Necessary Evils When Climbing
Climbing on small holds requires leverage, and multiple factors define leverage for an individual.
The most important are bone length, tendon attachment distance, and connective tissue stiffness.
To achieve this, we need to extend at the DIP joint (last finger joint) and flex at the PIP joint (middle finger joint).
Despite our seemingly uniform position on the same hold, the stress distribution between individuals can vary significantly.
This graphic above shows six different fingers with six different joint angles.
These examples are of what I call the flexible end of the spectrum.
Conversely, other athletes will grab the same 10mm edge and have little to no extension at the DIP joint.
The necessary evil comes from the fact that there is no way around using this position.
We need to use it for performance, but using it too much is risky for joint-related pain (synovitis, volar plate sprain, lateral band injuries) and A4 pulley injuries.
But, there is NO WAY to train out of it!
You can't train your fingers to avoid this position when trying hard.
You can do all the single-finger, no-hang measured, PT-guided practice you want, and as soon as you bear down on a crimp, you will do it. So, don't be surprised by that.
If you're someone predisposed (I'm sorry, really) to getting joint pain from having flexible fingers, remember to be kind to yourself.
It's not likely you'll be able to do all the "crazy shit" on your fingers that others can.
This doesn't mean you can't climb hard, though.
A little exposure is necessary; a lot of exposure is evil.