The Grip Decides Everything
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about control. Specifically, hand control.
As my climbing has progressed, one truth has become obvious:
If your hand can’t hold the grip, you don’t move.
No matter how strong or smart the beta—if the hold isn’t secure, your body knows. It won’t commit.
That’s when hips swing out. Or fingers peel. Or both.
So what actually helps you control a hold?
I see two big factors:
1️⃣ Raw capacity: strength and endurance in the forearms, fingers, and tendons.
2️⃣ Body mechanics: technique, joint mobility/stability, proprioception—aka how you move and feel.
You can climb decently with just ①. Strong beginners do it all the time—pure brute force gets them to the chains.
But when ① hits a wall, ② becomes essential.
Technique exists to put your center of mass in a better place—and sometimes, to help your legs carry the load your fingers can’t. That might mean flagging, twisting, or cutting loose—not to relieve the hands, but to trust them better.
A few reflections on the moving parts:
• Handwork: Crimp, pinch, open-hand, slap, press, push.
• Footwork: Edge, smear, toe hook, heel hook, drop knee.
• Mobility: Being able to high-step without lifting your shoulder? That’s leverage most people don’t train for.
• Joint stability: Lets you hold tension and reduce unnecessary swings.
• Body feel: Helps you know where the center of mass should be—before you even move.
On core strength—what matters most is functional core stability.
There’s general strength, and there’s sport-specific strength.
For climbers, the wall trains both—especially on steep terrain.
If you’re short on time, don’t over-focus on floor workouts. Just climb more, and smarter.
The grip decides everything.
But the rest of the body decides if the grip can hold.
What made you realize “just getting stronger” wasn’t enough?
#sport #climbing #controlfirst
