Rhythmic gymnastics equipment care & tips
Here are a few tips and advice regarding your rhythmic gymnastics equipment use and maintenance. We hope that they will permit you to have a longer use of your equipment and accessories. We welcome any of your own tips and advice, so if you have a suggestion that you think would benefit gymnasts or coaches, tell us about it.
Balls
How to clean a ball ?
What is the proper way to inflate a ball ?
How come my ball has lost its shine ?
What can I do to keep my ball from deflating ?
How to control air in a ball ?
Ribbons
How to maintain a ribbon ?
How to maintain a tip of a stick ?
How do I keep static electricity from making my ribbon stick to itself ?
How do I make my ribbon stiffer ?
How can I color my ribbon ?
How do I keep my ribbon from fraying at the edges or at the end ?
How do I keep my ribbon from having a wave shape ?
How to join your ribbon to your stick ?
Clubs
General clubs advice
How to choose best size clubs ?
How to decorate with holographic tape ?
How do I apply different designs and colors to my clubs ?
Is taping my clubs helpful in any other way than to make them aesthetically more appealing ?
Hoops
How to choose hoop size ?
When I bought my new hoop it did not seem to weigh as much as the FIG standards call for. Is this normal ?
Is it possible for me to change the size of my hoop ?
How come my hoop has become warped ?
How to tape and unwrap hoops?
Toe Shoes
How come my leather toe shoes seem to grab more on the carpet surface when they are new ?
How do I properly size my toe shoes ?
Can I dye or wash my toe shoes ?
Ropes
General advice
How to customize a rope length?
Balls
Q. How to clean a Rhythmic Gymnastics Ball?
A.
1- Dissolve a small portion of neutral dishwashing detergent into cold water.
2- Use a soft surface sponge without steel or abrasive padding.
3- Wash the ball in the dish soap with water and the sponge. Rinse well and scrub gently.
4- Dry with a microfiber cloth. Do not use a hard surface dried towel as it will scratch the surface!
Q. What is the proper way to inflate a ball?
A. There are four fundamental points to remember when you are inflating a rhythmic gymnastics ball. These are:
Proper use of the pump. Both the needle and receiving orifice should be moistened before insertion.
The needle should be inserted perpendicular to the surface of the ball, not at an angle.In order not to damage the structure of your ball and to keep it within FIG size specifications, it is important that the ball not be overinflated or under inflated. The ideal pressure is between 180 and 200 mm/0, or 4 to 5 psi. Never make any sudden or harsh movements when inserting or disengaging the needle, a nice slow movement will suffice.
Q. How come my ball has lost its shine ?
A. All balls will lose some of their original shine trough normal wear and tear. Prevention and care will be the best guarantee to make it last longer. There are some cardinal rules to follow, these are as follows:
Never let your ball stay for any extended periods of time in extreme temperature conditions. (overnight in a car, lying near a radiator or in direct sunlight etc.)
Don’t play with your ball on any surface other than a carpeted area or a clean gym floor.
Always store your ball in a cloth or plastic bag.
Wash any grime and dirt off the ball with a mild detergent under lukewarm water. Rinse the ball well and dry with a soft clean cloth.
Always keep your ball inflated at the recommended pressure.
Do not use any waxes or polishes to try to bring back the lost shine. Since most waxes harden, they’ll eventually crack and further damage the finish, in addition to making your ball very slippery.
Q. What can I do to keep my ball from deflating ?
A. Most balls will lose some air over time. While some will lose more than others, it is not necessarily a question of brand. The most frequent cause for a ball to lose its air is underuse. Balls, whether they be Romsports (vinyl), Sasaki (latex), Amaya (soft PVC), or any other brand, all need to be in regular use to keep working properly. If you follow the advice given as to the inflation and general care of balls, most of your problems should be taken care of. If your problem persists, you would be well advised to consult your supplier. However, if your ball has either been misused, improperly taken care of, or has been in use for a long period of time, we would suggest simply buying a new ball.
Q. How to control air in a Rhythmic Gymnastics Ball
A.
1- Put Air pump into a ball vertically.
2- Loosen the bulb of the Air pump to reduce air in the ball.
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Ribbons
Q. How to maintain a Rhythmic Gymnastics Ribbon?
A.
1- It is always good to keep a ribbon wrap to a cylinder recommended to use Ribbon winder.
2- Ironing a ribbon, press with a damp cloth at 140 to 160 degrees C (284 to 320 degrees F) if needed.
Q. How to maintain a Rhythmic Gymnastics tip of a stick?
A.
1- This is a tiny but very important part for extremely high spinning at tip of a stick.
2- Put 1 or 2 drops of oil around moving part of the axle.
3- Please keep maintaining after lessons or before competitions.
Q. How do I keep static electricity from making my ribbon stick to itself?
A. Spray it with an anti-static or silicone spray.
Q. How do I make my ribbon stiffer?
A. Use a spray starch, them steam iron it.
Q. How can I color my ribbon?
A. Section off the different parts that you want to color with a very tightly wound elastic band. Then dip these individual sections into a domestic dye solution. Rinse well in a vinegar solution, and iron while still damp. Make sure that a responsible adult is supervising this operation, as you will be using a boiling chemical solution and that stuff’s no fun if you get it all over yourself. Or, you can use a permanent cloth-type felt marking pen and color the ribbon to your taste.
Please find our instructional videos (How to color a ribbon?)
