[JDobo]

This is a bit of a weird one, but I seem to be unable to produce the speed to move dynamically between larger moves. I also climb too slow in general but I have climbed this way for so long its ingrained now. I have been getting stronger statically but after looking at the problems I am struggling on it is nearly always a large move that is stopping me. I'm expecting most of you to just say man up  but I was wondering if anyone had any tips or drills to try and improve this aspect of my climbing?

[SA Chris]

An old beginners exercise is get on a vertical traverse wall and traverse one handed. Good at forcing you to move dynamically and good for learning body positions too.

[the_dom]

If you have access to a campus board, there's plenty of things you could try. The simplest is probably starting on rung 1 (or whichever) and trying to throw as high as you can with one hand, latch the high rung and then drop back down onto your starting rung. Just be careful of your elbows.

Oh, and watch the Jan Hojer training video- it's pretty much the pinnacle of dynamism.

[Stubbs]

For bigger moves it can be easier to generate momentum by having your arms fairly straight and generating motion through your legs and up through your body, rather than trying to pull up with your arms.

[tomtom]

I also have this issue (amongst others many on here will say... ) and on the rare occasion I go to a wall, I work this one by getting on overhanging parts (usually 30-40 degree) and just working easyish problems but lunging between moves instead of doing everything static.

For me I think this stems from finding static moves (via cunning body position etc..) much more satisfying that lunging between things. I suspect in many cases while the static way may appear more efficient - often by the time I've faffed about dropping my knee or egyptianing whatever I would have used less energy just going for it...

I am also weak

[Luke Owens]

I also have this issue (amongst others many on here will say... ) and on the rare occasion I go to a wall, I work this one by getting on overhanging parts (usually 30-40 degree) and just working easyish problems but lunging between moves instead of doing everything static.

For me I think this stems from finding static moves (via cunning body position etc..) much more satisfying that lunging between things. I suspect in many cases while the static way may appear more efficient - often by the time I've faffed about dropping my knee or egyptianing whatever I would have used less energy just going for it...

I am also weak

You just described me...! Are you my long lost brother??

[tomtom]

You just described me...! Are you my long lost brother??

...you wouldn't want to be

[moose]

We could set up a self-help group "static climbers anonymous".  Take it in turns to stand up and admit our failings: "My name is Moose and I climb slowly. Seeing my progress up a route is like watching bad stop-motion animation.  I once spent a day trying to static the Buckstone dyno".   

[fried]

My wall's got a dyno set up with different height problems which I refuse to do unless I can static them on tip-toe, my shoulders weren't meant for anything harder.

[rich d]

Hello my name's Richard and I'm too static. Saw a video of myself on splashdown - it was slow even on fast forward.

[chriss]

I feel happy to come out now. I'm Chriss, I'm short, fat, balding & static..........

[marcpontin]

This is a topic i've been reflecting on recently as I too am too static. I have come to the conclusion that the way 'dynamic climbers' seem to make big moves seem easy is largely down to the momentum they generate in the strongest part of the range of motion of the arm/shoulder. They seem to be able to accelerate from stationary to a high enough velocity to enable the final part of the movement (where the lower hand leaves the hold and starts moving to the higher hold) to be carried through with minimal strength. Obviously sagging back gives you a longer run up to assist this. I think a really good method of improving this acceleration ability is double dynoing from a large rung as high as you can. you can just slap the board at the high point if ur worried about injury. Its impossible to cheat this exercise!

I also think a lot of 'too staticness' stems from fear of being out of control especially as really finishing a long move off through ur feet and missing the handholdhold that ur going for results in the feet staying on the wall a fraction longer than the hands as you fall which is 'scary'. If you really examine moment by moment you will maybe see that often you are spotting ur fall geometry microseconds before finishing the move! I reckon this is a crucial thing to be aware of and how limiting it is.

[tomtom]

Hi, my name is Tom and I'm thin, weak and usually static..

Whilst moving dynamically, lunging - whatever you want to call it might work out the old shoulders a bit more, I suspect it saves the core quite a bit. I notice that I resort to lunges of desparation when my arse has started to sag and its all starting to fall apart!

