In
fencing, any one of a number of grips for
foil and
epee that are designed to fit the hand better than a
French or
Italian grip. This is done by using a
pistol shape with a number of
tangs coming off at various angles to provide leverage for the fingers and thumb.
Orthopedic grips were originally designed for duelists who had lost fingers in previous duels and needed the enhanced shape merely to hold on the their weapon. Today they are the most common category of foil and epee grips, with particular kinds generally named after either their inventor or country of origin (e.g. German grip, Russian grip, Visconti grip, etc.).
Proponents point to the fact that they offer a firm grip and the fact that, because they are generally shorter than the French grip and thus do not get caught on the wrist, they allow for a wider variety of movement. Opponents claim that this is all true but not such a good thing- that the firm grip and range of movement bring about much broader movements and much less point control.