Common Indoor Climbing Techniques Every Beginner Should Master

Photo by Lukas K on Unsplash

Learning to climb isn't just about strength—it's about mastering a set of techniques that make scaling walls efficient and enjoyable. Once you've got your essential climbing gear sorted out, it's time to focus on developing these fundamental skills that will dramatically improve your climbing experience.

Body Positioning: The Foundation of Climbing Technique

Before worrying about specific moves, understanding how to position your body on the wall creates the foundation for everything else.

Center of Gravity

Your center of gravity (roughly around your hips) should generally stay:

• Above your feet whenever possible

• Close to the wall for stability

• Aligned with your strongest foot hold

When you feel off-balance, check your hip position first. Simply adjusting where your hips sit can transform an impossible-feeling move into something manageable. This applies to all climbing environments, whether you're transitioning from gym to outdoor climbing or staying indoors.

The Three Climbing Stances

Master these three basic body positions to navigate different wall angles:

1. Square Stance

• Hips parallel to the wall

• Weight distributed evenly between both feet

• Best for: Face climbing, vertical walls, and standing on large holds

2. Open Hip Position

• One hip turned toward the wall

• Allows for greater reach with the opposite arm

• Best for: Side reaches, maintaining balance on small footholds

3. Drop Knee

• Turn one knee inward, pointing it toward the ground

• Hip on the same side presses into the wall

• Best for: Creating tension, stabilizing during extended reaches, resting positions

Learning when to use each stance will dramatically improve your climbing efficiency and is covered extensively in our Strength Training for Indoor Climbers guide.

Footwork: Where Good Climbing Begins

While beginners often focus on arm strength, experienced climbers know that proper footwork is the true secret to successful climbing.

The Three Essential Foot Placements

1. Edging

• Using the inside or outside edge of your climbing shoe

• Perfect for small ledges and tiny footholds

• Focus on precision placement—the smaller the foothold, the more precise you need to be

2. Smearing

• Pressing the sole of your shoe against the wall when no obvious footholds exist

• Relies on shoe rubber friction against the wall

• Keep your weight directly over the foot and apply downward pressure

3. Toe Pointing

• Using the tip of your climbing shoe to stand on smaller holds

• Enables precision on tiny features

• Focus weight on your big toe for maximum control

The Silent Feet Drill

The most effective way to improve footwork is practicing "silent feet":

• Climb easy routes focusing exclusively on foot placement

• Place each foot deliberately and silently

• No adjusting once placed—if it's wrong, lift and place again

• This builds precision and body awareness

This drill helps develop the footwork fundamentals that we discuss further in our Indoor Rock Climbing for Beginners guide.

Hand Techniques: Beyond Just Grabbing

While gripping might seem intuitive, there are specific hand techniques that conserve energy and improve control.

Essential Grip Types

1. Jug Holds

• Large, positive holds you can wrap your fingers around

• Grip with relaxed hands, straight arms when possible

• Perfect for resting positions

2. Crimps

• Small, thin edges gripped with fingertips

• Open crimp: fingers bent, thumb not engaged (safer for beginners)

• Closed/full crimp: thumb wrapped over fingers (more power but higher injury risk)

3. Slopers

• Rounded holds with few features

• Maximize skin contact and keep weight under the hold

• Engage your core to keep body position optimal

4. Pinches

• Holds gripped between thumb and fingers

• Squeeze inward from both sides

• Engage thumb strength

Remember to apply these only when necessary—overgripping is the most common energy-waster for beginners and violates the etiquette principles we cover in our climbing gym guide.

Movement Techniques: Putting It All Together

Once you've mastered basic positions, these movement techniques will help you navigate more challenging routes.

Straight Arms and Relaxed Grips

• Keep arms straight whenever possible (like hanging from a branch)

• Engage shoulders but relax forearms when in stable positions

• "Hang from your skeleton, not your muscles"

Flagging

• Extending a leg out to the side for counterbalance

• Prevents barn-dooring (swinging away from the wall)

• Inside flag: leg crosses behind the supporting leg

• Outside flag: leg extends to the outside for wider balance

Backstep/Backflag

• Placing a foot with the outside edge while hip is turned toward the wall

• Creates tension and stability for reaching

• Enables longer reaches with less strength

Dynamic Movement vs. Static Movement

Static Movement

• Slow, controlled movements maintaining three points of contact

• More precise, less risky

• Better for beginners and technical climbing

Dynamic Movement

• Controlled lunges or jumps to distant holds

• Momentarily releases points of contact

• Requires timing and commitment

Start with static climbing to build fundamentals before attempting dynamic moves. This progression approach is something we emphasize in all our climbing content.

