Drop knee climbing These activities can result in traumatic or overuse-related injuries to one or more of the following tissues: The biceps femoris The iliotibial band or ITB The lateral meniscus The lateral collateral ligament or LCL Biceps With an increasing interest in indoor bouldering on the steep artificial walls worldwide, various climbing techniques using the lower extremity have become absolutely essential to successfully send difficult bouldering routes. Twist your body away from the dropped knee and toward the other foot, which is pressing down/out in opposition. These are eight climbing techniques that every beginner climber should master to take their climbing to the next level. Deadpointing and Drop-Knees When deadpointing, climbers should aim to begin the move in a straight-armed position Jan 17, 2019 · Avoid knee pain and prevent drop-knee injuries with these climbing movement tips and a strengthening exercise from Dr. At the same time, your knees and feet naturally face in the same direction. Discover the benefits, how to perform the drop knee, and tips for using knee pads. A V11 boulderer with multiple first ascents around the globe, Connor is also a professional route setter, a student of climbing movement, and a coach. 4K subscribers Subscribed May 3, 2017 · From drop knees to heel hooks to the impact from thousands of falls, climber knees take a beating. Learn how to master the drop knee technique and take your overhanging climbing to the next level with our climbing tips. In this video, I’ll go over the 3 main effects using a drop knee accomplishes. The climber then twists into the lower body lock, and pushes quickly into the upper body lock and The following information is in part from a study looking at 71 climbers who sustained knee injuries investigated the mechanism of injury (MOI) along with the body structure damage= which can serve as a guide in the case of a knee injury. The ability of the oppositional foot to keep a lock on getting the hips over the heel and the twist at getting the hips against the wall is invaluable. A novice climber, one who has been climbing less than one year, would have the line of force through their knee, through their toes, and towards the ground (images E, 5). That being said, to add to everyone else's comments, the drop knee is good for keeping yourself close to the wall and reaching. The drop knee is useful for generating stability and power from the hips and helps to increase your reach to far away holds. However, if you’re a beginner looking for a list of specific techniques and movements to improve your climbing, then search no more. A quick but in depth analysis of the Back Step, Drop Knee or Egyptian. Aug 31, 2022 · Fundamentally, be sure to drop the correct knee, or you will make the move twice as hard instead of twice as easy. Check out the video below for four exercises to Deadpointing and Drop-Knees When deadpointing, climbers should aim to begin the move in a straight-armed position (for both arms). This is a static, controlled movement that lengthens your reach on the side of your knee drop, while also keeping your feet on the wall. May 4, 2022 · The Problem—The Drop Knee A 2020 study analyzing knee injuries among climbers found that the drop-knee maneuver was the reason behind ~20 percent of all climbing-related knee injuries (interestingly, heel-hooking and ground falls made up a combined ~60 percent in this study). Here are some ways to keep yours healthy. This guide walks you though the types of holds, body position, and footwork. GB Climbing Coach Rachel Carr shows you how. Nov 15, 2021 · The best kneebar allows the climber to drop both hands and hang hands-free, especially if you can floss both knees into one spot. In bouldering, "Drop Knee" is a technique used to maintain balance and conserve energy on overhangs and steep routes. Not necessarily a technique but something important you want to pay attention to is becoming aware of your gravity center. Oct 22, 2023 · Whether you are a beginner looking to expand your climbing abilities or a seasoned pro looking to refine them, this guide is designed just for you. Recognizing the signs and incorporating proactive decision-making will help our gear, and ourselves, last longer. Never finalized the problem, but it was great to explore a new technique. What is a drop knee, the anatomy involved, what potential injuries there are and exercises that can hel Backstepping and drop knee involves rotating your hips away from the wall, which positions one hip, leg, and arm closer to it. May 9, 2020 · Knee Drop Press on one foot and turn your knee inward and down. Right foot without drop knee set up without using drop knee. The primary difference between back-steps and drop-knees is that in a drop-knee both feet are on the wall during the move. Sep 27, 2025 · Stop the swing: learn step-by-step flagging & drop-knee fixes for flawless body positioning & balance in Climbing Movement 101. Apr 20, 2022 · To perform a drop knee, place your foot on one hold and then twist your knee towards the center of your core. Learning to keep your hips close to the wall will likely feel easier on vertical walls, but I know how The Drop Knee, also known as the Egyptian or the Back Step, is one of the most useful skills you can learn for steep terrain. Jared Vagy. Drop knees, high step ups, heel hooks and ground falls are all common techniques that climbers employ which can put strain on the structures of the knee, possibly resulting in ruptures of the ACL ligament (11). To begin, start by finding your mechanism of injury (i. Apr 4, 2022 · Lateral knee pain from climbing-related