Because of arthritic hands, it comes and goes, I struggle with the 3 finger grip because of my thumb, which is turned a bit sideways. At my last GTC class, NoFieldFive (NFF) gave me a close look at his grip. NFF grips the dice at the uppermost edge, using only his fingertips. It would solve my thumb problem, but getting a decent grip while touching so little of the dice left me with often losing my grip, during practice. The dice would fall out before I finished my swing.

Well, I found the solution, but you can’t laugh.

I remembered from my youthful golfing days that we often used a spray that would give us a good grip on the golf club, even with sweaty hands. Gloves, of course, were an option, but, man, it gets hot in the south – gloves were not a good idea in the summer. With that memory, I searched for a “grip enhancer”. I ordered numerous different products, and found four (4) types: (1) chalk based, (2) antiperspirant, (3) rosin based, and (4) made with beeswax.

The chalk based products are used by gymnasts for gripping bars. It dries quickly and leaves a white powdery thin layer. It lets the user firmly grip without slipping. For dice, however, I need to use a light touch. This helped a little, but not enough.

The reason I considered an antiperspirant is because I knew of some Craps players that would spray antiperspirant on their hands and fingers before going into the casino. Of course, I could get a travel sized solid antiperspirant and keep it in my pocket while I was at a table. This works well, but, at least in Vegas, I already have a problem with split and bleeding fingers from dry Vegas desert air. Not a preferred solution for me.

Now the rosin based – there’s a grip enhancement! Rosin is used universally by violinists to give the bow strings a grip as it slides across the violin strings. But rosin, in its natural state as a cake (or block), is harder than soap. Rubbing fingers on a rosin cake gets nothing. The finger grip products dissolve rosin in alcohol, sometimes light oil. It came in a hand pump that sprays easily on fingers. The result is tremendous gripping power, but too much. Even with the light touch, the dice would stick to my fingertips – not what I’m after. Removal requires serious scrubbing with soap, or alcohol.

The fourth product works perfectly. It’s easy to carry in my pocket. I rub a little around with my fingertips and it dries within 30 seconds with no odor, and it’s transparent. It gives me the perfect grip on the very top of the dice. It doesn’t dry out my fingers and even seals in the moisture. It comes off with a little soap and water. Too much of it does cause sticking. A little goes a long way. It’s the preferred product by pole dancers – you know, for fitness. It’s based on beeswax. It’s called iTac2. The container says, “Extra Strength Pole Fitness Strength”.

And, boy, my dice grouping looks good. Thanks, NFF.

I’ll be at the class in Atlantic City, May 3-5. I’ll bring some with me so you can see.

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