[moose]

I'm so static that Gary Gibson once retro-bolted and gardened me whilst I was mid-move.

[tomtom]

Theres a joke about the directionality of the gardening there that I just can't think of...

[JDobo]

Well I didn't expect to have created a static climbers confessions thread  if only I was strong enough just to lock everything then it wouldn't be a problem... But seriously some of the ideas are quite good, i reckon im going to start trying to do more dynamic moves on steep but easy problems as part of my warm up as Tomtom suggested and I'll see how that goes.

[Durbs]

When I had my training session with Shauna () she reccomended the one-handed climbing approach for practising dynamic climbing.

Pick an easy route, climb it one-handed twice, once with each hand. Also try and use as few a holds as possible. It is quite interesting how far you can go flicking between holds if you have to.

[jwi]

Exercises that I have found helpful (for other climbers)

For speed

1) Speed climbing on practiced route.  Keep trying to improve your time on technically easy routes. Friendly competition with a training partner helps.

1.5) The same but on lead. Stop the clock when clipping, for safety. Need one partner to belay and one to time.

2) Speed climbing onsight. The more advanced option. Stay well within your grade. For inspiration, check out any Adam Ondra onsight video.


For dynamic climbing

2) High jump. On an overhanging boulder wall: grab 2 holds, choose a foothold or two, chalk your hand and try to leave a handprint as high as possible on the wall. Again friendly competition helps.

[ghisino]

hi i'm ghisino and i am way more static than i'd like to be...

one thing i'personally find is that fear and/or discomfort play a very noticeable role on many dynamic moves.
It can be fear of falling off but also fear of hitting the hold too hard or badly causing an injury.
Apart from occasions when i totally refuse the dynamic beta out of terror, when i'm "medium or slightly scared" i tend to be very tense overall and this makes it much harder to generate the necessary momentum and/or screws up the fine-tuning of the move.

things are much easier when i'm relaxed and fine with the possible consequences of screwing up...



ps one handed climbing really works!

[webbo]

 "Ben and Jerry. they are a bit slappy those guys" Stuart Cameron

[Muenchener]

I find I can often reach holds I didn't think I would reach on dynos, but then fail to hold them. Not sure if this is lack of contact strength or lack of belief.

[Danny]

A few more things:

Do the one-handed type thing mentioned, but instead move both hands at the same time (this allows you to develop dynamic movement on steeper terrain). Climb a sequence, then reverse it using this method.

Climb one footed (either just one, or either at one time) on steeper stuff. This encourages a couple of things; first, cutting and replacing your foot as a method to move quickly through sequences (rather than 10 intermediate foot moves to achieve the same thing). Second, and far more important, it encourages you to use the free leg to generate momentum. In its most cartoon form this is what is now called a pogo (though I always called it a ninja kick), but actually little flicks of the leg are usually more subtly useful, mostly by providing an efficient means to adjust on holds.

If you climb with both feet on all the time you'll never learn this. 

I'm trying to think of a decent video that demonstrates this style well, anyone?

Also, I think that the static style is 90 % the way to go for trad onsighting, so don't neglect this if you trad it up a lot.

[jwi]

Also, I think that the static style is 90 % the way to go for trad onsighting, so don't neglect this if you trad it up a lot.

Yet, there haven't been many climbers with better track-record of scary onsights than "the leaping boy," have there?

[slackline]

I'm trying to think of a decent video that demonstrates this style well, anyone?

The opening "dream" sequence to Stone Monkey demonstrates some dynamic movement.

[Danny]

Also, I think that the static style is 90 % the way to go for trad onsighting, so don't neglect this if you trad it up a lot.

Yet, there haven't been many climbers with better track-record of scary onsights than "the leaping boy," have there?

I'm sure I should know who you mean, but don't. Certainly, there are times to get your flow on when trad climbing (i.e., when it's safe and strenny) but I think the most consistent onsighters of hard trad are primarily static, precise and methodical, with plenty of up and downing.

No amount of pogoing will get you through blind, tricky sequences and find you the positions to fiddle in gear.

Caff, Dickinson, Brikett, I'm sure there are others.