Palm-Press

A Palm-Press is any type of move where the climber presses their palm into a hold. Because of their ubiquity, Palm-Presses come in many forms: static, dynamic, comp-style, real rock, complex, straightforward, and even while campusing (see: Pommel Horse).

Setup

For the purposes of this post, we will focus on the more comp-style version: a Palm-Press into overhead gaston. Generally, a palmable hold or volume is placed outside and below the catch hold. Have the climber dynamically press their palm and jump upwards to grab an overhead gaston for opposition. The palm should be relatively high-profile to meaningfully press into the gaston, and the gaston should be incut enough such that the climber can pull themselves back into the wall.

Tweaks

Moving the palm hold more in-line or even in front of the catch hold will have the climber swing much more dramatically, whereas pushing the palm further behind the catch hold makes the end position more stable. The angle of the catch hold can also affect the swing: a steeper gaston will have the climber rotate more, while a more downpulling hold lets them stay more front-on. Be mindful of the palm’s profile and orientation, as if their palm slips while in the middle of the move, the climber can potentially hit the wall or ground face-first.

Combinations

Palm-Presses can be set into or out of, and offer near limitless options for combinations. Some ideas are: Palm-Press-overhead-gaston-Undercling-Foot-Stomp, Lache into Palm-Press, Skate into Palm-Press, Palm-Press Transfer, and many more.