Climbing Techniques - Training Climbing Footwork
A Fast Way to Improve Climbing for Beginner to Intermediate Climbers
Jan 13, 2009
Beginner to intermediate climbers can often improve quickly at climbing by improving climbing footwork. Here, find pointers on basic climbing footwork techniques, as well as several climbing footwork exercises easy to incorporate into a rock climbing training workout with a climbing partner at an indoor climbing gym.
Basic Climbing Footwork Techniques
Once well-fitted climbing shoes have been acquired, it’s time to discern whether climbing footwork is keeping a climber from improving at climbing. A look at the climber's already-used climbing shoes can usually provide this answer. Where are they most worn out? They should be most worn where the big toe touches the end of the shoe, on the inside edge. If there’s more wear on the balls of the feet (or someplace else), chances are that the wearer of these shoes is not using optimal climbing footwork.
Standing on the inside edge of the big toe is a key power position for climbing, providing the climber with the ability to easily swivel the hips and turn the body (another key climbing technique). The big toe also allows the climber the ability to stand with precision on and move with force off of much smaller holds than the ball of the foot does.
Another crucial foot position useful for climbing footwork is the backstep. The backstep is most effective when the outside edge of the front of the shoe is what contacts the hold — in the vicinity of the baby toe and the next toe in from the baby toe.
One last caveat — beware of dragging the feet. Climbing partners can alert each other to feet dragging on the wall. If a climber drags his or her feet regularly, he or she will rapidly wear holes in their shoes from this. Dragging the feet not only deprives a person of one of climbing’s key tactical measures — good footwork — but also, can tax that person’s upper body more as they have to deal with pulling through the extra friction from the dragging foot.
Training for Climbing: Use Climbing Footwork Exercises
Armed with knowledge about properly fitting climbing shoes as well as key climbing footwork positions, climbing partners can easily incorporate the following climbing footwork exercises into their climbing workouts at the indoor rock climbing gym.
- Choose an easy route, and climb it slowly, focusing on each and every foot placement. Always place the foot on a hold or a smear with intention. Look at the foothold, and then place the foot quietly and precisely on the hold, with no thunking or clunking. Pay attention to the difference in leverage, especially on small holds, between standing on the big toe and on the ball of the foot.
- Find or create a climbing traverse that has decent handholds, but only a few small jibs and/or no footholds. For each move, test just how much weight can be put on a foothold before the foot pops off. This exercise helps climbers learn how to smear and/or weight tiny footholds, thus developing more trust in their feet. Again, be deliberate with foot placements, even smears.
- On a relatively easy route, attempt to climb using deliberate, quiet foot placements in conjunction with the technique exercises provided in Rock Climbing Training for Quick Improvement. Strive ultimately to make all of these climbing techniques habitual, so that they don't require thought anymore — they just come naturally, like walking.
Train Climbing Footwork to Improve Climbing Quickly
With climbing shoes that fit properly, knowledge of how to effectively employ climbing footwork, and diligent training with climbing footwork exercises, a climber may improve at climbing much more quickly than before.
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