Do you think...

[d'marion]

it's a good idea to practice with french grip so you could learn point control, while you fence in competitions with pistol so you have the strength it offers while having that point control?

[WGH]

it's a good idea to practice with french grip so you could learn point control, while you fence in competitions with pistol so you have the strength it offers while having that point control?

No. Practicing to have more point control with a french will do you no good if you just death grip when you have a orthopedic in your hand. I would choose one and learn point control with that.

[tchwojko]

it's a good idea to practice with french grip so you could learn point control, while you fence in competitions with pistol so you have the strength it offers while having that point control?

I normally use a Visconti, but will sometimes use a Belgian if I feel I need to be conscious of my grip, and am tensing up too much. I don't think there's anything particular about the Belgian that facilitates that, it's just different from my norm.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

No.

More characters:

It is a good idea to practice and compete with gear that is as similar as is practical.

If both you AND your coach think there is something the french grip can offer you, you could switch to that for both practice and competition.

But why do you think that whatever point control you develop with one setup will immediately switch over to a completely different setup you haven't touched in a while? Whatever issues you have with a pistol grip won't get fixed magically just because you fence with a french grip for x hours a week. In all likelyhood, even if you manage to fix them while fencing with the french grip, if you keep switching back and forth, you'll just keep the bad muscle memories with the pistol grip, and continue to do whatever wrong you were doing with the pistol grip.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I normally use a Visconti, but will sometimes use a Belgian if I feel I need to be conscious of my grip, and am tensing up too much. I don't think there's anything particular about the Belgian that facilitates that, it's just different from my norm.

.... Perhaps it's that Belgians are evil incarnate?

(Note: I do realize that this is a personal belief, however, one hopes this is an epee thread, and Belgian grips seem to be more popular among foilists...)

[erooMynohtnA]

Everyone else here is being too diplomatic about this.

Do not fence with a French grip at all. It offers you nothing.

[RebelFencer]

I wouldn't go for an absolute. You want to practice with what you're going to compete with... but if your point control or something is off it doesn't hurt to use a french or something for a couple bouts.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Everyone else here is being too diplomatic about this.

Do not fence with a French grip at all. It offers you nothing.

"epee" was a tag very early on, early enough that I assume (hope?!) the OP put it on.

If that's the case, the French grip could offer something.

.... Just probably not point control, directly.

[InFerrumVeritas]

If it is for epee, practicing with a French grip would, theoretically, throw off his sense of distance.

[WGH]

If it is for epee, practicing with a French grip would, theoretically, throw off his sense of distance.

If he posts. Which he should, but probably isn't talking about doing.

[InFerrumVeritas]

If he posts. Which he should, but probably isn't talking about doing.

Then Anthony's right in saying that there is no reason to use a French grip.

[d'marion]

I mean epee is my primary weapon, i tried foil, couldn't get into it. I do actually switch between them more lately. Also I have found it easier to post with a pistol grip.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I mean epee is my primary weapon, i tried foil, couldn't get into it. I do actually switch between them more lately.

.......If you "couldn't get into" foil, why are you continuing to do it sometimes? I realize that there are valid reason to switch between two weapons-- namely boredom-- but every time you do so before you've reached a certain level, and I can almost guarantee you're not there, you do so to the detriment of your primary weapon. Consider that before you continue.

When fencing epee, there's usually only one particularly good reason to use a french grip-- the added distance you get from posting. In order to gain that advantage, you must train your hand and style to overcome the disadvantages that come with the grip. Not every coach can help with this transition.

You can hope that you'll fix your other problems along the way.... but there's no reason to believe you won't fix your other problems along the way with a pistol grilp That is, assuming you're receiving competent advice.


So..... now that everyone has told you "no", do you want to pivot the thread into telling us what you think your problems are that you want a french grip to solve, and us giving you some advice that might help no matter what grip you're holding?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I mean epee is my primary weapon, i tried foil, couldn't get into it. I do actually switch between them more lately. Also I have found it easier to post with a pistol grip.

You edited after I did my thing---

no no nononononononno. You're doing it wrong. THat's actually illegal, no matter how comfortable or not, easy or not you find it.

[Alexander Kai]

I mean epee is my primary weapon, i tried foil, couldn't get into it. I do actually switch between them more lately. Also I have found it easier to post with a pistol grip.

Can you please explain to me how it is physically possible to post with a pistol grip? I apologize but between the OP and what you've just said I think you may have the two backwards.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Can you please explain to me how it is physically possible to post with a pistol grip? I apologize but between the OP and what you've just said I think you may have the two backwards.

In between actions, you (quite illegally) switch hand positions to hold the long bit of (presumably) a visconti. It's not only illegal, but it also kind of destroys part of the point of doing it at all. While you have the added distance, and the change of distance does happen, you lose a lot of the control of when you change the distance..... also, NOT LEGAL.

Or you could be right, and the OP could have french and pistol mixed up. We can hope.

[kapunga]

.... Perhaps it's that Belgians are evil incarnate?

Anyone who makes beer that good can't be anywhere near evil incarnate.

[DRed]

it's a good idea to practice with french grip so you could learn point control, while you fence in competitions with pistol so you have the strength it offers while having that point control?

In foil, fencing with a french grip makes you look (quite rightly) like an idiot. Don't do it. Really.

[lauragoodin]

In foil, fencing with a french grip makes you look (quite rightly) like an idiot. Don't do it. Really.

If the only reason to switch to pistol is so *you* won't think I look like an idiot, I'll stick with French grip, thanks. Sheesh.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

If the only reason to switch to pistol is so *you* won't think I look like an idiot, I'll stick with French grip, thanks. Sheesh.

While that particular user might have not made a convincing argument, there are not many convincing arguments for foilists to use french grips. There are, however, OTHER threads on that topic, which I suggest you search for to consider if you're one of the very few exceptions that should stick with the french grip or not.