At first glance, the pommel might seem like a minor detail.
But once you’ve spent enough time swinging a mace, you realize that small design choices have a big impact on how the tool actually trains you.
We get asked about our pommel design fairly often — especially why it’s smaller and more low-profile compared to many other steel maces on the market.
This post breaks down exactly why we built it that way.
The Issue With Oversized Pommels
A large, flared pommel makes it easy to relax your grip.
When the mace bottoms out during a swing, the pommel becomes a hard stop. Your hand doesn’t need to actively hold on — it just needs to avoid opening.
That may feel comfortable, but it removes one of the most valuable aspects of mace training:
Grip and forearm engagement.
When the pommel does the work, your hands don’t.
Grip Strength Is a Core Benefit of Mace Training
Steel mace training demands more than just shoulder strength.
You’re controlling a long lever with an offset load.
You’re decelerating and redirecting momentum.
You’re stabilizing through changing positions.
All of that starts with your grip.
A pommel that allows you to “hang” on the end turns the grip into an afterthought — and that’s not what we want from this tool.
What Our Pommel Is Actually Designed For
Our pommel isn’t meant to catch the mace for you.
It’s designed to provide feedback.
We machine a subtle groove into the pommel so your pinky can settle in if you choose to grip all the way down — but the real function is positional awareness, not support.
Here’s how we typically use it during swings:
• Hands stay slightly off the end of the handle
• The pommel serves as a reference point, not a stop
• If the hand drifts too far up, we loosen slightly
• Let the mace slide, tap the pommel, and reset
It becomes a tactile cue that helps you manage hand placement without breaking rhythm or disengaging your grip.
This Design Has Roots in Traditional Training
If you look at traditional gada training — especially in parts of the Middle East and India — many gadas don’t have a pommel at all.
Often it’s just a straight handle, sometimes bamboo, and the athlete is fully responsible for controlling the implement.
We’re not trying to replicate that exactly, but we are respecting the intent behind it.
The goal has never been to make swinging easier.
The goal is to make it more effective.
Design Choices Reflect Training Philosophy
Every detail on our maces exists for a reason.
Handle length.
Knurling.
Loading system.
Pommel size.
They all tie back to how the tool should be used in real training — not just how it looks in a product photo.
A low-profile pommel reinforces:
• Active grip
• Forearm development
• Better awareness during swings
• More honest reps
That’s why ours looks the way it does.
Final Thoughts
If you’re swinging a mace and barely feeling it in your hands, something is off.
The pommel shouldn’t save you.
It should guide you.
That’s exactly what ours is designed to do.
If you’ve got questions about grip, hand placement, or any of our design decisions, drop a comment on the video or send us a message. We’re always happy to talk training!