Tape fingers the RIGHT way

[@Jack-lb5ih]

You have a real skill for explaining things well and in detail mate! Quickly becoming one of my favourite climbing channels

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha wow! I appreciate that, Jack. Thank you :)

[@nautaYT]

This-is-GREAT! Since I know that I can tape correctly my fingers, I'm going to climb every day and not once a week :) Subscribed!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha awesome!! Yeah a decent tape job is the best thing! Totally game changer!

[@6darkness6eternal6]

Great content! This kind of niche stuff is very under represented on KZbin and we all appreciate you filling in that gap.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Thank you, trying to help in the way I can :)

[@cocoBeware0]

For the bit at 8:13 about covering a flapper with the non-sticky side of the tape, be careful not to get an infection. My tape gets really dirty in my bag, and I think a bandaid would do the same job with less risk. I love this video and this taping technique. Thanks so much for sharing. It's been really helpful for days when I need to protect my skin.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yep, adding a bunch of dirt into a cut won't be good. I keep my tape in a seperate little bag, so it stays pretty clean. I've tried the bandaid approach and never been able to achieve a good result. But maybe you're doing it better than me :)

[@raptorjesus7436]

I got a little ziplock bag for my tape to try and keep it as clean as possible and wash my hands before using it.

[@zZsolidZz]

absolute game changer, thanks

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha no sweat. Psyched it was helpful for you :)

[@sterlingraymonddunne]

Mate found your channel a little while ago but bloody hell you deserve more followers, heaps of great info and frothy vibes keep it coming 👌🏼

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha thank you. Psyched you're liking the videos and finding value :). Plenty more to come!

[@denvergriffin5555]

Great video! One thing I've found helpful - a little spray bottle of rubbing alcohol in the pack lid - perfect for cleaning and degreasing fingers - dries in seconds, better tape adhesion.

[@Fred-oz3tw]

Interesting stuff

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yep, I have used that in the past, works well. Nice one

[@lonsdale16op]

Rubbing alcohol also closes the pores that sweat comes from so it will reduce how much you sweat. Good if your like me with super clammy hands!

[@haywardab]

Congratulations on 5k! This is a great guide! I’ve always struggled with getting too much tension when I apply it straight off the roll so I pull long length off ahead of time and it’s much easier to get it bang on

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yeah there's definitely an art to getting the tension right. Having it free and loose is a good option.

[@firewalk312]

Dude, your stories R the best! Disclaimer: "0nly laughing at your pain because the same thing could've happened to me in those situation. 😂😂😂." Funny stuff dude and great info also!!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

It hurt as bad as I felt like a goose 😂. Lots!!

[@tristincampbell3704]

I currently have 5 flappers and this is going to allow me to climb today thank you!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome! Hope it worked and you had a good session 😀

[@chicken29843]

For Palm flappers there is a good video someone made where you do like a loop around the finger of where the flapper is and then bring it down to your wrist and anchor it with another piece on the wrist which is kind of a lot of tape to use for one flapper but it does work pretty well

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Ahh great. The palms are always an annoying one

[@Ian_climbs]

I’ve been thinking about starting to tape my skin to save it and this is perfect! Thanks

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Knowing how to tape your skin is definitely a skill worth having. You can get so much climbing done!!

[@davidbecker54]

What have I been doing for the last 12 years! That middle joint taping method is revolutionary! 🤩

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha it’s the simple things 😀. Now you’ll appreciate it even more

[@arn9496]

perfect timing for this video :) often my skin is the factor why i have to end a session

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha awesome! I hate skin being the reason you need to stop climbing

[@Terray0]

So many "Thats what she said" moments with so much information, i love it.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

im glad you got something out of it haha

[@Terray0]

@@TomOHalloranAus t´is what she proclaimed. :D

[@clown5911]

For palm flappers I like to cover it horizontally with a few wraps above and below the knuckles so you can still bend it. Then I take a few long thin pieces and crisscross them from both sides of the finger across the flapper to secure the horizontal piece. I run a few of them them down to the wrist on both sides of the hand, and then take another piece and wrap it around the wrist to secure them. It works pretty well, but its not perfect. Little easier than making a full on crack glove for it.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha wowsers sounds epic! Thanks for the info though :)

[@eynash]

Super helpful, I've been taping incorrectly this whole time 😂 Thanks Tom!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha always learning :)

[@kikkukun]

Commenting so you get a boost in the algorithm, thanks for uploading this. I normally just wing it and plaster a whole bunch on my finger, but (predictably) I never get good results, so this'll help a lot!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha classic move! I dare say this will make a big difference for you ✌️

[@tpjnorton]

another amazing video Tom, thanks so much for this!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Thanks Tom, glad you liked it :)

[@Mrperson662]

Somewhat related, the best tip I’ve ever gotten for splits in the crease of your fingers is to keep your finger straight with a splint taped to it when you go to sleep. So your split doesn’t re-split when you stretch your hand open/ climb/ ect.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yes! How good is that. So simple and blew my mind when I first heard it. Very very useful!!