Reading Routes: Seeing the Sequence

Developing "route reading" skills helps you climb more efficiently by planning your moves before leaving the ground.

Before You Climb

• Identify rest positions where you can recover

• Look for crux (hardest) sections that require maximum effort

• Plan body positions for key moves

• Visualize the sequence from start to finish

While Climbing

• Look ahead to upcoming moves

• Adjust your plan based on how holds actually feel

• Plan foot positions before hand movements

• Recognize when to rest and when to push through

This mental aspect of climbing is often overlooked but becomes increasingly important as you progress to harder routes.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Recognizing these frequent errors will speed up your learning curve:

Over-relying on Arms

• Symptoms: Pumped forearms, rapid fatigue

• Solution: Focus on leg strength and proper footwork

• Remember: Your legs are stronger than your arms

Poor Breathing

• Symptoms: Holding breath during difficult moves

• Solution: Conscious breathing, exhaling during hard moves

• Benefit: Improved focus and reduced tension

Inefficient Climbing

• Symptoms: Unnecessary movements, readjusting constantly

• Solution: Plan sequences, move deliberately

• Practice: Climb easy routes focusing on smooth movement

Fear of Falling

• Symptoms: Hesitation, excessive gripping, anxiety

• Solution: Practice falls in controlled settings

• Progression: Start with small falls, gradually increase (always with proper supervision)

Learning to manage these tendencies will dramatically improve your climbing experience and prepare you for the strength training principles covered in our dedicated guide.

Training Your Weaknesses

As you gain experience, you'll identify areas where your technique needs improvement:

Balance Challenges

• One-footed climbing drills

• Climbing without using specific holds

• Slackline training (off the wall)

Footwork Focus

• Climbing easy routes with no hands

• Traversing focusing only on foot placement

• Climbing in silent feet drills

Dynamic Movement

• Controlled jumping to designated holds

• Campus board exercises (for advanced beginners only)

• Coordination moves on easy boulder problems

Endurance Building

• Laps on easy routes

• Up-down-up climbing

• 4x4 circuits (four problems, four times each)

Each of these training approaches should be implemented gradually as your skills develop, a principle we expand on in our Strength Training for Indoor Climbers guide.

Progression Path: A Roadmap for Improvement

Here's how to systematically develop your climbing technique over the first few months:

Weeks 1-2: Fundamentals

• Master basic body positions

• Focus on proper footwork

• Learn essential grips

• Practice falling safely

Weeks 3-4: Movement Patterns

• Incorporate flagging techniques

• Develop straight-arm discipline

• Practice route reading

• Work on fluid movement

Weeks 5-8: Efficiency

• Eliminate unnecessary movements

• Identify and use rest positions

• Develop breathing awareness

• Begin targeted weakness training

Months 3-6: Refinement

• Incorporate dynamic movements

• Develop specific strength for climbing

• Address plateaus with focused drills

• Begin climbing with intention and strategy

Learning Resources Beyond the Gym

While nothing replaces hands-on practice, these resources can accelerate your learning:

• Climbing gym technique classes (often free with membership)

• YouTube channels focused on climbing technique

• Climbing partners who can offer feedback

• Recording your climbing sessions for self-analysis

• Indoor Climbing Etiquette understanding for better gym experiences

Remember that climbing is as much mental as physical—observing experienced climbers can teach you as much as actual climbing.

Putting It All Together: Your Technique Checklist

Before attempting a climb, run through this mental checklist:

1. Scan the route: Identify key holds and potential sequences

2. Plan rest points: Where can you recover during the climb?

3. Identify the crux: Where will you need maximum effort?

4. Visualize success: See yourself completing the route

5. Check your gear: Make sure your essential climbing gear is properly secured

6. Breathe and focus: Center yourself before starting

This systematic approach will dramatically improve your success rate, especially on more challenging routes.

Next Steps in Your Climbing Journey

Once you've mastered these fundamental techniques, you'll be ready to explore more advanced climbing concepts and possibly venture outdoors. Our guide on From Gym to Crag: Transitioning from Indoor to Outdoor Climbing provides the perfect next step in your climbing progression.

Remember that climbing technique develops through deliberate practice rather than just climbing randomly. Focus on quality movement over quantity, and you'll see your skills improve rapidly.

Ready to complement your technique with proper physical conditioning? Check out our detailed guide on Strength Training for Indoor Climbers: Key Exercises to Improve Your Skills to build the specific strength that supports good technique.

Happy climbing!