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No 186, June 15, 1999
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Rock Craft | Bouldering | Destinations | Training
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Dynamic movement

All types of climbing moves are used in bouldering, but dynamic movement is its cornerstone. A dynamic move, or "dyno," uses body momentum to reach between holds. When bouldering you will push your limits of power more than endurance, so often you won't be able to reach the next hold without dynoing. Even when you could manage a move by stretching, without lunging, a dyno may save you strength. Good climbers blend static and dynamic technique when appropriate, climbing with a flowing movement.

"Deadpointing" commonly refers to short dynos, without the leg hydraulics associated with full-blown foot-off throws. In all cases, the deadpoint is the moment that your center of gravity stops moving up and begins to drop. To start the move, quickly pull your body into the rock with your arms. As your body moves in and up, release your hand and reach for the next hold, latching the hold right at, or a moment before, your momentum stills. Some hard problems may consist of nothing but a series of such "deadpoints" between holds too small to crank from statically.

Five quick tips for most big dynos and deadpoints.

  1. Propel yourself with your legs, not arms. Your legs are much stronger than your arms and will launch you farther and save you strength. To start a dyno, sink down low enough to get the needed thrust from your legs, then fire for the hold. Exhale as you push off.
  2. Use your arms to pivot and direct, not to launch your weight upward. When dynoing on very overhanging walls, where you are lunging outwards as much as upwards, keep your arms relatively straight as you pivot about your starting handhold. As walls get closer to vertical, you dyno more up than out, so pull with your arms to bring your hips in toward the wall. This will force weight onto your feet so they can propel you.
  3. Crouch once, then fire. Many climbers use a one-two-three-go series of upward body thrusts before they take off for a hold. They justify this as psyching up and building rhythm, but they are just as likely psyching out and wasting strength. I call this "pumping doubt." The best place to psyche for a dyno is on the ground before you even step onto the problem.
  4. Don't overdyno. Only lunge as far as necessary to hit the hold. Try to land on it softly, like a leaf falling out of the sky. With some dynos, such as long cross-throughs from poor holds, you'll find this nearly impossible — you really have to fall hard onto that target. But in all cases, aim to hit it with a slight flex in your arm, to absorb shock and give yourself a moment to get a grip.
  5. Commit to the move. Imagine yourself latching that target with confidence. This will be easier if you take a good look at, or hang on, the hold first. Crouch and fire like you own that move.

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