The Secret to NEVER Cutting Feet - Toe Screwing
Did you like this? Then you'll love my FREE EBook “5 Key Principles of Climbing Training.” You'll learn how to continuously improve your climbing without plateaus, guesswork or burnout!
Download HERE: https://www.paradigmclimbing.com/trai...
Toe-screwing isn’t just a flashy cue; it’s one of the most powerful techniques you can add to your climbing toolkit. We carefully dig the tips of our fingers into holds, feeling for the tiniest dimple for that extra dig, so why not do the same for our toes? The elite do. The way you screw your toe into a foothold can change everything about how much tension you create on the wall.
When you drive your big toe into the hold and actively rotate, like you’re twisting a screw into wood, you generate rotational force through the hip and down the kinetic chain. That action locks your foot in, engages the adductors and glutes, and gives your posterior chain something solid to pull against. Instead of feeling like you’re dangling on small edges, you suddenly feel “glued” to the wall. That glue buys you time, precision, and power.
The real magic? Toe-screwing amplifies core tension. By spiraling into the foothold, you connect your lower body to your upper body in a way that keeps your hips close, your shoulders stable, and your fingers stronger on marginal holds. Every extra ounce of force your toes generate means less strain on your fingers. That’s free endurance and power transfer.
Watch elite climbers on sketchy footholds; they don’t just step and pray. They screw in, load the hip, and suddenly their whole body looks welded to the wall. That’s why moves that used to feel like “slippery chaos” start feeling like slow-motion control when you master this technique.
So next session, don’t just place your foot. Rotate it. Drive pressure through your toe, twist like you’re locking the hold into the wall, and feel the difference in stability, precision, and strength. Your fingers will thank you, your hips will stay engaged, and your performance will instantly level up. Screw in, lock down, climb harder.
Video Filmed and Edited by Dylan Hickerson
-----------------------------
Want to learn more about climbing training and join a community of shared climbing knowledge and psyche?
Link to join the Discord for FREE: / discord
Join the Paradigm Discord; The Crux Collective, and gain FREE access to countless technical analysis videos, Live Q & As and Webinar Presentations, exclusive educational materials, forums and much more!
Joining as a paid member allows you FULL Access to our ever-growing video library of one-of-a-kind video analysis and movement education on the concepts that matter for your technical progression! As well as a space to organize Meet-Ups with other members throughout the country/world, beta sharing, resources and FAQs about training, and our community chat!
MY WEBSITE Link if you are interested in working together: www.paradigmclimbing.com
Instagram: @paradigm_climbing_coaching
Tiktok: @paradigmclimbing