Mountain Project Logo

placing gear with weak hand

Original Post
eli poss · · Durango, CO · Joined May 2014 · Points: 525

I am much better at placing gear with my right (dominate) hand than left, partially because I have better motor skills in my right than in my left. This issue is further compounded by the fact that I am much better at jamming with my right than my left.

Usually I can find a way to switch hands and place gear with my right hand, but I found myself in a situation yesterday where I was hanging off a good jam with my right but couldn't find anything for my left hand and wanted to place gear. I ended up running it out more than I would have liked as a result.

Other than the obvious "practice placing gear with left hand" is there anything else I can do to remedy this? Would training my motor skills in my left hand help, and how would I do this?

Joy likes trad · · Southern California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 71

I've broken my right arm, twice. That forced me to do a lot of things with my left hand. I would just focus on using it more in everday situations.

T340 · · Idaho · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 5

If practical, go spend a few days at a crag placing gear, tying knots, etcetera, using your left hand while on the ground . Good practice without any risk.

doligo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 264
eli poss wrote:I am much better at placing gear with my right (dominate) hand than left, partially because I have better motor skills in my right than in my left. This issue is further compounded by the fact that I am much better at jamming with my right than my left. Usually I can find a way to switch hands and place gear with my right hand, but I found myself in a situation yesterday where I was hanging off a good jam with my right but couldn't find anything for my left hand and wanted to place gear. I ended up running it out more than I would have liked as a result. Other than the obvious "practice placing gear with left hand" is there anything else I can do to remedy this? Would training my motor skills in my left hand help, and how would I do this?
I'm sorry, but that's dumb. I've never heard of such things, except for ice climbing (placing screws with non-dominant hand is a bit tricky, but then you can always switch hands to hang off tools - yaay leashless!). People even place gear with injured hands/fingers. Maybe you need to practice climbing/placing gear on more moderate terrain with good stances, where you don't need to hang off your one arm/hand.
fluff head · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 65
Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374

Hey Eli, if your right is that strongly favored, even for something like a hand jam, is it maybe just a weaker left arm, shoulder, or perhaps even just grip strength on the left? That seems easy to measure and then beef up off the wall. The hard part will be "teaching" yourself to use the left as often as you can, and make it as useful as the right. My other thought: do you have a bunch of baseball playing in your background, something like that, which really favors one side? That could teach/have taught your brain to strongly favor doing what it's always done?

Bill Lawry · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 1,812

Some gun enthusiasts recognize this and strive to be ambidextrous, frequently using the non-dominant hand during aiming/shooting practice with a hand gun. It is not hard to imagine this giving an advantage in an ongoing gun fight of some sort, much as you have experienced with placing gear.

You mentioned usually being able to switch hands to place with your dominant hand. Consider the opposite: regularly doing leads where the goal is to only place with the non-dominant hand. Of course, it'd likely be wise to lower the level of difficulty until confidence builds. If there's no confidence for this on leads, maybe do it a bunch at ground level just before each climb.

Be sure to include all steps with your non-dominant hand: getting the piece off the rack, returning to the rack any piece not used (e.g., the remaining biner'd nuts), getting a sling / draw off your harness, slinging the placed piece, and clipping the rope to it.

I think too, if you're not outside climbing frequently enough, practice those steps at home. Maybe use books on a book shelf for place-able features.

eli poss · · Durango, CO · Joined May 2014 · Points: 525
Old lady H wrote:Hey Eli, if your right is that strongly favored, even for something like a hand jam, is it maybe just a weaker left arm, shoulder, or perhaps even just grip strength on the left? That seems easy to measure and then beef up off the wall. The hard part will be "teaching" yourself to use the left as often as you can, and make it as useful as the right. My other thought: do you have a bunch of baseball playing in your background, something like that, which really favors one side? That could teach/have taught your brain to strongly favor doing what it's always done?
No, the reason I'm better at jamming with my right is that I used to sleep on a bunk bed in the corner of the room and there was a perfect hand crack between my bed frame and the wall. Consequently, I'd often sleep with my right hand jamming so jamming became natural and comfortable with my right hand but it still feels slightly insecure with my left if it isn't a perfect size.

The weird thing is that, on the ground, I'm fine placing gear with my left (still better with my right hand but I can actually do it with my left) but it changes when I'm holding on with one hand.

I'm going to try to do a couple of easy leads only placing gear with my left but, sadly, daylight savings combined with shorter days has made me into weekend warrior.
Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
eli poss wrote: No, the reason I'm better at jamming with my right is that I used to sleep on a bunk bed in the corner of the room and there was a perfect hand crack between my bed frame and the wall. Consequently, I'd often sleep with my right hand jamming so jamming became natural and comfortable with my right hand but it still feels slightly insecure with my left if it isn't a perfect size. The weird thing is that, on the ground, I'm fine placing gear with my left (still better with my right hand but I can actually do it with my left) but it changes when I'm holding on with one hand. I'm going to try to do a couple of easy leads only placing gear with my left but, sadly, daylight savings combined with shorter days has made me into weekend warrior.
My deepest sympathies on the gloom called winter descending on many of us.

