Also called half-crimp, open crimp, halb aufgestellt · Hands and holds
Your fingertips sit on a small edge with the middle joints bent to about 90°. The end joints stay straight and the thumb stays free. It suits most edges [167, 169].
Grade Edges small enough to crimp turn up from about V2 (judgement). They keep shrinking as you near V5[170]. Make the half crimp your default on these edges from the start, so you don’t fall into the habit of full crimping (this book’s suggestion).
How to do it
Put your fingertips on the edge. Bend the middle joints to about 85–90° [161].
Keep the end joints straight or slightly bent. Never let them bend backwards [171].
Put the little finger on if it reaches. It is shorter, so it usually stays straight [167].
Rest your thumb beside the index finger, or press it on a bump on the side of the hold [167].
Pull down and slightly in, elbow below the hand. Place your hips by the hold’s direction.
If the hand is being forced open, re-grip or let go. Don’t fight it [172, 173].
Figure 51 (a) Half crimp: the middle joint bends about 90° and the end joint stays straight. (b) Full crimp for comparison: the end joint bends back.
Common mistakes
Sliding into a full crimp out of habit. Beginners overuse it because it feels secure [171].
Trying the same hard crimp move again and again. Hooper’s Beta counts this as an injury risk [172].
