Improve Your Footwork

Improve Your Climbing Footwork

When it comes down to it a lot of climbers struggle with their footwork. The funny thing is a lot of us don’t even realize how much we can improve if we just do a few things a little bit differently.

It is kinda amusing to watch as 98% of climbers focus a majority of their attention on their hands and not their feet. Well today I want to give you some techniques and drills that can really make a big difference in your footwork.

First off to show the importance hear I want you to think about the last time you started to really struggle on a route or boulder problem. Now when you began to struggle and I mean really struggle did you think about your hands or feet first?

If you said hands you need to keep reading.

Step 1

Increasing your focus on the feet takes practice and awareness. You need to start to train yourself to focus on your feet. Here are few things to try as you climb anything. Use the words “feet first” as you mantra. Just keep repeating it to yourself over and over as you climb the route. This constant reminder allows you to focus on your feet and find the best possible footholds and will ingrain in your mind to always focus on your feet.

Step 2

Foot placement. Most climbers don’t really think too much about how they place their feet on footholds. They just put them there. This is a bad idea.

What you want to do is focus on placing your feet on the best part of the foothold and you want to place your foot on it perfectly. Being very exact about this is important. Having your foot on the foothold just right saves you energy, time and effort. It allows you that sturdiness and extra movement you need.

Note if your feet always seem to slip off of footholds take extra time to practice this.

Step 3

Once you have began to retrain yourself to think feet first it is important to branch out your focus to different styles and types of rock. You see many different styles and types of rocks require different techniques involving your feet. You must start to train your body and brain on slabs, overhangs, roofs and cracks. Not too mention get on as many different types of rock as the foot placements will be and will feel a little different on each.

I promise if you follow these steps you will not only improve your footwork but you will start to climb with less energy, effort, time and will climb more difficult routes and boulder problems.

For more information like this you need to check out Training for Rock Climbing

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