Sep 22, 2010, 1:49 PM
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Watch women for technique.
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Edit: Poll refers to the title! Do you agree or disagree with the advice that one should "watch women for technique?"
I don't have a clue where this advice came from, but I just totally don't buy it. There was kind of a thread similar to this back in 2008 by GG, but it wasn't really the same thing.
Some will argue along the lines of "women naturally have a better understanding of their center of gravity, balance, etc." Maybe for beginners, but we should be observing the technique of the best climbers we can find, not just whoever is randomly present.
Honestly, just watch the climbers that look the most fluid on their easiest warm-ups and project those warm-ups, imitating the style that they did it in (their easiest warm-ups will ideally be independent of body-type). (Ideally, you ask them for help when they're resting between attempts, which is most easily done in bouldering.)
You don't need to climb like a frickin' elephant, horse, giraffe, ant, gecko, fish, frog, swan, or whatever other animals people will tell you to climb like after telling you to watch women climb. Just watch the best climbers, and ask yourself "What, specifically, are they doing?" and "Why does that minimize energy use for them?" Try doing the same movement from different positions to compare your theories to experiment. Your gains in technique will be as good as your answers.
(This post was edited by spikeddem on Sep 23, 2010, 6:37 AM)
You should edit your post to ask a clear question. What am I agreeing or disagreeing to? The title? Your suggestion to watch better/pro climbers?
If it's the latter then I agree, provided they have a similar body type to you.
I think that it's still useful to watch them even if they have a different body type. You shouldn't plan on doing the route the same way, but you will still likely use the same moves as them in some route you're likely to encounter. If they're scrunched up, note how they do the movement, and considering trying it when you're scrunched up (this would be for if the only difference was, essentially, height).
You should edit your post to ask a clear question. What am I agreeing or disagreeing to? The title? Your suggestion to watch better/pro climbers?
If it's the latter then I agree, provided they have a similar body type to you.
I think that it's still useful to watch them even if they have a different body type. You shouldn't plan on doing the route the same way, but you will still likely use the same moves as them in some route you're likely to encounter. If they're scrunched up, note how they do the movement, and considering trying it when you're scrunched up (this would be for if the only difference was, essentially, height).
Yeah, I wasn't thinking height so much as general body shape, composition, and abilities. heavy set, short legs, long arms, long torso, stubby fingers, not very flexible, really powerful, very good balance, bum knee, etc...
In hindsight I should have been a bit more specific or used a different word. Maybe body make-up?
You can always learn what ever your weaknesses are from climbing a variety of Styles and with a variety of partners.
When learning women often learn technique quicker. Due to Their lack of upper body strength they need to be more precise with their feet and learn technique to get up, as opposed to muscling it up.
The same is true later. I use my feet much more than most Guys, and on technical Face excell (I can't climb a roof to save myself). Some of the builder guys I know, that climb harder than me, could learn something from my Footwork to get them up even Harder climbs when combined with their pull through and dynamicism.
It is an O.K. advice if it is explained properly and put into context.
It is useful to point it out to a burly guy who is just starting out, bullying his way up the wall, unnecessarily relying on pull-ups instead of using his legs, and complaining that he is not strong enough.
But it is only one part of a larger whole.
Obviously, it is also useful to watch an experienced climber of either gender climb the route that you are working on.
Obviously, it is also useful to watch people of different body types and different strengths climb the same route, to see in how many different ways the same crux could be solved.
And obviously, just watching, regardless of whom you are watching, will only get you so far...
your poll, and what it's based in are a *bit* too general.
it is generally held that women develop better technique faster than men do, as beginners, because they cannot rely on brute strength. After that statement, it all falls apart.
as has been noted, watch climbers with good technique to learn good technique. There is absolutely no guarantee that the better technique comes from women.
just to throw a wrench into the sweeping generalization, i know quite a few women are thugs when they climb, and are stronger than some of the men they climb with. Their technique straight up sucks
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