RichardM,

I am not saying your grip was wrong just because you threw a 7 the time you did not use the gripper. But that is what you are implying. I am basing my assumption the grip was bad from your own statement. If the grip was off and you did not know it until you threw the dice that is a problem for you.

You need to get to the point where you can tell by the way the dice feel in your hand whether your grip is correct or not. The grip has to become automatic and a second nature part of the throw.

Continue to use the gripper to be sure you have the correct grip. But "feel" the dice when it is correct and burn that feel into your muscle memory. You should also practice picking the dice up without the gripper and then checking the grip when you think the grip is proper. Try putting them back into the gripper with what you think is the right grip and see if the dice fit in the gripper properly. Grip the dice without the gripper and use the mirror or pick them up to check the placement of your fingers and thumb.

In other words, do different things to make sure the grip is 100% correct when you pick them up without the gripper and think you have a proper grip. When you can do that on auto pilot you will be in much better shape.

The biggest benefit to me for practicing with the gripper is to help lock in the C-grip from the start. I am actually quite good at picking up the dice and having a good feel for how I am holding them. But I do need to improve on the C portion of my grip and maintaining that C throughout the delivery of the dice to the target.