Product Manual

2
Mechanical Pinch Gauge – The finger pinch gauge can be used to measure pinch strength. It
is calibrated in pounds and kilograms of force. Apply pinch force at the pinch groove while hold-
ing the pinch gauge between your thumb and finger(s). When force is applied further toward the
tip the reading will be slightly higher. When force is applied further toward the rear the reading
will be slightly lower.
The gauge must be “zeroed” before each pinch test. Grasp the knurled ring of the dial indicator
and rotate it until the zero on the dial indicator is directly under the black pointer.
The red maximum pointer must be reset before each pinch test. Rotate the small knurled knob
on top of the dial indicator in a counterclockwise direction until it rests against the black pointer
at the zero marking. The red maximum pointer will remain at the subject's maximum reading until
it is reset.
Use the pinch gauge to perform the three basic pinch tests:
• Tip Pinch (thumb-index pulp pinch) - thumb tip to index fingertip
• Key Pinch (lateral pinch) - thumb pad to lateral aspect of middle phalanx of index finger
• Palmer Pinch (chuck pinch) - thumb pad to pads of the index and middle fingers
NORMS FOR ADULT GRIP STRENGTH performance of all subjects (pounds)
men women
age hand mean SD low-high mean SD low-high
20-24 dominant 121.0 20.6 91-167 70.4 14.5 46-95
non-dominant 104.5 21.8 71-150 61.0 13.1 33-88
25-29 dominant 120.8 23.0 78-158 74.5 13.9 48-97
non-dominant 110.5 16.2 77-139 63.5 12.2 48-97
30-34 dominant 121.8 22.4 70-170 78.7 19.2 46-137
non-dominant 110.4 21.7 64-145 68.0 17.7 36-115
35-39 dominant 119.7 24.0 76-176 74.1 10.8 50-99
non-dominant 112.9 21.7 73-157 66.3 11.7 49-91
40-44 dominant 116.8 20.7 84-165 70.4 13.5 38-103
non-dominant 112.8 18.7 73-157 62.3 13.8 35-94
45-49 dominant 109.9 23.0 65-155 62.2 15.1 39-100
non-dominant 100.8 22.8 58-160 56.0 12.7 37-83
50-54 dominant 113.6 18.1 79-151 65.8 11.6 38-87
non-dominant 101.9 17.0 70-143 57.3 10.7 35-76
55-59 dominant 101.1 26.7 59-154 57.3 12.5 33-86
non-dominant 83.2 23.4 43-128 47.3 11.9 31-76
60-64 dominant 89.7 20.4 51-137 55.1 10.1 37-77
non-dominant 76.8 20.3 27-116 45.7 10.1 29-66
65-69 dominant 91.1 20.6 56-131 49.6 9.7 35-74
non-dominant 76.8 19.8 43-117 41.0 8.2 29-63
70-75 dominant 75.3 21.5 32-108 49.6 11.7 33-78
non-dominant 64.8 18.1 32-93 41.5 10.2 23-67
75+ dominant 65.7 21.1 40-135 42.6 11.0 25-65
non-dominant 55.0 17.0 31-119 37.6 8.9 24-61
ALL dominant 104.3 28.3 32-176 62.8 17.0 25-137
non-dominant 93.1 27.6 27-160 53.9 15.7 23-115