[@MrUncut310]

Finally some good advice. Thanks for helping me with splitters for the rest of my life!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha awesome. Psyched it was helpful. Good luck with the splits, they suck!

[@gonzoliam1720]

Super technique! Used it yesterday and it worked perfectly. Thanks

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome! Psyched to hear that 👊

[@Wholemxlk]

Wow i never thought of the taping down the finger vs taping up the finger, incredible tip, will be using it as soon as i climb next

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Makes a HUGE difference! Psyched you got something out of it

[@waspol13]

So helpful, thank you!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NPC-fl3gq]

I might be a year too late, but thanks so much, Tom. Great info. Concise too. Cheers mate.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome, psyched to hear it was helpful. Thank you ✌️

[@Vandal49]

Criss-crossing is a great idea! I also pinch the tape together after I'm done in a line along the top of the finger to get rid of slack--usually with my teeth :D

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Nice idea. I’ll have to give it a try 😀

[@rafaelsanna96]

nice job, I will use to send my v11 proj that were off my fingertip skin lol never knew how to tape the firngerprint the proper way, now i know, ty!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

awesome. psyched you like found it helpful. play around with taping. It can take a couple goes to get your eye in and even then I have good and bad days with taping. the secret is to take your time. let me know how it goes on the project.

[@ashleyjordan8869]

A question: What about taping for finger support? I’ve heard “H Taping” is good for support while rehabilitating a finger strain or injury. I’ve been wrapping just above and below the joint recently for one of my fingers that is slightly tweaked, and it seems to help, but I’d appreciate your thoughts. Realised I’d not subscribed yet, so have no corrected that error! Great videos mate 👍🏻

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Ahhh that one is a bit beyond my pay grade to be honest. I don't want to give dodgy advice to you, so take what I say with a grain or two of salt. There's more qualified folk out there. I do two different things. One is what it sounds like you do, the other is completely mummifying above and below the first knuckle (if its an A2) to immobilise the finger and not let it get into the vulnerable (painful) position. Fingers are fiddly though and you really want to make sure you look after them and rehab properly. I'd definitely be talking to a climbing medical professional though, rather than taking advice from a random dude from the internet :). But it sounds like we both do about the same thing. Hope that helps

[@danielfry8097]

For A2 my physio told me that a full wrap down past the middle joint is the go. Totally prevents hyperextension (full crimp) positions

[@sebastian-ez1dj]

x taping is far superior to h taping. backed by evidence and anecdotal experience

[@6darkness6eternal6]

I've found for A2 strains what works for me is wrapping the whole base of the finger to support the pulley and then crossing over the first joint on the inside and wrapping a small section above the first joint to support the tendon and avoid it bow stringing. The thing that made a big difference for me was really wrapping all the way to the very base of the finger. Also regular 45s density hangs for rehab, and always making sure you get a good fingerboard warmup before each session.

[@sebastian-ez1dj]

@@6darkness6eternal6 you ever tried no hangs? i do density hangs on the 1 finger pocket on my block for a few minutes with like 10-20lbs to rehab. i always warm up with my feet on the ground fingerboarding.

[@JammyHamsta]

Sick vid, discovered the criss cross method myself a few months ago and it's def a game changer :)

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Isn't it just the best! Total game changer

[@Exi01]

Fab stuff, perfect timing. Off to buy some skinny tape!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Sweet, hope it works well for you!

[@lotoxy]

Thanks I just needed this 👍 great video !

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Too easy 😀. Psyched it was helpful ✌️

[@Garethprice1979]

Superglue is non-toxic. It was originally developed to seal open wounds on the battlefield.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Ahh cool. Good to know. Thanks

[@Garethprice1979]

@@TomOHalloranAus and thanks for the great tips!

[@Comiskey2]

Seriously thanks for teaching us bro mucho love

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha thank you!

