[Duma]

OT - as another "crimp everything" climber, I wonder if it's affected my wrist stability on slopers - engaging the thumb with the wrist in flexion naturally stabilises it, whereas on large slopers with the wrist in extension my wrist feels very unstable to the point of subluxing (don't know if this is the right word) and stopping me doing certain moves. I find it very hard to train open without my wrist(s) feeling like I'm damaging them somehow.

[User deactivated.]

OT - as another "crimp everything" climber, I wonder if it's affected my wrist stability on slopers - engaging the thumb with the wrist in flexion naturally stabilises it, whereas on large slopers with the wrist in extension my wrist feels very unstable to the point of subluxing (don't know if this is the right word) and stopping me doing certain moves. I find it very hard to train open without my wrist(s) feeling like I'm damaging them somehow.

Make a large diameter wrist wrench?

[Duma]

?

[User deactivated.]

It's a training device to build wrist strength. It's fairly easily to make one with PVC pipe, griptape and straps. A large diameter pipe would make it so that the position of the fingers somewhat replicates a large sloper.

Random youtube video showing how they work, note which side the straps are on causing it to rotate:

[jwi]

It's quite funny to see that most people don't like crimping. When I'm climbing something fairly hard, I will look to crimp everything,...

On steep routes absolutely every hold is a jug until you hit mid/high eights

[YorkshireTea]

I've no doubt crimping on a hangboard is a good idea and the pinky can be trained in a crimp position but can you train getting into that position?

Has anyone gone from being unable to get their pinky into that position without use of their other hand (therefore totally useless when climbing) to being able to crimp with their pinky?

My hand when crimping:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/MPPrLEHhZXFAtnjm9

[yetix]

I did pinky monos with a mono pick up device and super low load to begin with (as Dan V detailed arouns the start of covid on the fingerboarding thread?), had to force my pinkies into the position to begin with, then recruitment pulls when warming up at the crag, and now I can do hangs on a fingerboard at bodyweight as described above. Hope that helps.

[MischaHY]

I've no doubt crimping on a hangboard is a good idea and the pinky can be trained in a crimp position but can you train getting into that position?

Has anyone gone from being unable to get their pinky into that position without use of their other hand (therefore totally useless when climbing) to being able to crimp with their pinky?

My hand when crimping:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/MPPrLEHhZXFAtnjm9

Hanging back two crimp at sub bodyweight loads will likely be helpful in this regard. You'll be able to get the position right and then load it carefully as much as feels reasonable.

[Bradders]

My hand when crimping:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/MPPrLEHhZXFAtnjm9

That's bizarre! Sorry but is that really the position your pinky sits in when under tension?

Just doesnt make sense to me, I don't understand how you could be resisting tension with the joints at that angle.

[YorkshireTea]

My hand when crimping:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/MPPrLEHhZXFAtnjm9

That's bizarre! Sorry but is that really the position your pinky sits in when under tension?

Just doesnt make sense to me, I don't understand how you could be resisting tension with the joints at that angle.

Yeah that's the position with front three in a high angle crimp. Means it feels like I'm getting absolutely nothing from the pinky but I physically can't get it into another position

I'll try monos or back two with very light load and try push the pinky into the right position. I'm also doing some high angle crimp no-hang hangs as I'm willing to accept my pinky won't ever get into the position and I'll always be weaker at angles above half crimp but want to increase front three crimp strength for when I need it 

[knollchri]

Yeah that's the position with front three in a high angle crimp. Means it feels like I'm getting absolutely nothing from the pinky but I physically can't get it into another position

Exactly the same for me. I struggle to change this position to a more 'conventional' crimp, even when using the other hand to fix the joint angles of my pinky.
Always put it down to my anatomy and somehow learned to live with it. Curious if it can actually be fixed.

On a side note, I've always wondered if this difference between the fingers is in part responsible for developing notable Dupuytren lumps between ring-fingers and pinkies...

[SA Chris]

you mean as a result of DC, or responsible for DC?

[knollchri]

you mean as a result of DC, or responsible for DC?

Responsible for DC, as the movement of the tendons will vastly differ between ring finger and pinky when latching a hold open and rolling into a crimp position (or when the fingers open up). I imagine that this could lead to some notable shear forces in the palm. I don't know; maybe it is just utter nonsense...

[SA Chris]

I don't know; maybe it is just utter nonsense...

Fear it might be. From DC groups I have followed on FB etc, there seems to be very little / no link at all between any activity and DC, least of all the position you hold a finger in.

[knollchri]

The link to the finger position might be indeed.

...there seems to be very little / no link at all between any activity and DC,...

I feel must disagree with the lack of link between activity and DC though. Anecdotally, I have seen a cohort of very active climbers (education for trainers in Austria) with average age of ~25 years, where around one third had developed DC (which is clearly way higher than normal for this age-group). Some hand-surgeons that work closely together with climbing federations also confirmed the observation that there is a much higher occurrence of DC in climbers than in non-climbers.
I just don't think that there is enough research being done to get a clear picture yet. Anyway, I hope that I did not divert from the actual topic of the thread too much...