Get Your Grip!
It’s an age old dispute - what is the best Grip Aid on the market? After years of watching the ole faithful ‘Dry Hands’ stock 'Dry Up’ in Australia with no updates on when (or if) they will make a comeback, we have all been on the hunt for the next best thing, and in our opinion … we are still on the hunt! However, there have been some amazing new products to hit the market in the last few years who appear to be hitting a spot with the fresher Pole Dancers.
So how do you know which grip is the one for you? In short answer, until you try them all out, you won’t know! But we do have a two step solution for you.
Step 1. Are you a Sweaty Betty or a Slippery Susan?
Way back when I was a wee poler and all you millennial babies were not yet around, our grip aids were a towel and some shaving cream. If you were desperate, you would use the methylated spirits (to clean the poles) to try and dry out your hands but that trick wasn’t found out until a little later in ones pole journey 😉
Once you’ve determined whether you are Sweaty Betty (your skin will become a leaky tap the minute you touch the pole), or a Slippery Susan (your skin is as nice and dry as the studio’s gecko mascot), it will help to narrow down the long list of Grip Aid products available to you.
Step 2. Try before you buy.
Most suppliers will sell little Sample Packs, our favourite is Dancing Dust and how their sample pack is literally one of every grip product they offer. After all variety is the spice of life! At Queens, we have testers for all in stock Grip Aids in all our locations available for our Queens Members to try before they buy. We want to make sure before you deplete your bank account on sampling a range of Grip Products, we help you find the right fit first!
The other alternative to Grip Aids in the liquid and/or chalk form, are grip gloves and ankle guards. These products tend to be either a grippy or non grippy accessory item you can wear opposed to applying a product to your skin. These are really common for newbies to Pole Dancing as a quick and almost immediate solution to the lack of hand/ankle grip when learning foundation climbs or foundation spins. However, while they do work for the initial intended purpose, once you progress beyond beginner and enter into intermediate levels, the levels where you meet upside down land, they tend to become more of a hinderance than a help. Nothing worse than pinning your own hand between the pole and your leg without adding in the extra struggle that your tacky grip gloves have added into the mix. They also make it quite difficult to fully control the stickiness provided by the glove’s grip, but some people find the mental appeal the gloves provide worth the struggle. For those wanting to head down the path of Pole Dance Competitions, there is a wide range of Grip Aid’s in the liquid/chalk form are approved by the competition host, whereas grip gloves/ankle guards are not.
A lot of grip issues tend to be resolved as grip strength improves, overall body strength improves and a Pole Dancer becomes confident and comfortable in her space. There are also medical conditions that can play a factor in hand/body perspiration and we have seen some really Sweaty Betty’s in our time and walked alongside them in their journey testing grip aids, grip products and some even, medical assistance. (We are in no way trained to provide recommendation for medical assistance in this area and would suggest you speak with your GP for advice on this).
Every Pole Dancer’s path is unique, every Pole Dancer’s journey is individual, but hopefully our quick visual reference guide of regular products we have seen and tried over the years will hopefully help to break down your list of Grip Aids for Pole Dancers to try.
