Hangboard Grip Types Explained: Open Hand, Half Crimp, Full Crimp
Every hold on your hangboard trains your fingers differently. Jugs build a base. Edges develop raw finger strength. Pockets isolate individual fingers. Slopers demand open hand control. Understanding what each hold does and how to use it turns your hangboard from a piece of wood on the wall into a precision training tool. This guide breaks down every hangboard hold type, explains the grip positions you will use on them, and shows you how to progress through edge depths from your first session to your strongest.
Why Grip Types Matter
On the wall, you grab whatever the route gives you. Crimps, slopers, pockets, jugs, pinches. Your fingers adapt to what you train. If you only ever hang on one hold type, you develop strength in one dimension and leave gaps everywhere else.
A well-rounded hangboard session hits multiple hold types and grip positions. That is how you build fingers that are strong on everything, not just the holds you are comfortable with.
Jugs
Jugs are the large, deep holds on your board, typically the rounded rail along the top. They are big enough to wrap your whole hand around comfortably.
What They Train
Jugs are your warm-up holds and your base-building holds. They let you load your fingers, shoulders, and core without a high demand on finger strength specifically. They are also great for pull-ups, scapular shrugs, and general upper body conditioning on the board.
How to Use Them
Warm-up hangs: 3 to 5 sets of 10-second dead hangs before moving to smaller holds.
Pull-ups and lock-offs: Jugs let you focus on pulling strength without your grip being the limiting factor.
Feet-assisted hangs: When you need to take weight off for lighter loading on the board.
Every session should start on the jugs. They get blood into your forearms and prepare your tendons for harder work on smaller holds.
Edges
Edges are the training workhorse of any hangboard. These are the flat, horizontal ledges that come in varying depths, from wide rails you can sink your fingers into down to razor-thin strips that barely fit a fingertip.
Edge depth is measured in millimeters. The number refers to how deep the ledge is from the wall to the lip. A 40mm edge is a deep, comfortable rail. A 10mm edge is barely wider than a fingernail.
What They Train
Edges develop finger flexor strength. Specifically, they train your ability to maintain a grip on a flat hold under load. This is the single most important quality for climbing harder grades, because the holds get smaller as the routes get harder. Edge training is how you build the contact strength to hold those smaller holds.
How to Use Them
Dead hangs: The foundation. Hang for 7 to 10 seconds at a challenging load, rest, repeat.
Repeaters: 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off for multiple reps. Builds strength endurance.
Max hangs: Heavy loads for short hangs (5 to 10 seconds). Builds peak finger strength.
Progressive depth training: Start on larger edges and work down to smaller ones over weeks and months.
Edges work with every grip position. Half crimp on a 20mm edge is the most common training combination in climbing, and for good reason: it hits the sweet spot of force production, tendon loading, and practical application to real rock.
Labeled edges from 40mm down to 10mm. A clear progression path from first session to strongest.
The Hangboard ($89.99) features six beech wood edges at 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10mm, giving you a clear progression path from your first session to your strongest. Every edge is labeled and consistent in depth across all positions.
Pockets
Pockets are holds that fit fewer than four fingers. They come in three main sizes:
Four-finger pockets: Slightly narrower than a full edge, but all four fingers fit. These feel similar to edges but with a more confined hand position.
Three-finger pockets: Fits index, middle, and ring fingers (or middle, ring, and pinky). These isolate a specific set of fingers and build individual finger strength.
Two-finger pockets: Fits two fingers only, usually middle and ring. The most demanding pocket type and a serious finger strength builder.
What They Train
Pockets develop individual finger strength and the ability to grip holds that do not accommodate your whole hand. Outdoor climbing is full of pockets, especially on limestone. If you climb outside or plan to, pocket training is essential.
How to Use Them
Start with three-finger and four-finger pockets. These distribute load across more fingers and are a better starting point.
Use open hand grip in pockets. Fingers extended and draped into the pocket with minimal curl. This is the most natural and lowest-stress position for pocket training.
