Have you ever found yourself in a precarious position on the rock wall, with no more reachable holds and the next one just out of your grasp?
It can be a frustrating and demoralizing situation, but fear not!
There are techniques you can master to overcome this challenge and continue your ascent.
One such technique is deadpointing. In this article, we will delve into the art of deadpoint climbing, exploring what it is, when to use it, how to execute it effectively, and why it is an important skill to develop.
So, let’s strap on our climbing shoes and harnesses and embark on this thrilling journey of mastering the dynamic technique of deadpoint climbing.
What Is Deadpointing?
Deadpointing is an advanced climbing technique that utilizes a controlled dynamic move to reach a hold that would be otherwise unattainable through static means.
Unlike many other climbing techniques, deadpointing relies heavily on the motion of the hips.
To understand the physics behind a deadpoint, imagine throwing an object into the sky. As it reaches the highest point of its trajectory, it momentarily remains still, as if suspended in the air. This fleeting moment of weightlessness is referred to as a deadpoint.
By executing a deadpoint, climbers aim to reach the next hold at the peak of a controlled dynamic movement, maximizing their reach and minimizing the impact on their body.
When Do You Use a Deadpoint?
Deadpointing is typically employed in situations where reaching the next hold or maintaining stability becomes extremely challenging, and a false move could result in a fall.
It is a technique that requires a combination of strength, coordination, and precise timing. When faced with a position of limited options and the risk of losing grip, deadpointing can be a climber’s pathway to progress and success.
How to Deadpoint?
Mastering the art of deadpointing takes practice and persistence. It is a technique that even seasoned climbers find challenging, but once you unlock its potential, you will witness significant improvements in your climbing abilities. Let’s explore the key steps to executing a successful deadpoint.
Place Your Feet Firmly
Your feet play a crucial role in deadpointing. They serve as your point of stability, allowing you to generate the necessary force to propel yourself towards the next hold. It is essential to ensure that your feet are firmly planted on the wall, providing a solid base to push off from.
Any slippage of the feet during the dynamic motion can lead to a loss of balance and a potential fall. Therefore, before executing a deadpoint, take a moment to ensure that your feet are securely positioned.
Turn Your Hips Inward
The movement of the hips is integral to a successful deadpoint. By shifting your hips forward, you generate the necessary momentum to propel yourself towards the next hold. This forward motion enables you to stay close to the wall during the dynamic movement and brings you closer to the unreachable hold.
Additionally, repositioning your hips effectively alters your center of gravity, allowing the force from your feet to act more vertically, directing the momentum towards the next hold and upward rather than pushing you backward.
Reach for the Next Hold
The ultimate goal of a deadpoint is to reach the next hold precisely at the moment of weightlessness. As your hips and feet generate momentum and create a brief window of weightlessness, reach towards the hold.
Aim to grab it just as gravity would begin pulling you down, minimizing the impact and avoiding recoil. It is crucial to note that the hip movement and reaching for the hold should be performed simultaneously, as they are interdependent actions. By synchronizing these movements, you increase your chances of successfully executing the deadpoint.
Watch Your Timing
Timing is of utmost importance in deadpointing. You want to reach the hold exactly at the moment of weightlessness, neither too early nor too late.
Failing to synchronize your movements or misjudging the timing can result in over-reaching or missing the hold altogether.
To enhance your timing skills, practice integrating the previous steps into one fluid and precise motion.
By developing a sense of timing, you can optimize your deadpointing technique and increase your chances of reaching the hold successfully.
How to Train Deadpointing
The best way to improve your deadpointing skills is through dedicated practice. While climbing routes that you can easily solve statically, challenge yourself by intentionally skipping holds and aiming for those farther away, requiring a more dynamic motion to reach them. This deliberate practice will help you familiarize yourself with the technique and improve your ability to execute deadpoints effectively. In addition to general training, there are specific components of deadpointing that you can focus on to enhance your skills.
Positioning Your Feet
Positioning your feet correctly is crucial for deadpointing, especially when dealing with smaller footholds. Practice positioning your feet for deadpoints of varying lengths and directions to enhance your stability and ability to generate opposing forces.
