Staggered pads

[Hungry Hippo]

Whose idea and why?

[michaelmeador]

Todd king and John Wilson came up with the idea because inline pads suck!

[Bill Cox]

The pads were changed after WAF did extensive studies into safety and they claimed staggered was safer. This trickled down to all local organizations.

[Troy Smith II]

If elbow pads are staggered then shouldn't the pin lines/pads also be staggered?

[Frank "The PREZ" Hirst]

Pin lines don't matter. Its parallel pins.

[Bill Collins]

Jan 18, 2013 19:18:33 GMT -5 Bill Cox said:

The pads were changed after WAF did extensive studies into safety and they claimed staggered was safer. This trickled down to all local organizations.

Not sure how and were these studies came from, some have "claimed" it's safer, but I yet to see any real studies or results, and I yet to agree that it is safer...

[A L L E N F I S H E R]

Interesting discussion guys. Having been in the sport for almost 34 years, and seen quite a bit of change. I started out on a NAWA arm wrestling table in 1979. The table was narrow like that used at the world wrist wrestling championships in Petaluma California. The table had donated shaped pads, not staggered. Most of my early career we all competed on this style of table. The arm wrestling table with the donut style was designed by John Wosley and Ron Bennett. It took off and everyone promoting the sport of our wrestling was using it. In the book Armwrestling: How to Become a Champion by Ernie Jeffrey.

This soon became the table known as the Jeffrey Brothers table. You see this style of table throughout the book. Most organizations, such as in NAWA, SCAWA, AWI, WPAA, and AAA and many others used this table. The organization that was not using them was the WWC that held their world championships in Petaluma California. their table design had a raised border back and right side. That barely cushioned wall was attached on top of a barely cushioned table top. I say barely because it was painful and cause lots of injuries. I personally was very thankful to be arm wrestling in donut pads. None of the tables and staggered elbow pads. Bill Collins is correct when he said that someone came up with the idea of staggered patents because there would be less injuries. I have not seen that to be the case. The way the arm wrestling table is designed today the pads whatever is going to be used could be and should be in the center of the table. My professional opinion is their needs to be a raised edge, like that of the donut pad. If we had a raised edged, say about three quarters of an inch and no more than one inch above the surface of the elbow pad, then clearly if your elbow was raised above that edge and no position was gained the competitor should be fouled. this would make the referees job so much easier than it is today and there would be less complaints from the competitors. My friend and longtime colleague, a legend in the sport of arm wrestling, John Wosley, designed the elbow pad with an open area for the front in the center of the table that I think could be used on every table in the world. Many of you have seen them in competed on them. The the only problem was they were too soft cushy, but that's easily fixed. If someone has a pictures of this pad, please share them.
Love your thoughts guys.

[Hungry Hippo]

I think staggered pads is advantageous to hook/press style pulling

[David Owens]

Jan 22, 2013 16:57:53 GMT -5 Hungry Hippo said:

I think staggered pads is advantageous to hook/press style pulling

The reverse argument can be made for strait pads, and has been. Some don't understand why we should start with our wrist strait lol. I'm a top roller and have no problem beating hookers or pressers with offset pads, I do think the offset pads help shoulder rolling and floppers more than anyone else. Jmo