Progress gradually. Move from four-finger to three-finger pockets over several weeks. Two-finger pockets are an advanced progression that you should build up to slowly.
Keep volume lower than edge training. Pockets concentrate force on fewer tendons, so a few quality sets go a long way.
Finger Combinations for Three-Finger Pockets
Front three: Index, middle, ring. The strongest combination for most climbers.
Back three: Middle, ring, pinky. Trains the often-neglected pinky side of your hand.
Training both combinations builds balanced finger strength across your whole hand.
Slopers
Slopers are the rounded, angled holds on your board with no defined edge to grab. Instead of gripping a lip, you press your palm and fingers against a curved surface and rely on friction and open hand strength to stay on.
What They Train
Slopers train open hand grip strength, wrist stability, and body tension. On the wall, slopers force you to keep your body close, engage your core, and trust your contact. On the board, they build the open hand strength that transfers directly to sloper moves, volume holds, and compression climbing.
How to Use Them
Open hand grip only. Fingers extended and draped over the surface. Trying to crimp a sloper does not work and defeats the purpose.
Focus on body position. Keep your core engaged and your weight centered beneath your hands. On a hangboard, this means a controlled, still body with no swinging.
Use chalk generously. Slopers live and die by friction. Chalked, dry hands make a noticeable difference.
Start with larger slopers (less angled, more surface area) and progress to smaller or steeper ones.
Slopers are a great complement to edge training. They develop a different grip quality and give your crimp tendons a break while still putting in meaningful work.
Grip Positions: How You Hold the Hold
Hold types (jugs, edges, pockets, slopers) describe what is on the board. Grip positions describe what your hand does on those holds. You can use different grip positions on the same hold, and each one trains your fingers differently.
Open Hand
Fingers extended and draped over the edge with minimal curl. You can use three or four fingers. No thumb involvement. This is the most relaxed grip position and places the lowest stress on your finger tendons. Open hand is ideal for warm-ups, sloper training, pocket work, and building a strong tendon base.
Half Crimp
Fingers curled over the edge with your fingertip joints (DIP joints) bent inward. Your thumb rests alongside your fingers and is not engaged or wrapped over anything. No thumb lock. That is the key distinction.
Half crimp is the recommended default training grip for most climbers. It produces solid force while keeping tendon stress manageable. If you only train one grip position, make it this one.
Full Crimp
Same finger position as half crimp, but your thumb locks over the top of your index finger. This is the maximum force position. Every climber uses full crimp on the wall regularly, and it is a completely normal grip.
For training, half crimp is a great starting default. Add full crimp to your sessions as you get comfortable and want to train the specific strength that full crimping demands.
| Grip Position | Finger Position | Thumb | Force Output | Tendon Stress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Hand | Extended, minimal curl | Not engaged | Lowest | Lowest |
| Half Crimp | DIP joints bent ~90 degrees | Resting, not locked | Moderate-High | Moderate |
| Full Crimp | DIP joints bent, thumb locked | Locked over index finger | Highest | Highest |
Which Holds Should You Train?
If you are just getting started, keep it simple:
1. Jugs for warm-ups and pull work.
2. Edges (20 to 30mm) in half crimp and open hand for your main training sets.
3. Three-finger pockets if your board has them, for a few sets at moderate intensity.
As you build experience and strength:
4. Smaller edges (15 to 18mm, then eventually sub-15mm) for progressive overload.
5. Slopers for open hand development.
6. Two-finger pockets for specific finger strength.
7. Full crimp on edges for maximum force training.
You do not need to train every hold type in every session. Rotate through them across the week. Two to three hold types per session is plenty for a solid training stimulus.
For more on how different hangboard designs accommodate these holds, see our guide to hangboard types and materials. If you are just getting started, our beginner's guide to hangboarding walks through your first sessions step by step.
