slipping away !

[Sirex]

i've realised today that i have a problem, the powerball's a little bit too big for my hand, so far the highest i've got is 10,030 with my left hand (which is my weaker, but i guess slightly bigger hand).

everytime i get to about 9500 the ball just slips out of my hand, either between my thumb and first finger, third and forth, or forth and thumb, no matter how hard i try to grip. -- in fact, when i grip really hard it just aids the powerball on its way out of my hand.

anyone have any ideas on a way to battle this ? - i've tryed drying my hands, and im using a cord round my wrist in case i drop it comepletly (so far i've managed to slow it down again as it slips out my fingers, and the cord hasn't been required to do its job).

its so annoying !, i think if i took the counter off it'll give me that little bit extra room to grip with, but then i couldnt see my scores.

i've tryed moving my fingers into all sorts of positions to try and "close the gaps" but at about 9500rpm it always finds the one gap i couldnt cover with 4 fingers and a thumb ;p i even tryed using the ball the other way up, which works to about 9000rpm but then the gripping moved my hand lower to the ball, and eventually touches it for a breif moment (which of course ruin's the speed).

are there any other things i could try, other than glueing the ball into a baseball glove, and going for a decent score with that :-)

[Autolupus]

Sounds more like a grip issue than small hands, they'd have to be really small!:rolleyes:
Your finger and thumb strength could probably do with some strengthening if the ball is forcing out between them, seems like the ball gets too powerfull for you @ around 9500. You could try surgical gloves or a balloon wrapped around the ball. Link to a previous thread.http://www.powerballs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=815&highlight=balloon
Powerball training will improve grip, so persevere!
There are also other threads relating to grip enhancement.
Also if you feel the ball may escape train over a duvet so it'll have a nice soft landing!;)

[Sirex]

yeah i guess. :-) - the ball dosn't really slip directly out like a bar of soap would, it kind of slides out to one side, but whichever side i put a finger on to cover that route, it slides out of a diffrent gap ! :-)

i found curling my little finger means i can cover the gap between thumb and little finger fairly well, but it puts sideways stress on the joint, which hurts a bit (and i expect isn't good for it).

what i need is a mini powerball. for wusses :-)

[Adrena1in]

I have exactly the same problem with my Metal...10k to 11k and I simply can't hold on anymore. Might be worth trying some magnesium powder, (like weight-lifters use), or some sort of grip-aid powder or gel, like you can get in a sports shop for racket sports.

Some alcohol-based cleaner might also be good to completely remove any grease from the surface of the Powerball. Washing your hands in hot water and drying them well will also help.

[Sirex]

yea, the only problem with friction inducing powder, is that if it gets inside the ball it'll wear the parts out alot quicker.

i was thinking, if the bottom half of the ball was desgined a little diffrently (with a ridged raised pattern and maybe not such a slight serrated effect) it'd make gripping the thing a lot easier :)

[donkapone]

powerball is not for gripping it easier - it is to train and improve your grip.

If you really have problems then maybe you should try washing the grip band with cold water with soap and washing your hand with warm water and soap, clean both well with a towel without stretching the band and try spinning... it helps a lot for me...

[Sirex]

yeah i might look into ways to improve lateral finger power. - i can grip onto the ball all i want, but it slides my fingers round slowly :-) annoying thing is you can grip until your fingers hurt and your knuckles are white, but it always manages to slip sideways.

in the last post, i really meant they could supply 2-3 diffrent shells with the powerball (or make avaliable to buy). maybe one thats hard to grip for gripping power at low speeds, and some that are easyer to hold onto, for arm muscle power. i feel like im only using a tiny part of my power on the ball due to it sliding, and until i get better fingers, i'll not unlock the power of the ball.

it'd be nice to have the option to exercise the muscles i want - personally im not that bothered with finger power, but it seems required to get the full effect, maybe this idea would allow that to not be so.

[unrealfighter]

The powerball is a great invention, but I think the timer is horrible...it protrudes out way too much and im ending up with bruises on my palm!

[PowerMark]

I get bruised palms from over using the powerball too.
Its the main reason I have to take breaks really. After using it for a long time, all you feel is the muscles burning and maybe a little bit of palm pain, but then when you try to use it the next day, it hurts so much I cant use it anymore.
Thats only after doing some intense strength scores and highscore attempts though...
Ive heard of people sticking some blue tack or the like on their powerballs, to smooth out the ridge. I havent tried it because I dont want blue tack going inside the ball, but I think it could work.
Maybe the bluetooth counter will be slimmer, but I doubt it...

Mark