A Fast Way to Improve Climbing for Beginner to Intermediate Climbers
Get better at rock climbing with improved climbing footwork. Learn about basic climbing footwork techniques, as well as climbing footwork exercises for climbing workouts.
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.
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.
图一：用大脚趾踩点时基本的脚法
图二：用指骨球踩点缺乏准确性和灵活性
图三：用指骨球踩点，攀岩者无法够到上方手点
图四：用大脚趾踩点并侧身，攀岩者够到了上方手点
图五：用鞋外侧边做侧踩的动作作者: steven 时间: 2009-9-7 23:56
I am working on it.:P作者: 袋鼠 时间: 2009-9-13 23:33
STEVEN ,WORK OUT ? WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU .......作者: steven 时间: 2009-9-14 10:22
working means you still have to wait:lol作者: 闻香 时间: 2009-9-14 11:50
:lolI WAIT COME FLOWERS ALL THANK-ED;P作者: steven 时间: 2009-9-14 13:15
本帖最后由 steven 于 2009-9-14 15:43 编辑
What a Chinglish!:funk:作者: steven 时间: 2009-9-15 17:07
Find the Chinese translation in the 2nd column:victory:作者: 袋鼠 时间: 2009-9-15 20:15
place the foot quietly and precisely on the hold（无声无息地将脚准确地踩在点上）is meaning to climb like a cat without sound(象猫一样悄无声息地爬 ,I see I see .作者: fede 时间: 2009-9-16 00:24
ahahah.......
Nice job Steven. Are you ready for the next lesson?? :lol作者: steven 时间: 2009-9-16 10:34
I am always ready.{:2_27:}作者: 袋鼠 时间: 2009-9-16 11:19
图片附件: 2.jpg (2009-9-7 22:18, 74.49 KB) / 下载次数 495
