UKC

Most of us, I think, assume it's the index finger so that's the one you would use if you had to pull on a very small pocket which would only take one finger. I do remember watching Dave Cuthbertson using his middle finger to pull on some small holds years ago but have never tried it myself.

Just wonder if anyone had tried an experiment to see if the middle finger was stronger than the index finger.

In reply to Removed User:

Middle, for sure. I've not seen anyone do monos with other fingers really, unless middle won't fit.

In reply to Removed User:

Middle finger is the strongest by far for the vast majority of climbers, and should be the finger of choice for monos (one-finger pockets) as long as it fits.

In reply to Removed User: Interesting thoughts from the BM boys here. http://beastmakerblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/reductionism.html

for me (and most people) I'd say middle, third and then first and little.

In reply to Removed User:
I don't know whether one finger is stronger than another naturally but I'd say it boils down to training. I can pull harder with my fore and middle fingers than either my ring finger or little finger. I can't tell the difference between the strength of my forefinger and middle finger as the joint gives out* before I run out of strength.

*Popping noises and pain

In reply to Removed User:

I would have thought my index finger is strongest as I use it to do more things with like holding a pen

Taking from an article I read a while back and a bit of common sense...

The index finger is naturally the strongest finger, it just in climbing, efficiency in the way the tendons line up for the middle finger means that it can take the most amount of stress. Any finger that can take more stress will get used more for climbing and so it becomes the strongest.

You'll still find that on tweaked holds where your hand is out of 'line' with the tendons, the index will feel stronger.

In reply to TimS:> for me .. I'd say middle, third and then first and little.

ditto

In reply to Simon Lee:

Ditto again.

In reply to Removed User:

Thumb, middle, ring, index, little.

If the middle wont work I tend to use the index, ideally with a thumb on top but that's mostly habit because I keep damaging my ring fingers.

jk