What to do when your hand doesn't fit

Hey Cracksters,

For today's letter, I’ll answer a question (and a comment) we hear time and time again:

“I can’t climb this crack because my hand doesn’t fit. What should I do?”

This is something I hear very often. However, there is great news: Put simply, the only time this comment actually applies is when you can’t get the tips of your fingers into the crack. In that case, the crack is indeed too small!

However, if your fingertips (or any other body part bigger than that) fit into the crack, then lucky for you—there is a solution. What you need to remember is that the solution for you might not be the same as it is for someone else. It could be an entirely different technique altogether, and remember, it could be harder or it could be easier.

In a situation where your hand feels too big or too small, you shouldn’t think: “I can’t hand jam” or “the jam doesn’t work.” Instead, you should think: “What technique should I use to fill the space in the most efficient way?”

Let's take this common scenario. We have three people: one with large hands, one with average-sized hands, and one with small hands. In front of them is a crack which they want to hand jam in.

1. The person with large hands says: “My hand doesn’t fit inside the crack, I can’t hand jam.”

The solution: Your whole hand doesn’t fit, but if you look closer, you can get all of your fingers and half your hand inside. You shouldn’t be trying to do a standard hand jam; you should use a thin hand or paddle hand technique instead.

2. The person with average-sized hands says: “My hand fits perfectly, I can execute a perfect hand jam.”

The solution: Great news

3. The person with small hands says: “My hand is slipping in the crack, I can’t jam.”

The solution: Your hand is slipping because you are trying to "standard" hand jam in a crack that is too big for your hand size. Instead, what you should do is use a cupped hand jam, or fist jam

The key to this whole scenario is knowing which technique to choose and the correct steps to execute it... plus remembering that not all techniques are equal when it comes to effort—so button up and get stuck in there if needed!

Remember: There is always a technique (unless you can’t get your fingertips inside). The secret is diagnosing what technique it is you need to use, as quickly as possible.

So next time you find yourself thinking, “My hand doesn’t fit, I can’t do this,” try thinking this instead: “My hand isn’t fitting as well as I want it to for this specific technique... okay... what alternative technique can I use instead?”

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