Edge Depth Progression Guide: 40mm to 10mm
Edge depth is the primary way you progress on a hangboard over time. Bigger edges are easier because more of your finger pad contacts the surface. Smaller edges are harder because less skin is on the hold and your tendons work harder to maintain the grip.
Here is what each depth range feels like and how to approach it:
35 to 45mm: Jug Rail
Two finger pads deep. This is warm-up territory. You can wrap your fingers around it comfortably and hang without much finger-specific demand. Use these for your first hangs of every session and for pull-up work.
25 to 35mm: Large Edge
More than one finger pad of depth. Comfortable and confidence-building. This is where new hangboarders should do their first real training sets. You can hang here with bodyweight and focus on grip position, shoulder engagement, and form without your fingers being the bottleneck.
18 to 22mm: Medium Edge
About one finger pad of depth. 20mm is the standard training edge for most climbers and the benchmark depth for finger strength testing. If someone says "I can hang X kilos on my hangboard," they almost always mean 20mm half crimp. This is where the real work happens.
14 to 16mm: Small Edge
Just under one finger pad. These edges feel noticeably harder and demand genuine finger strength to hold. You will know when you are ready for these because 20mm starts feeling controlled and comfortable.
8 to 12mm: Tiny Edge
Fingertip depth. Your fingers barely curl over the lip. These edges are trainable with a progressive approach. Work your way down through larger depths first, and these will feel like a natural next step rather than an impossible leap.
| Edge Depth | Category | Feel | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35-45mm | Jug Rail | Full hand wrap | Warm-ups, pull-ups |
| 25-35mm | Large Edge | Comfortable, 1+ finger pads | Beginners, base building |
| 18-22mm | Medium Edge | One finger pad | Standard training, testing |
| 14-16mm | Small Edge | Just under one pad | Intermediate progression |
| 8-12mm | Tiny Edge | Fingertip depth | Advanced training |
Progression Strategy
Do not rush to smaller edges. Each depth range builds the tendon strength and motor patterns you need for the next one down. A solid approach:
Weeks 1 to 4: Train on 25 to 30mm edges. Get comfortable. Dial in your form.
Weeks 5 to 8: Move to 20mm for your primary working sets. Keep 30mm for warm-ups.
Weeks 9 and beyond: Start mixing in 15 to 18mm edges for some sets. Use 20mm as your staple.
Over months: Gradually include sub-15mm edges as your fingers adapt.
The timeline is flexible. Some people progress faster, some slower. Listen to your fingers and let the holds tell you when you are ready to go smaller.
For training strategies using specific edges, check out our guide on building finger strength for climbing. And if you want to dive deeper into crimp-specific training, see our guide to crimp training for climbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hold type describes the shape on the board: edge, jug, pocket, sloper. Grip type describes what your hand does on that hold: open hand, half crimp, full crimp. You can use different grips on the same hold. For example, you can hang on a 20mm edge in open hand, half crimp, or full crimp, and each position trains your fingers differently.
Completely normal. Everyone starts on the bigger holds. That is exactly what they are there for. Progressive depth is the whole point of having multiple edge sizes on one board. Start big, build strength, go smaller over time.
Half crimp is the best default for most of your training volume. It produces solid force and is broadly applicable to climbing. Open hand is a great complement and should be part of every session. Add full crimp as you get comfortable on the board.
Two to three is a good range for most sessions. Half crimp and open hand as your core, with a third position (pockets, full crimp, or slopers) rotated in based on your goals. As you gain experience, you can expand to four or five positions per session.
Indoor climbing is trending toward more diverse hold shapes, and pockets show up regularly on modern commercial walls. Training pockets builds individual finger strength that transfers to everything you grab, not just pocket-shaped holds. It is worth including even if you never touch real rock.
The number refers to the depth of the ledge, measured from the wall face to the front lip. A 20mm edge is 20 millimeters deep, which is about the width of one finger pad. It is the standard benchmark edge for finger strength training in climbing, and you will see it referenced in almost every hangboard protocol and research study.
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