Deadpoint training

Who it's for

Everyone, honestly. The deadpoint is the most useful dynamic move in climbing because it costs almost nothing: feet stay on, the body barely leaves the wall, and the reach gets longer.

Newer climbers get a lot from it because it replaces the slow, strained lock-off they reach for on every long move. If you're coming back from a finger or shoulder injury, get a physio to look at it before practising moves that end in a catch.

Common mistakes

• Aiming at the hold instead of a spot on it. Pick the exact centimetre. Precision is what you're training.
• Catching on the way up or on the way down. The catch is at the top, at the moment you stop rising and weigh nothing. Early or late and you're hanging off your arms.
• Cutting the feet. If your feet come off, it was a dyno. Keep pressure through them the whole way.
• Doing five tries and calling it trained. It's a timing skill. Five tries on each of three or four moves, once or twice a week, for weeks.
• Skipping the rest. About a minute between tries keeps every attempt sharp. Rushed tries turn into sloppy slaps, and you end up training the slap.

How to progress

Make the reaches longer by skipping holds, then make the target smaller, then take the drill onto real boulders where you deadpoint whenever the option is there.

How to make it easier

Use big holds for your hands and feet, and pick reaches you could almost make statically. Choose a target hold that's a jug, so a slightly early or late catch still holds. A vertical wall is kinder than a steep one while you learn the swing of the hips.

Where it fits in your week

It fits a Base period for learning the move, a Power period for sharpening it on longer reaches, and a Performance period for your project's beta. It's also light enough for an Endurance period or a deload week. Do it early in a wall session after your warm-up, since timing falls apart when you're tired.

Questions

What is a deadpoint in climbing?

A deadpoint in climbing is a small dynamic move where you catch the next hold at the exact moment your body stops rising, with your feet staying on the wall. At that high point you weigh almost nothing, so the catch is easy on your fingers and the reach is longer than a static move allows.

How do you do a deadpoint?

To do a deadpoint, pick a specific spot on the target hold, then swing your hips toward it, push with your feet and pull with your hands. Catch that spot at the top of the movement, when you stop rising. Keep your feet on the wall and pressing through the whole move.

What's the difference between a deadpoint and a dyno?

A deadpoint and a dyno are both dynamic moves, and the difference is your feet. In a deadpoint your feet stay on the wall and you catch at the high point. In a dyno your feet leave the wall and you jump to the hold. If your feet come off during a deadpoint, you've done a dyno.

How do you train deadpoints?

Train deadpoints on easy boulders by picking three or four long reaches, skipping holds to make them longer. Do five tries per move with about a minute of rest between them, aiming for an exact spot on each hold. Then climb two or three easy boulders and deadpoint wherever you can.