How do you learn to read sequences, not overgrip, and crimp efficiently?

I've come to realize the above are 3 of my most detrimental weaknesses to getting better as a climber. My trad climbing skills have surpassed my sport climbing skills, and I now wish to again increase my sport climbing skills. I am a better trad climber because the movement and sequences are more intuitive to my learning style, and I am comfortable with the gear.

My top redpoints on gear are 11c and 11d, but my top redpoints on sport are 11b. I can onsite 11a both sport and trad (not every 11a, but more than half), so there is clearly plenty of room for my redpointing ability to increase. I have redpointed 11d/12a in the gym, but those routes played directly towards my strengths and I feel those routes were soft.

If you put me on crimps or technical footwork, 11b has been a very difficult grade. When I am working 11b/c I get tunnel vision and don't know what is ahead, or where the next hold is until I'm reaching for it. I must be overgripping also. I am learning to keep my breathing under control, as well as tactics/strategies on finding rests.

What else can I do to improve on reading sequences, overgripping, crimping, and techy footwork?

JeffL wrote:I've come to realize the above are 3 of my most detrimental weaknesses to getting better as a climber. My trad climbing skills have surpassed my sport climbing skills, and I now wish to again increase my sport climbing skills. I am a better trad climber because the movement and sequences are more intuitive to my learning style, and I am comfortable with the gear. My top redpoints on gear are 11c and 11d, but my top redpoints on sport are 11b. I can onsite 11a both sport and trad (not every 11a, but more than half), so there is clearly plenty of room for my redpointing ability to increase. I have redpointed 11d/12a in the gym, but those routes played directly towards my strengths and I feel those routes were soft. If you put me on crimps or technical footwork, 11b has been a very difficult grade. When I am working 11b/c I get tunnel vision and don't know what is ahead, or where the next hold is until I'm reaching for it. I must be overgripping also. I am learning to keep my breathing under control, as well as tactics/strategies on finding rests. What else can I do to improve on reading sequences, overgripping, crimping, and techy footwork?

For pretty much everything you mentioned, about the only thing you can do to improve is get more mileage and practice. If you're not good at techy/crimpy routes, then get on more of them. Obviously you could also train crimp strength which could help a bit with the overgripping problem, but from your post it sounds like you just need to get on more routes that you are uncomfortable with.

I've never really noticed whether I unnecessarily overgrip the bottom hold, but after reading this article today, might start paying more attention.

allirainey.com/home/2015/06…

Deliberate practice.
Reading sequences:

get on routes without the intention of sending, but finding the most efficient sequence and best way to climb it. Even if you have to hang at every bolt the goal is to learn beta and find the efficient sequence. Lower off, rehearse the route in your head and then go again. See what you remember and what you don't. Watch other people on your route and see what they do.
Repeat 1000s of times.

Techy footwork- first piece of advise - look at your foothold, place your foot and then look at the next move. 90% of beginners, take their eye off the foot BEFORE the foot is placed.

It does seem strange that you can onsight 11a more than half of the time, yet can only redpoint 11b. My experience is that my redpoint level is about 4 grades higher than my onsight level, which means if I'm consistently onsighting 11a's, I'm able to repoint 12a's fairly consistently as well.

1. Sequence reading is important, but more for onsight attempts than for redpoint attempts. If you're still trying to read a sequence on your redpoint attempt (unless you just happen to discover a totally new sequence you didn't think of before), you need to go back to working the route and figuring out all the moves before trying to link them all together.

2. I believe over gripping is a myth. The feeling of overgripping plus tunnel vision and out of control breathing actually points more to anxiety or fear. You can try this exercise that supposedly teaches people not to overgrip: you get on the climbing wall, grab a hold, and try to relax your grip until you fall off to feel the optimal force for grabbing a hold. Once you try this you'll probably realize (like I did) that our body is very good at determining how much force we need to grab something without conscious input from our brain. You really cannot train yourself not to "overgrip" because you're not overgripping in the first place, that "gripped" feeling you get is really the manifestation of your fear or anxiety. What you really need to learn is how to relax your mind and get rid of your anxiety.

3. Crimpy technical routes often feel really insecure (probably where your anxiety is coming from), especially if you're used to routes with fairly solid hands and feet (cracks?). Like already said above, the only way to get better at them is to climb them more often. Focus on balancing and getting as much weight on your feet as you can, this becomes more important when the handholds are really bad. If you try to crimp harder when your feet are bad, it pumps you out faster, and also create that tunnel vision where you're always searching for the next good handhold.

I think lots of 30 min workouts (staying on a wall for 30 without coming off or getting pumped while climbing as smoothly and efficiently as possible, gradually using smaller holds (feet especially) and harder sequences as you get used to it) and making sure your breathing is nice and deep and even should help.

Just check the beta on mountain project and the comments for whatever your proj is, It's by far the best resource.

aikibujin wrote:It does seem strange that you can onsight 11a more than half of the time, yet can only redpoint 11b.

Thanks for the response.

My attitude towards climbing is geared towards adventure, so onsighting is my number one priority, and 'projecting' a route is much lower.

My hope is that increasing my redpointing ability will help my onsighting ability, that is what I really and truly care about. Adventure first, speed second, style third.

My favorite things right now are multipitching, onsighting, and simulclimbing. When I can put all three together, I hit the maximum returns and pleasure that climbing has ever given me.

For me at least, I think over-gripping has a lot to do with not trusting my feet. Yes, your body is very good at knowing subconsciously how much force is needed to hold on. But it's also very good at predicting how much force would be needed to recover if the left foot slipped right now. And my instinct is often to provide that extra "margin of error" grip. I really notice this when making a strenuous placement or clip. Once I've made the clip I relax and, oh yeah, those feet are totally fine, I didn't have to be gripping so hard.

I am in the same boat as you are JeffL.

My onsights (.10d/11a range) and redpointing ability (11b/c) are separated only by a small margin of couple of grades.

I also read your other post on Why redpoint. I seek and enjoy the same type of climbing (onsighting big peaks / alpine ascents) as you do, and hence my climbing training has been more specifically geared towards onsighting. My friends call it always 'feeling in control' style.

Also I believe that to improve my onsight ability I do need to redpoint, but only a couple of grades beyond my onsight skills. By doing so, I aim to build upon a solid base and not just rehearse some specific movements and hammer those in my muscle memory.

Also, as far as not over gripping and crimping efficiently, I was surprised that no one has mentioned bouldering as an effective training tool. Bouldering problems in my weaker areas has helped me improve my technique in those areas very much.

Reading sequences and onsighting are one in the same. You're saying that this is your strength but also one of your biggest weaknesses? I think you are complicating things for yourself. "Crimps and technical footwork" have nothing to do with sport or trad, they exist in both styles. If you want to get better at this style, climb more routes in this style.

I'm going to lump grip and footwork into the same paragraph and follow up with my thoughts on sequence finding.

A critical question is whether or not you trust your feet. I've found that the more negative or less friendly a hold feels then the more actively I need to seek out usable/passable footholds. Learn to trust your feet on good holds, passable holds, and holds that don't inspire much confidence. AND learn to spot your foot placements so you can make the most of poor/small/nearly non existent feet.

As for sequence finding, I have found that quantity beats quality here. Work on onsighting lots of 10's, but keep in mind that falling doesn't mean failure. Use failure as an excuse to rest and search through the sequence to imagine body position, tension and to seek out alternative beta.

Re: overgripping, for me it's more often about slight adjustments to stance/body position to be able to rest better and loosen the grip, than the overgripping itself.