dynos

Start small. Dyno (or static) stuff you know you can do and just slowly start moving one hold further. No joke it works. I'm really good at dynamic moves because i have manly shoulders, but this is how my friend, who has about your frame, learned to be better in this area.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you. They steal from the store and they smell and they wear rags and even piss right outside their tents. I tell you, it's like a leper colony, that place."Yosemite Lodge bellman trying to dissuade a girl from visiting camp4

Completely concentrate on the hold you are going for.
Mentally picture yourself completing the move sucessfully, do this repeatedly before even going for it.
explode off the starting hold, and remain focused on the destination hold
look down at all your spotters and scream, " I DID IT!!!!"
Cheers!

I am getting old so I am all about static moves. I believe they will make you stronger and your shoulders will last a lot longer. But I believe both of the replies are good advice. Start in the gym, where you know you have good landings and lots of padding. It will come.

If you have access to a gym, that would be the best place to practice. You can either work in the boulder pit, or on the wall, but close to the ground (no rope needed).

* Start off by working on dead-pointing, using the dynamic movement to reach the highest you can go where feet don't leave the wall, and one hand stays on the hold.

* Next you can try doing a simple dyno where both feet stay on the wall, but both hands leave the start hold to go to the next hold. Start small and work your way up.

* As you become more fluid and confident in the above, then you can work on dead-pointing holds even higher where one or both feet now leave the wall, and one hand is on the start hold.

* At this point, you should now be ready to do a full-on dyno where both hands and feet come off the wall.

Don't worry, if it all doesn't come at once. Just a little time, practice, and confidence in your abilities, and you'll be doing dyno's on the big wall in no time. :-)

Hope this helps
--CrazyGil

All these help: thanks alot, guys... I can't wait to try to work on dynos at the gym tomorrow!

I am also a very static climber, but learning how to dyno/deapoint is really important. That being said, there has been a multitude of people who, over the years, have tried to teach me how to climb dynamically. While I still suck at it, relatively speaking, there have been a few pointers in particular that have helped me.

1. It all starts in the feet and it's all about getting the right rhythm. Don't try to just pull and jump. It's almost like a snake movement through your body. Push with the feet, swing the hips in and up and swing the body out and in. You want your hands to leave the hold first and feet last so that they can provide as much push as possible, up until the last second. (It's hard to explain without showing).
2. Don't look at the hold you're going for, look just above it. Usually you fall short, right? This will give you the little bit of extra distance to get there.
3. Practice latching holds quickly, thereby teaching your fast-twitch muscles how to latch onto a hold very quickly.
4. Most importantly, keep trying! If you'll notice, most guys at the gym spend their free time jumping around, dynoing, etc. I think this is why guys are usually better than girls at dynoing...'cause they do it more.

Hope some of this helps.

Yeah, thanks so much. I'll keep trying. =]

I find a huge part of sticking a dyno for me is truly believing that I'll hit the hold. It sounds silly, but many times I'll get plenty of height on a dyno yet my fingers just don't close around the hold because I put all my thought into jumping and none into catching. One of the best dyno problems on the planet, Saturday Night Live in Joshua Tree, was this way for me. I didn't get it until I convinced myself I was going to get high enough and started envisioning latching the hold and staying on it.

On a side note, your seemingly boundless energy for climbing and desire to improve by working on your weaknesses is awesome, and I'm sure we'll all be asking you for pointers soon. Still, don't discount your strength in static climbing. Dynamic style is flashier than static (and sometimes really is more efficient or the only way to do a move), and especially in bouldering it seems a higher priority in the newer school (here I am sounding like an old codger in my mid-twenties). However, I think there's a lot to be said for the deliberation, precision, core tension, and control of someone who's locked in on certain moves when other people cut loose.

Thanks no2camalot, I really appreciate comments like that. I'm actually just trying to get to be an all around better climber. Today I did two things I hardly ever do: routes and dynos. It was great, actually... I really enjoyed myself. I got on some hard routes, and did better than I expected. I got past the crux (at the top) on an onsite attempt on a 12a, which is good for me.

But to business -- dynos. At first I wasn't doing too well.... It was frustrating. So I just did a few dead points, to get the movements in my head. (thanks,CrazyGil)... When I moved to dynos, it seemed like i couldnt do anything. Then I remembered back to what people said, and I remember Katie saying, "keep trying.." , so I did... I had to keep trying and trying over and over again, and remembering that it was all in my legs, and not in pulling my arms. I also had to remember to keep my hips into the wall. I started small like i remembered Universal Rhythm saying... BUt i DEFINATELY had to remember to not give up.

All of your pointers worked, and I appreciate it. Now I just have to keep practicing dynos so I can actually use them while trying to send problems or routes.

Thank again guys.

it's true, just keep trying the smaller dynamic moves, and one day, after lots of small practices, your feet and arms will do what they need to do. it just takes time. :)

best wishes

well ash,
heres my take on dynos
they came easier to me than climbing did.
i bounce very little. i squat and thrust katies discription is very acurate the only thing i do different is this, i dont look above the hold i look through the hold. that is to say i look at where my fingers will go to not where they have to go over. now when i am playing at the gym i choose dynos that are rediculous! if it isnt even close to possible im trying it. like that orange boulder problem that starts on the left side and ends on the right side of the island but because i do that when i do find a solid dyno there is no question in my head that i can nail it. and that beats the mental game for me. and i think katie is right men are usually better at dynos but i think it is a matter of physics we carry our weight in our shoulders women in thier hips so for us the grab is easier because our weight doesnt swing as far off of the wall as a woman's does. just a thought, no proof.

cheers
bill

"there are only three sports motor racing mountain climbing and bull fighting all the rest are only games" Hemmingway

The most important thing about doing a good dyno is by putting as much power as you can on your legs!

Ashley, my take is to be confident! This is the single most important thing I've learned. Know that you will stick it, and you will, don't over-think it, just do it! I know it sounds cocky, but it works if you believe in yourself, you will achieve.
Good Luck!

thanks.