activities is common due to the high stresses we impose on our legs while heel hooking, high stepping, hiking, and of course falling. Above all though there’s the long-standing project El Toro Salvaje; this starts slightly to the right of El Potrò and joins this via a crazy drop knee, before finishing up the crux of Chris Sharma's 9b First Round First Minute. A simple google search will find hundreds of strengthening and stretching programs promising to bulletproof your shoulder, ankle, knee, etc… Jul 23, 2023 · Explore the top 100 rock climbing terms with clear definitions to enhance your understanding of this adventurous sport. Feb 10, 2023 · The Back Step (also known as the Drop Knee) is a foundational climbing move that helps the climber maintain balance and stability on the wall or rock face. To address this, climbers can incorporate specific exercises into their training routines. Oct 5, 2022 · Knee pain while climbing or bouldering : Injury prevention for drop knee by Laurence · Published 5 October 2022 · Updated 12 September 2022 Many climbers avoid routes that require specialized beta, such as tricky knee bars or aggressive drop knees. You then place the other foot on its inside edge on another foothold. Also Read: Basic Techniques From Handholds to Footwork and Drop Knees High Five Outside Edge Technique Training Feb 2, 2024 · Drop knee The drop knee, or one of the most overused techniques in climbing, is a must-learn for two reasons: it’s highly efficient, and it looks freakin’ great! A great addition to the topic is that this is a static bouldering technique; you can’t really jump into position. I'm not sure if this will help, but if you want to visualize The drop knee is an essential advanced technique. This move allows for better body positioning, shifting weight onto the legs, and reducing strain on the arms. It certainly depends on your level of flexibility, but the possibility of damaging tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the knee is very real. (3) I personally wouldn't worry about learning exactly when the drop knee should/shouldn't be used while you're climbing, but rather just remember that the technique exists and see when it works best for you. Positioning For the lower body a drop-knee consists of standing on the outside edge of the motion point (the foot you will push up with). Initiate the movement from your hip and keep control of your tibial rotation. Nov 24, 2022 · This exercise involves a combination of hip and knee rotation, simulating the drop-knee movement in climbing. Watch our Climbing Movement Essentials Series: https://bit. Too bad a misplaced drop knee spit her off—causing a rather uncomfortable-looking fall. This is a full body technic for bouldering and climbing. Use Drop-Knees with Steeper Climbs Steep climbing is where drop knees really shine. In this video, we explore another climbing technique. Do this all the way to the Apr 21, 2020 · Is the backstep a foreign concept to you? In this post, we detail what backsteps are, how to backstep, and helpful resources for you to improve your climbing. This alignment creates a strong and stable position. Despite the name, the drop knee entails flexibility and strength of the internal hip rotators. Aug 17, 2025 · Learn two vital techniques for effective climbing on steep routes and boulders. As climbing becomes larger and more popular, climbing injuries will become more and more prevalent not only among the veterans, but also among newcomers. Heel hooks are fantastic for pulling your body into the wall and increasing body Sep 17, 2024 · Essential techniques for climbing overhangs The most known ones, amongst others, are the straight arms, knee drops, kneebars, toe-hooks, bicycle, heel-hook, and mantle. ly/movementessentialsWe're the BMC. 5 days ago · "Drop Knee" Injury - advice please - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. heel hook, drop knee, etc. Every time you go to reach for a hold instead of pulling or powering through, twist your hips into the wall by pivoting on your toe and do a drop knee. Sep 6, 2022 · The drop knee climbing technique, also known as knee drop, Egyptian (due to the shape of the body when employing the technique) or backstep It is a fundamental technique for producing hip stability and power. If the route is slightly overhung then that is even better. This causes imbalance when moving to either the right or the left. A climber twists their hip inward and drops one knee down toward the rock surface, creating a more stable position. It can either be a simple hip twist or full flagged dropping your knee onto a hold below. This arm, often called the Connor Griffith has been climbing for 13 years in areas across the world, from California to Colorado to Switzerland. For the drop knee technique, the climber places their weight on the outside of one foot, rotating their hip toward the wall and lowering their knee; their other foot rests against a hold for support. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of rock climbing, learning about this important move that can propel your climbing skills to new heights. Mar 10, 2023 · Learn how to master the drop knee technique and take your overhanging climbing to the next level with our climbing tips. Mar 6, 2025 · 10K likes, 67 comments - gabbygoesup on March 6, 2025: "Here’s how to practice the drop knee climbing technique: Find an easier route with larger holds. The consistent rule is always to drop the same knee as the hand you’re reaching with. ). Movement without drop knee. Other times, the knee will be barely pressed into the rock—it’s then considered more of a knee scum —which takes off a bit of body weight, providing a slight rest or setting the climber up for the next move. In today's video, Meg demonstrates the mistake and Jan 24, 2025 · The climber *almost* found a good rest. Whilst fairly rare to find a good drop knee position on a boulder, these are relatively common on overhanging sport routes. May 20, 2024 · Generally speaking, climbing frequently for beginners is enough to pick up on essential rock climbing techniques. Although you can develop one for the rock over it is the tricky techniques of the drop knee, inner flag and outer flag that this drill boards really helps. Feb 2, 2018 · In this article we discuss common climbing injuries and what's happening in the body when these injuries take occur. It is an important super power enabling you to reduce the earths gravitational pull for the duration of the drop knee thus making moves that were Sep 28, 2016 · Be very cautious about how far you drop your knee while employing this technique. These two concepts provide a new, and flexible, approach to “locking out” our lower body, and therefore reducing the weight our upper body needs to carry. Patients injured during the heel hook position had the highest ability level and highest training volume per week while patients injured during a fall had the lowest ability level. The family of skills include back-steps, drop-knees, and Sep 29, 2020 · High step and drop knee injuries were more common during rope climbing, whereas heel hook and fall injuries were more often caused by bouldering. e. Also known as a Drop Knee or an Mar 7, 2022 · The drop knee is one of my favorite techniques but like most climbers learning the technique, I made some mistakes that I want to help you avoid. In addition to improving lower body strength and stability dynamically, it reinforces the movement pattern needed to properly perform this move on the wall. I tried setting a drop knee toe hook at my friend's climbing garage and it was really fun. Hooking Heel and toe hooks are techniques that use other parts of the climbing shoe to gain traction. Oct 22, 2023 · The drop knee is one of the most advanced climbing techniques that is required for a climber to master. This generally requires a front step or toe-in position on the feet. We’ll look at different scenarios for applying this technique and even compare it with other techniques. Climb walls, rock, Aug 12, 2022 · Look out for articles in this series on drop-knee and flag, to complete the picture for efficient climbing on overhanging walls. In my most recent rock climbing session, I tried to incorporate these moves on routes that I find easy (4-5a) but found it difficult to incorporate them into climbs. Feb 14, 2022 · Learn to climb by starting with the fundamentals. Drop knee: Start with a starfish position on a vertical wall and initiate a back step (precursor to a drop knee). By following our hands-on instruction, you’ll learn how to use and care for the drop knee, as well as valuable tips and insights into common pitfalls. Jul 15, 2021 · The drop knee technique is a maneuver climbers use in rock climbing and bouldering. Dealing With Climbing’s Most Common Injuries Meniscus Tears 3 Image from: Mechanisms of Acute Knee Injuries in Bouldering and Rock Climbing Athletes. A drop knee is a specialized climbing technique that necessitates putting one leg in a position that provides stability and balance while How To Do Drop Knees: Essential Climbing Skills Send Edition 35. Used in the right I've been watching rock climbing technique videos on flagging and drop knees. being used. By dropping the knee, climbers can keep their center of gravity close to the wall. Before we begin, it’s important to point out that injuries can be sustained whilst engaging in a drop knee. Reports of climbing related knee injuries alone have nearly doubled in the last 20 years 6. As you rotate, one arm moves much closer to the wall. The American Journal of Sports Medicine (2020). Climbing often demands moves that require significant hip mobility, such as high-stepping to reach holds and maintaining a drop knee position to stay close to the wall. Be careful about how far you twist . Jan 15, 2023 · To drop-knee, place your toe on an edge, drop your knee inward and down towards your body, and rotate your hip into the wall as you reach up for the next hold. Jan 17, 2019 · The key to the preservation of anything—including our climber knees—is minimizing wear-and-tear. 14 power-endurance route in Wyoming highlights two essential techniques for climbing steep, powerful terrain—both outdoors and in the gym: the foot flag and the drop knee. Twist-Locks Twist-locking refers to a family of skills, all of which are based on the same underlying concepts: the twist, and the lock. Efficient use of the drop knee can make challenging A drop knee isn't as straight forward as you might think, there are so many nuances to it and getting one of these little aspects wrong can lead to a less su The use of these drills boards has help many climbers start to develop a better understanding of climbing on steep rock. Tightness in the hips can hinder your performance and increase the risk of injury. With both feet on the wall, a good drop knee will allow a climber to begin from this position. . I will cover definition, advantages and areas of application in the usual, very information dense style. Jun 11, 2024 · Learn these 5 key bouldering techniques including footwork, drop knees, and more for your next visit to the climbing gym. This video breakdown of a short 5. The project is still in its early days, but Ondra reckons it could be somewhere in the region of 9c.