Three Points of Stability
Maintaining three points of contact with the wall during climbing is essential for stability and balance. Deadpointing requires you to let go of at least one hand entirely, relying on your other hand and both feet for stability. Practice climbing with three points of stability, utilizing two legs and one hand or two hands and one leg, to develop the necessary stability and balance during deadpointing.
Generate Momentum With Your Hips
In deadpointing, generating momentum primarily comes from moving your hips rather than relying solely on your legs. Practice bringing your hips toward the wall on steeper climbs to develop the ability to use hip repositioning for efficient momentum generation.
Timing, Calculating, and Aim
As previously mentioned, timing is crucial in deadpointing. Practice estimating the necessary force and developing a sense of timing to reach the hold at the precise moment of weightlessness. An exercise to enhance your ability to generate the right amount of force involves clapping while climbing indoors. Choose a route that you find relatively easy and clap your hands when you move for a new hold, aiming to clap exactly when you stop going up and start descending. This drill helps you develop precision and accuracy in your movements, improving your deadpointing technique.
Deadpointing Technique Tips
To further refine your deadpointing technique, consider the following tips:
- Keep your center of gravity aligned between your stability foot and the target hold, maintaining a straight line to achieve weightlessness and deadpoint accuracy.
- Maintain upper body tension after catching a distant hold to ensure your body weight remains firmly on the wall. Losing tension can result in swinging and potential loss of grip.
- Coordinate the pulling motion with your hands and the pushing motion with your hips simultaneously to maximize the efficiency of the deadpoint.
- Commit fully to the deadpoint without hesitation. Confidence and decisiveness are key to successfully executing this dynamic move.
- Utilize your hips not only to bring you closer to the wall but also to direct your movement, optimizing your deadpointing motion.
Common Deadpoint Mistakes to Avoid
While deadpointing can be a powerful technique, there are common mistakes that climbers should avoid to prevent potential injuries or unsuccessful attempts. Some of these mistakes include:
- Overshooting the hold by exerting excessive force during the deadpoint motion. It is important to find the right balance and not overexert yourself, as this can lead to missed holds or tendon injuries.
- Fixating solely on going upward and maintaining a tall posture. Dropping your hips slightly can create more distance and generate the required momentum to propel you higher.
- Allowing a loss of body tension. Your core needs to remain engaged and strong to transfer energy from your legs and hips into the upward body motion. Maintain core strength to keep your whole body activated during the deadpoint.
How to Move Your Hips While Deadpointing?
Moving your hips effectively while deadpointing is essential for generating forward motion. However, when you are already at full extension, generating forward momentum can be challenging. To overcome this, drop your hips slightly lower before moving them inward and toward the wall. This initial drop creates space to generate the necessary momentum. Then, synchronize the motion of your feet pushing upward, your hands pulling toward the next hold, and your hips moving forward into the wall. This coordinated movement aligns your center of gravity and directs the momentum of your body, maximizing the effectiveness of your deadpoint.
What Is a Dyno in Climbing and How Is It Different From a Deadpoint?
While deadpointing and dynoing both involve dynamic movements, they differ in their execution and purpose. In deadpointing, you maintain contact with the wall using your feet after catching a hold, whereas in dynoing, you release your feet entirely to reach higher and catch a hold with both hands for stability. Dynoing requires a more explosive and powerful movement, often used to bridge large gaps or reach distant holds. Both techniques have their place in climbing and offer unique challenges and rewards.
Why Is Deadpoint Climbing Important?
Deadpoint climbing is an essential skill for climbers looking to push their limits and overcome challenging sections of a route. It allows climbers to reach holds that would be otherwise unattainable through static movement alone. Deadpointing is particularly valuable in situations where climbers are already at full extension or in a constricted position. By effectively using their hips, climbers can generate motion and save energy, enabling them to continue climbing without excessive fatigue. Mastering the art of deadpoint climbing opens up new possibilities and helps climbers reach new heights, both literally and metaphorically.
In conclusion, deadpoint climbing is a dynamic technique that requires a combination of physical strength, coordination, and precise timing. By utilizing the movement of the hips and generating controlled momentum, climbers can reach holds that would otherwise be out of reach. Training and mastering deadpointing can significantly enhance climbing skills, allowing climbers to overcome challenging sections of a route and reach new heights. So, embrace the art of deadpoint climbing, practice diligently, and enjoy the exhilaration of executing this advanced climbing technique.