Let’s say you have a #1 and #2 Captain of Crush gripper.
You can rep the #1 without problems, but have trouble closing the #2
You can use a hose clamp (Jubilee Clip) to pre load the #2 gripper.
The closer the handles are together, the better you can grab them and apply force.
Through progressive training with this reduced range of motion, you will be able to widen the clamp and increase the ROM until the gripper is fully opened.