[@TheTheo408]

Loved your video, thank’s a lot !

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome. Psyched it was helpful. Thanks ✌️

[@marlowjohnson3577]

Love the video mate!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Thank you :)

[@sethford2227]

Great vid. I hate heading home knowing I could have done more climbing, just because my skin is done and my tape is always falling off

[@TomOHalloranAus]

totally frustrating feeling!

[@matteos.3438]

taping aside, yes alex megos is indeed a wizard

[@TomOHalloranAus]

No argument there haha

[@toddgreen6862]

What I like to do for particularly nasty flappers is after cutting away the dead skin, I put some Neosporin on it and then a flexible fabric Bandaid, making sure it is narrow enough to leave some skin at the edges between the knuckles. Then I tape over the Bandaid. I'd normally not put a link in someone else's video, but since someone asked for taping for injuries and Tom directly mentioned Alex Megos, he did a long tutorial a few years back if you want to supplement Tom's great vid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6aWgKxrnbp-mNk

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Sounds like a great process to look after the flapper. Thanks!

[@bozarus]

Your stuff is just way too good

[@TomOHalloranAus]

haha thanks :)

[@schluppvomgrunenstern7394]

Prefect explanation. 👌

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Glad you liked it :)

[@Infiniband11]

Far out this is such useful info!!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha glad you found it helpful, Tom!

[@josephcarrier5093]

amazing video thank you so much for this knowledge.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Psyched to hear it helped 😀

[@OfficialMiniFridge]

this is a fantastic video!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome, glad you think so and got something out of it 😀

[@fortun777]

Tom, you are just a great presenter! Yaaauauaahhhghgh!😆🤣

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha thanks

[@Ducksnuget]

I usually have to tape up for pain relief. Like minor pully damage, usually the first knuckles. I tape them up similarly, but only 3-4 times criss-crossing and leaving my finger tips exposed. Though it seems I may need to be a little more heavy to last a full session.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Always worth experimenting to see how different things work 😀

[@willwheeler3048]

My finger tips are absolutely cooked rn so will have to give this taping a crack

[@TomOHalloranAus]

haha nice one. good luck with it!

[@hinzkunz7960]

Definitely 100 thumbs up!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha I’m guessing it was helpful 😀

[@Muz86]

I literally just tape normally with thick tape around my cut and it’s fine 🤷‍♂️

[@TomOHalloranAus]

That’s nice and simple 😀

[@skrovinam]

Woow, cool to see this and actually can't wait to try this out 😁. From the video it seems you're applying it pretty lightly. I guess the key is not to cut the blood flow completely but keep it snug enough so it doesn't move? Also, do you have some tip how to keep the tape on even when your skin is worn out and sweating?

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yes, not too tight. Bit tight enough. Back it off a few notches from discoloring. Sweaty thin skin is no issue with this technique when you continue taping low enough down the digit. I have sweaty skin

[@GewoonRoyaal]

Cool video, very helpful! :)

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Awesome 😀. Psyched it was helpful for you ✌️

[@chicken29843]

Washing your hands after getting a fresh flapper is a traumatic experience

[@TomOHalloranAus]

100% death haha

[@joolsgrommers1466]

I’m quite adept at this method, can’t say that I don’t lose some performance using it on gritstone though.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Yeah proper friction climbing, all taped up, is probably not going to be the same as a nice finger tip

[@__tasp__]

Awesome video and a chill dude? A sub for you good sir!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha cheers Ben ✌️

[@nikhileshsharma5360]

Awesome video Tom. Can we get some knowledge sharing around how to grow skin back on the finger tips? Insight into your skin care program please. PS I am quite despo from some info. The other day I rubbed superglue on my finger tips in hope to save some skin. Not the best idea I have had in my time.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

I’m a fan of some of those healing balms. No real stand out winner. Been using rhino skin most recently. I don’t dive too deep into the skin care though. I just don’t have the time to deal with it haha. I usually just try to not fully destroy it in the first place. Stitch in time saves nine type deal 😀

[@JaneEarth]

great instruction, and very illustrative and sinking-in descriptions of yuck-things. i liked that you notice what amounts of chemicals the glue contains which goes directly into the blood stream by mechanics. it's the same with dry-skin products and working-hands etc. I wonder not too much why doesn't all this stuff exist in organic variants though. until I saw your video, I thought in fact, all climbers were like discounter food plastic no care people.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks 😀

[@S00PERfob]

POV with a head cam would’ve been nice and easier to follow. Informative video either way.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

VR taping tutorial!

