Drop knees, cross overers, and reading

[Huggybone]

So I've been dropping knees for a year or so, and doing cross overs only when I have to.
Here's the thing- often, when using a drop knee, it is possible to dyno instead. Instead of Cross overs, it is possible to do a one hand dead point (whatever that is called). When you are reading a route, what are the dead givaways that one teqnique will be better and save the most energy?I have the difficulty of v3-5 in mind.

[One-Fall]

Huggybone,

If the feet are big and in the right place (like they are most times at the Red), I would use the technique option. If the feet are poor or in the wrong place, I would deadpoint/dyno away.
That being said, I am not sure that I practice what I preach, because my climbing partners tell me that my feet are off the wall more than they are on.

[tomdarch]

For me it's all about efficiency. At the Red, the issue for me is usually endurance, so whatever move gets me through a sequence as quickly and easily as possible wins. Maybe a drop knee is a little easier, but if setting up for it takes more energy than the deadpoint, then I'll go for the deadpoint. As for reading that for the on-sight - I usually don't figure it out until I've had a few tries on a route and watched other people on it. (It's obvious, but don't forget that the best sequence for you is going to be different from other people's sequences) It's a matter of 'feel' for me - sometimes I get it right first try, sometimes I guess wrong. I guess that's part of why onsighting is so much harder than redpointing.

It's a bit different than drop-knee or cross throughs, but I've noticed that I've been taking advantage of underclings a lot more in the last year. I guess that comming out of the gym, you learn to just use holds the one way that they are oriented on the wall. There aren't a lot of 2ft. huecos that you can switch up on (either shifting the hand up or 'crossing over' inside a hueco). It feels like the difference in muscle use helps a bit on reducing fatigue, plus a solid undercling with solid feet (common at the Red) let's you cover a lot of ground when you're 6'2".

Also, if you mostly climb at the Red, you'll find that all that 'trickery' is a lot more important just about everywhere else.

[SikMonkey]

I take the static option whenever possible. The first crux on Buff the Wood is a prime example. You can either deadpoint from a half pad crimp over this small bulge to a pretty good pocket (the most common way), or you can high step to about your chest, lock that crimp off with your right hand and drop the left knee to reach the same pocket. If you have the technique/power/whatever, then use it. Just don't pigeonhole yourself into one way of thinking. Do what it takes to get the job done.

Mj

[dhoyne]

It's a lot easier to make the decision when you're actually leading, especially trad. Not many people would like to dyno when they're a few feet above their last 00 3-cam.

[Huggybone]

Actually I was thinking in terms of pure efficiency rather than fear, but hey, I've never led trad, its just so scary! Is a 00-3cam one of those squezer things?

[dhoyne]

[stix]

You have to remember though that the static option is not always the most effecient one. Take that same move on Buff for example, I can lock that crimp off with the high foot but that is way more draining for me that a precise deadpoint to the pocket.