Q. How do I keep my ribbon from fraying at the edges or at the end?
A. Make sure that the metal attachments at your swivel end have no protruding metal parts. Regularly inspect the ends of your ribbons to make sure that the seams are in top shape. If the threading is loose or undone, make the necessary repairs. Apply a silicone spray to make your ribbon more slippery.
Q. How do I keep my ribbon from having a wave shape?
A. Alternate your winding procedure, from one side to the next. By storing it in an empty baby food container, instead of tying it with an elastic band, you will also diminish this effect.
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Clubs
General clubs advice:
Never subject your clubs to extreme heat or cold, as they will warp or become brittle if submitted to extreme temperatures. Let them warm up to room temperature before using them. Clubs should only be used over a carpeted area, as they will easily break if they hit a solid floor structure (wood-terrazzo-cement etc.) They should be stored at room temperature and either stood up against a wall or hung freely by the handle. They may warp if submitted to lateral pressure.
(Careful- clubs are the most hazardous of your pieces of equipment,they should always be used with proper care and supervision since they could cause serious injury to yourself and others if not properly handled)
Q.How to choose best Rhythmic Gymnastics size clubs?
A. Take a club and measure the length. Club should not hit your chin or nose when extend your arm and handling.
Q. How to decorate with Holographic tape?
A. Enjoy decorating to clubs for customizing your / team original with Holographic tape.
Cute decoration is available instantly by using Holographic motif stickers
Please find our instructional videos (How to decorate RG clubs?)
Q. How do I apply different designs and colors to my clubs?
A.
There are two main ways to obtain the desired effects: one is to paint
the desired design with plastic adherent paint, and the other more
popular method is to use colored tapes. Due to the nature of modern
clubs’ plastic construction, both suggested methods have the same
drawback: whatever patterns you apply will not permanently adhere to the
clubs.
Q. Is taping my clubs helpful in any other way than to make them aesthetically more appealing?
A. Yes it is, as it strengthens the clubs and offers more resistance to shock, especially if used on the handle. Some athletes find that it also makes the clubs less slippery.
TIP: After applying tape to your clubs, use a blow dryer and gently apply some heat to the tape. This will help in making the tape adhere better.
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Hoops
Q. How to choose a Rhythmic Gymnastics hoop size?
A. Put a hoop along your legs. Recommendable hoop height is at your hips.
Q. When I bought my new hoop it did not seem to weigh as much as the FIG standards call for. Is this normal?
A. Yes it is. Since many athletes prefer to decorate their hoops with tape, most manufacturers have compensated for this by making
their hoops slightly lighter than what the FIG standards call for. Make sure to weigh in your hoops before you enter into the competition season. You can adjust the weight by either adding or removing tape as the circumstances warrant.
Q. Is it possible for me to change the size of my hoop?
A. Yes and no. It is possible to make it smaller, but unfortunately you won’t be able to make it larger. In order to make it smaller, you simply undo the joint that is taped over, remove the staple or nail that is used to hold it to the wooden stub inside the tubing, cut it down to the desired size, and reverse the procedure. You may have to sand down the wooden peg a bit to make it fit. You should measure the length of the tubing desired to make it to the wanted diameter. The equation used is simple, just multiply the diameter that you want by 3.1416 and presto, you have the length of tubing necessary to make your hoop the right size. Remember that the official diameter of a hoop is measured from the inside part of the tubing.
Q. How come my hoop has become warped ?
A. It is more than likely because of the way that it was stored. Since most hoops today are made of polyethylene, they have both the advantages and disadvantages of this particular product. They are very resilient and virtually unbreakable, but they are also quite vulnerable to excessive heat and cold, particularly when combined with pressures exerted against the hoop in storage. When not in use they should be stored in a hoop cover, in a room temperature environment, and laid out flat on an even surface.
Q. How to tape and unwrap hoops?
A. Please find our instructional videos (How to tape and unwrap hoops?)
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Toe Shoes
Q. How come my leather toe shoes seem to grab more on the carpet surface when they are new?
A. This is quite natural, as the leather part has not been worn smooth through wear. In order to compensate for this you may apply a silicone spray to them. This will make them slip better, protect them from dirt, and make them last longer.
Q. How do I properly size my toe shoes ?
A. Click Sizing chart to view toe shoe measurements.
Q. Can I dye or wash my toe shoes?
A. To our knowledge, only the Romsports model RTS-22 preserves its original shape after dyeing or washing. This is due to the very high quality microfiber that is used in the manufacturing process. Model RTS-22 is also available in black.
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Ropes
General ropes advice:
There are so may different types of rope being manufactured and used that it would be impossible to establish overall criteria as to what is best or worst in the use of this apparatus. It seems that just about every different athlete or coach has her own particular preferences in terms of weight, color and feel, and even these seem to change as the athlete grows up. This is why we at Romsports make and sell the largest variety available. But we are always open to suggestions and new ideas, so please communicate them to us, they are more than welcome.
Q:How to customize a rope length?
A: There are no regulations for ropes. It is recommended to cut your rope as best for you.
Hold the both ends at armpit level while stepping on the middle of the rope to measure it. It is recommended to mark with tape before cutting. to prevent fraying. You can use 1 or 2 knots at each end and anti-slip material to a maximum of 10 cm, to help you during your routine. You can use 1 or 2 knots at each end and anti-slip material to a maximum of 10 cm, to help you during your routine.
