Youth Fencing

I was a fencer/pin cushion in college. I fenced epee and always used a french grip and I never focused enough on foil to care to try the pistol grip.

I don't know the training theory now but they always started new fencers on the french grip. I think the grip does require a little more skill to be proficient and you can have slightly more range of motion with the blade with it. So perhaps the coach is thinking that the french grip will be better for expanding her skill sets while she is still young and at some point in the future she can move to what ever grip she feels more comfortable with.   

Thanks!

My son and I fence weekly and to be honest, everyone has a pistol grip in competition.  In the biggining our club starts everyone off with the french grip but as you advance in skill so does the equipment, there is more responce w/ the pistol in the long run. 

 I would say advise them to listen to the coach, but gear is always being replaced, maybe next season a pistol grip might just show up, just for fun.

We love fencing - Monday nights is my long run to fencing class.  Nothing beats sticking it to eveyone after running long.  Everyone is so surprised I can still walk let alone fence.  Good times.

I have a college (NCAA, but not in the video ) fencer and a high school fencer (C12 and B13 respectively- have to slip that in ).  They both fence sabre so I don't think the grip issue comes up there.  I'm curious whether there are other reasons they wouldn't trust the coach's judgement?  Are there elite (A and B level) fencers that the coach teaches?  How do they do in competitions?  If the coach and club are training kids to a high level, they probably know what they are doing, and they are perceptive enough to pick up on the fact that the french grip may be a better style for her fencing.  How old is their fencer? It also can be a style thing- there are so many ex-Soviet bloc Olympian coaches out there, and they have very...firm...views about how fencing should be done .  

You can also refer them to www.fencing.net; it's a fencing forum, not too different from BT.  There's a parent forum there they can post the question in.

Thanks.  I did find that forum, but I think they are just curious - not questioning the coach.  I talk to them a lot about her fencing (I think it's awesome), so this came up as sort of a joke.  They mentioned that almost all of her competition use pistol, so I offered to "look into it" for them.  Half joking, but I think they would be interested to hear the various opinions.  I don't think they would have never done this on there own.  I might post something on the fencing forum.

They have discussed it with the coach, but like anything, I'm sure different coaches have different theories.  I'm not sure about the club and elite fencers, but it's the only one local to them.  She qualified for nationals recently and she's 12 1/2.

As long as she keeps beating the competition I would roll with it .  

You are totally right- different coaches have different perspectives.  It would be great for her eventually to do a fencing summer camp at one of the really good programs- it's helpful to see how other programs are run, and they may recommend something different, or reinforce what she's currently being told.  Either way it's good info.