object you are holding they will instantly alert your brain.
Once your brain is alerted, it sends signals to your muscles telling them how hard to grip. Since this all happens at the subconscious level, we are not the least bit aware that this is happening. Because of these factors, the chance of having a consistently perfect grip can be very challenging.
WEARING A GLOVE
In many sports it has been thought that wearing a glove will remedy these problems. Unfortunately, this thinking doesn’t take into account that our fingers are still going to be slippery or the fact, that our palms produce significant amounts of sweat on their own. (Scientific research shows us that our palms have more sweat glands per square inch than any other part of the body.) So with all this oily, sweaty solution produced by our palms and fingers, the inside of the glove gets wet and slippery. Just as in the previous example, the tiny motion detectors on the fingers will alert the brain. The brain then sends messages to the muscles to grip tighter.
MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS
How hard we grip also affects some of our major muscle groups. If our grip is even a little bit too strong, the muscles in your wrist, forearm, upper arm and trunk tighten up. Whether you are pitching or swinging a golf club, bat, or racket, this over- gripping can negatively impact your game.
INJURY
As previously stated, in most sports, having a relaxed secure grip is critical for performing at our best. If your grip is too strong it can even lead to some significant injuries.
According to Mo Skelton ( physical therapist and founder of F.A.S.T. sports performance ) in his 5/13/14 article for yahoo sports – “when we grip harder to maintain control of the ball (racket, golf club, bat, etc.) it actually increases tension in the muscles of the arm and shoulder up to the rotator cuff putting players at greater risk of injury.”
GORILLA GOLD’S SOLUTION FOR GRIP PROBLEMS
The Gorilla Gold solution is delivered on an adsorbent cotton towel that cleans sweat, oils and dirt from any surface it is applied to. Our Gorilla Gold formula also has the unique ability to waterproof the surface of gloves, grips and even your hands. When it comes to your hands, Gorilla gold counteracts the adverse effects of sweat and oils by replacing them with moisture repellency and a tacky feel, thus increasing gripping power and control.
IMPORTANT FEATURES OF GORILLA GOLD
- absorbs sweat and oil from the fingertips – Gorilla Gold is delivered on a cotton cloth that is impregnated with a specially formulated waxy compound. The cloth is fabricated to absorb sweat and oil before leaving behind a light tacky feel.
- waterproofs any surface you apply it to – A light, waterproof coating of our Gorilla Gold formula is left behind on any surface you apply it to (hands, grips or gloves). This is especially important if the humidity is high, if it’s raining or if it’s hot and you are perspiring.
- especially effective in wet, humid, or cold conditions – No matter what the conditions, Gorilla Gold provides a firm, consistent, and confident grip.
- allows you to lighten up on your grip while enhancing your control – The more you relax your muscles when gripping, the better your bat, racquet, ball, club, etc., can do their work. Relaxed muscles also lessen the chance of injury.
- easy to use – just squeeze towel onto hands, grips or gloves. The amount of grip enhancement is also easy to adjust. Most products don’t have this option. With Gorilla Gold, the harder you squeeze the towel the more tack you get.
- no clean up, non-toxic, no stain or odor – Gorilla Gold evaporates from your hands in about 5 minutes, from your gloves in about 20 min, and off your grips in about 12 hours.
- helps preserve gloves and grips – Gorilla Gold helps prevent the absorption of sweat by gloves and grips. This in turn helps limit the damaging effects of sweat.
- Gorilla Gold has been evaluated and is recommended by one of the premiere golf coaches in the world, Hank Haney and arguably the best female softball pitcher in the world, Monica Abbot. It’s also used by many of the top pros in golf, racket sports, football, softball …… really anywhere that good grip is essential.
- the highest rated grip enhancer on Amazon, Golf Galaxy, Tennis Express and Team Express – Sports enthusiasts from around the globe consistently give Gorilla Gold high praise