I think that left hand is messing with you. Show it who's boss! : )

Edit to add: Crap, just realized your story above means you probably climb better in your sleep than I ever will awake. Thank you so much. Best, H.
eli poss · · Durango, CO · Joined May 2014 · Points: 525
Old lady H wrote:Crap, just realized your story above means you probably climb better in your sleep than I ever will awake.
It doesn't matter how hard you climb. Physical ability and technical skill can be taught/trained. What really matters is attitude, and from your posts I can tell you have the right attitude. To quote some wise MPer:
"You're climbing. That's the most fun you're ever going to have with your pants on, so enjoy it"
Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
eli poss wrote: It doesn't matter how hard you climb. Physical ability and technical skill can be taught/trained. What really matters is attitude, and from your posts I can tell you have the right attitude. To quote some wise MPer: "You're climbing. That's the most fun you're ever going to have with your pants on, so enjoy it"
Actually it matters too much to too many how "hard" one climbs, or how one climbs, or how one claims how hard they climb, jeeezzz.

One of the few perks of coming into it 4 decades later than most, is the perspective of knowing what matters...and...does not. Lurking inside this 5.not much of anything mostly on top rope old lady climber is someone who will probably have some back country, no beta, no nothing, trad climbs in her very near future, and will happily give it a shot whenever it comes up. Maybe only 20 feet up a route, maybe never finishing anything. So what? What I get to enjoy, is that every single time I have a chance to climb outside, every single move is an accomplishment, no matter the rating, top rope, trad, whatever my abilities at the moment, that's what the climb is. That moment. It's great to have goals, and work and train toward something, make plans and follow through, but my wish for you and the others, maybe having someone like me around can help remind folks, is to also treasure the moments.

And, of course, go for the satisfaction of the bold flash so you have an excuse to barbecue crag dogs. :)
Anonymous · · Unknown Hometown · Joined unknown · Points: 0
Old lady H wrote: Actually it matters too much to too many how "hard" one climbs, or how one climbs, or how one claims how hard they climb, jeeezzz. One of the few perks of coming into it 4 decades later than most, is the perspective of knowing what matters...and...does not. Lurking inside this 5.not much of anything mostly on top rope old lady climber is someone who will probably have some back country, no beta, no nothing, trad climbs in her very near future, and will happily give it a shot whenever it comes up. Maybe only 20 feet up a route, maybe never finishing anything. So what? What I get to enjoy, is that every single time I have a chance to climb outside, every single move is an accomplishment, no matter the rating, top rope, trad, whatever my abilities at the moment, that's what the climb is. That moment. It's great to have goals, and work and train toward something, make plans and follow through, but my wish for you and the others, maybe having someone like me around can help remind folks, is to also treasure the moments. And, of course, go for the satisfaction of the bold flash so you have an excuse to barbecue crag dogs. :)
I much prefer the adventure of climbing than how hard the climb is. Rather bush wack into the woods to some random crag that is 5.6 and noone ever climbs than climb that 5.12 that I will have to spend months working on. Also the nice part about easy routes (at least for trad) is that it is like a choose your on adventure because most of the time easy sections of the crag means you don't have that one path that if you go off you can't finish. I know routes (if you can call them that) that I have climbed 10 different ways (sometimes you have to clean the rock as you go).
David Gibbs · · Ottawa, ON · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 2
eli poss wrote: Other than the obvious "practice placing gear with left hand" is there anything else I can do to remedy this? Would training my motor skills in my left hand help, and how would I do this?
In general, the more things you do with the off-hand, the more comfortable you will be doing things with this hand.

Being strongly one-handed really is really annoying; you both hang-on better with that hand, and you place gear better with that hand. Which do you sacrifice? Climbing is great... you have to do things with your off-hand; you can't stay entirely one-side dominant.
Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

You want to get better at placing gear with your left hand but you don't want to practice doing it? I have your solution.

When you get up tomorrow, put your pants on. Put your right hand on your thigh. Now bring it up til you feel a break in the fabric, this is called a pocket. Put your hand in there. Leave it there. Now go about your day.

But seriously, being a lefty, I had a to learn to do some things right handed growing up. Can openers were not easy to use when I was a kid. I'm a welder now, and I've taught myself to weld with either hand. You can get that dexterity if you work for it.

eli poss · · Durango, CO · Joined May 2014 · Points: 525
wonderwoman wrote:Do you rack on your harness or do you have a gear sling? I am thinking that If you rack on your harness, it may make you become more used to being ambidextrous. I rack on my harness and have never had difficulties placing gear with either hand or really thought much about it as an issue. I only find myself favoring sides if I feel an injury coming on.
I learned in the land of dihedrals so I rack on my harness with a large range of gear of both sides. I usually carry a single set of cams and rack the pieces alternately on each side so that I am more likely to find some gear if I don't have access to one side. I rack most of my draws on my right on a sling, though, with only a couple on my left gear loop. I guess I just need more practice.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Trad Climbing
Post a Reply to "placing gear with weak hand"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.