[@jaccoweijters6792]

He Tom, u explained really well how to tape, but I’m wondering why/when do we tape?

[@TomOHalloranAus]

When the skin wears out or you have splits in the skin etc. another layer of skin.

[@robinottmann8301]

as a gymnast i most of the time have palm blisters, they are the worst to tape, your hand hurts and i always rolls back

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha gymnastics is a palm blister paradise! Not fun!

[@Jeremysamways1]

You legend

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha cheers guessing you enjoyed it 😀

[@Mike-oz4cv]

Super glue (cyanoacrylates) should be pretty safe. You can get specific skin glue (e.g. Dermabond) medical products if you are concerned.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Cool, thanks for the tip!

[@trailrunplanet]

Question: Will the taping method at 7:00 also help for pully injuries? I broke my right-hand ring finger as a kid (volleyball folded it 90 degrees in the wrong direction at the middle knuckle). Every season since 1988 I've picked up a pully injury on the same finger.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Maybe, I have done that and it's felt helpful both as a reminder the pulley is injured and as a bit of mummification/split to stop the finger getting into a vulnerable position. Sounds like maybe it's never been able to rehab properly though based on how chronic the injury is. A friend is a climbing physio and very good with fingers and he says when a pulley hasn't been properly rehabbed, the likely hood of re injuring it is quite high. Good luck with it. Pulleys suck

[@user-jr8ee1dc6t]

ah yes lovely, yet another thing i can blame instead of my awful climbing skills!

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha brilliant!

[@guustvanuden2968]

good video but i cant see how you do the criss cross

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Difficult to get right in there and show it well. Have a few attempts at it and it'll make sense :)

[@snickpro0312]

How do you cut your tape to the right width, or did you buy it pre cut?

[@TomOHalloranAus]

It’s a little bit of trial and error with cutting it to the correct width. I’ll usually use some scissors or nail clippers to make the first little knick, then it’ll tear nicely. If you start with the approximate widths I mention in the video, you can see how it feels from there

[@thanushanravishankar233]

where do you get this tape, its nice that its pre-split or do you split it into the different sizes yourself

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Cut/tear it myself. You can usually find the tape at good chemists/physio practices

[@atlasduignan1383]

My finger just starts sweating and it comes off all at once?

[@atlasduignan1383]

Am I wrapping it wrong or what please help

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Don’t do it too tight and using high quality tape. The cheaper stuff is not even close to being worthwhile. Leuko tape is my go to

[@bitesizetrouble3807]

did the tape come with the 7 strip? and if not, how do i cut my tape to get a 7mm strip?

[@TomOHalloranAus]

The tape I buy is not cut into strips. I’ll just tear it by hand or a careful snip with scissors/nail clippers to get the strip started, then it’ll tear along that line nicely

[@tysonvdf1971]

Can someone explain to my how i need to criss cross the tape while overlapping only 1/3 i can’t seem to get it

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Take it slowly. It can take a few attempts to do it nicely and get your eye in

[@tysonvdf1971]

@@TomOHalloranAusOkeThank you

[@justanotherguy312]

If you study the way they tape in jiu jitsu you can get the same stiffness with a lot less tape. Waaaay to much tape in this video. I’m no pro but it’s logic and common sense.

[@TomOHalloranAus]

i'll have a look, always interested in seeing what else is out there. stiffness isn't really what im after here though. it's more about having the tape stick to the skin and get good friction on the rock. i've tried a ton of different methods and this is the best so far

[@notdaryl8675]

How do you get that thin strip of tape from the tape roll?

[@TomOHalloranAus]

With this tape you can just tear it by hand. Super easy. Others you need to just snip the end to start then it will tear. Due to the way they weave the thread, they all keep tearing length ways (which is good) :)

[@living4adrenaline]

I'm Alex Megos

[@TomOHalloranAus]

The Megos that lifts

[@minimando99]

Being a beginner climber from the us, your slang with accent is so hard to follow lmao different cultures same love for the climb

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Haha awesome. It's an education is Aussie and climbing :)

[@darrenmarney8577]

Awesome information Sensei Tom 😃 Shall try this technique next time 😶 Usually every injury that I've incurred climbing 🙃 I return to Surfing & the Superbike for Healing space time out 👌 & Then back to Arapiles to repeat the process 🤙

[@TomOHalloranAus]

Sounds like a pretty awesome list of activities to choose from for your weekends!!