|
beanny
Jan 22, 2002, 2:44 PM
Post #1 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 17, 2001
Posts: 41
|
some one told me that I have bad footwork... how do i improve it?
|
|
|
|
|
woodse
Jan 22, 2002, 2:53 PM
Post #2 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 25, 2001
Posts: 625
|
Practice!!! Good foot work comes with lots of time on the rock. Watch good climbers carefully and see what they are doing and try to make similar movement but remember that because every climber is unique so is the footwork that suits them. woodsE
|
|
|
|
|
spank_spank
Jan 22, 2002, 3:01 PM
Post #3 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 14, 2002
Posts: 480
|
Do a 30 minute traverse workout, without stopping. Concentrate on your footwork. Try to be precise in foot placement and not to make noise with your feet.
|
|
|
|
|
daisuke
Jan 22, 2002, 4:50 PM
Post #4 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2001
Posts: 904
|
do some free soloing on very easy rockfaces, 5.6 or 5.7, go up, traverse, everything, I did that the other day to improve my climbing a bit (took a short break from climbing) and immediately it improved my eye to foot coordination so that I was able to onsight a 5.9/10a
|
|
|
|
|
madscientist
Jan 22, 2002, 6:49 PM
Post #5 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 21, 2002
Posts: 159
|
Repeat routes that you can do, and are not really hard for you. On those routes, try different foot placesments to see what feels best. This works well on boulder problems also. Remember, footwork is not always about how to get your weight on your feet, but how to get your body in the best position to do the climb.
|
|
|
|
|
rck_climber
Jan 22, 2002, 6:54 PM
Post #6 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2001
Posts: 1010
|
As I train *only* outdoors, my favorite way to train footwork is to get on a nice, featureless granite slab so that I have no choice but to use my feet. I find this "Sink or Swim" technique really forces me to concentrate on my foot placements first and worry about hands later. It also shows me just how far my shoes will go too. Hope this helps. Mick
|
|
|
|
|
vaness
Jan 22, 2002, 8:53 PM
Post #7 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 17, 2001
Posts: 1351
|
i do this sometimes... get on a route you know you can do and use all the foot holds you dont use for that route. sometimes it works. or you could take away some of the foot holds on the route. the ideas arent that great but they might help
|
|
|
|
|
ravens_wing_jim
Jan 22, 2002, 10:45 PM
Post #8 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 23, 2001
Posts: 396
|
I just posted some tips on this very subject yesterday in the ways to practice technique thred in this forum..check it out. The biggest problem that new climbers have is not trusting their feet. So they lay flat against the rock and try to strong arm their way up. What you need to do is start placing your weight over the balls of your feet, let your legs do the work, they are by far stronger than your arms(unless your a gorilla). Here's a good foot workout that is sure to help: Set up an easy toprope on a 5-6 or 5-7 route, now try to get to the top using only your feet, no grabing holds with your hands, only laying your hands flat against the rock to balance yourself. This exercise will teach you to keep your weight over the balls of your feet, it will help you find your center of balance, and it forces you to concentrate on foot placement. For more tips, go check out what I posted in the other thred. Hope this helps. Jim
|
|
|
|
|
beanny
Jan 23, 2002, 8:43 AM
Post #9 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 17, 2001
Posts: 41
|
hey, thanx people... is it of help to downclimb? since downclimbing would require 'using the feet first before the hands'?
|
|
|
|
|
phylp
Jan 25, 2002, 1:24 AM
Post #10 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 3, 2001
Posts: 175
|
I think one of the best ways to improve your footwork is to go buildering. Before their were gyms, if you couldn't get on real rock, this is what a lot of people used to train. In almost every town you can find buildings made from cut stone. Doing traverses where you stay on dead vertical for as long as you can is incredible both for your footwork and your finger/hand/forearm training. Where I live in CA, the Stanford University campus is renowned for the quality of its buildering problems. Bouldering areas in gyms are usually set up for power and overhanging training. But if you go the buildering route, please be careful about access issues. Be discreet and don't use chalk that will be seen.
|
|
|
|
|
jt512
Jan 25, 2002, 2:37 AM
Post #11 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 12, 2001
Posts: 21904
|
Beginners often unwittingly sabotage their efforts to learn good footwork by using comfy, beginners climbing shoes. See my comments at: www.tradgirl.com After clicking on the above link, scroll down to "From: Jay Tanzman." -Jay (Tanzman) [ This Message was edited by: jt512 on 2002-01-24 18:42 ]
|
|
|
|
|
gonjozo
Feb 1, 2002, 1:02 AM
Post #12 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 16, 2001
Posts: 17
|
boulder
|
|
|
|
|
suicidal_soldier
Feb 4, 2002, 3:52 PM
Post #13 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 11, 2001
Posts: 52
|
hey beanny, i would suggest u to go to a rock gym and 1st, hold on to 2 nice and "thank-God" handholds on the wall and next, practise ur foot-work by stepping on 2 footholds and keep switching ur left foot to the right footholds and right foot to the left footholds! do it slow at the start and then slowly pick up speed and increase ur the no. of footholds as u go on! this help to train ur precision of ur foot-work! [ This Message was edited by: suicidal_soldier on 2002-02-04 07:56 ] [ This Message was edited by: suicidal_soldier on 2002-02-04 07:57 ]
|
|
|
|
|
c-horse
Deleted
Feb 5, 2002, 8:04 AM
Post #14 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered:
Posts:
|
Here's another good training tip for building your footwork repertoire. 1) pick a route (TR or bouldering problem) on a slab or vertical wall. 2) climb the whole route facing to the right (using the outside edge of your left foot and the inside edge of your right foot for ALL foot placements). 3) repeat the climb facing to the left 4)repeat the climb "toed in" to the wall, edging with your toes straight on to the wall. hth C
|
|
|
|
|
rippdclimber
Feb 5, 2002, 1:12 PM
Post #15 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 2, 2001
Posts: 18
|
There are two things that I do for my foot work that have helped me out alot. 1. Down climb. I think that downclimbing is the best way to improve overall technique. 2. Tracking. Tracking is where you allow your feet to only use holds that your hands have used already. Therefor you are going to face alot fewer foot holds and be forced into some foot hand matches and other not easy positions. Anything that you can do outside of the gym to increase ballance would also help you. Josh
|
|
|
|
|
gekolimit
Feb 21, 2002, 8:28 AM
Post #16 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: 144
|
my opinuin...footwork is just a matter of trust. don't forget to leave some of your weight for your feet, don't try to hold yourself up to much. More weight on the feet, the better their friction with the wall.
|
|
|
|
|
pushfurther
Feb 21, 2002, 3:36 PM
Post #17 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 17, 2001
Posts: 2112
|
i agree with rippd on the hand/foot matches. and whoever said the featureless slab, that worked for me too. now i have to relearn my footwork. thanks to the good old tendonitis problems i took a few months off..
|
|
|
|
|
sheppe
Feb 21, 2002, 6:27 PM
Post #18 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 7, 2002
Posts: 170
|
Watch (litterally, look down and have a look) where you place your feet, being careful not to do anything else until your foot is where you want it, exactly. I found that doing this helped me improve my eye-foot coordination, and as time went by I got better at finding the footholds and placing my foot exactly, on the first try. Oh, and trust your feet; put some weight on them. -Sheppe
|
|
|
|
|
toshido
Mar 6, 2002, 8:58 AM
Post #19 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 6, 2002
Posts: 7
|
Taking a bi-weekly course in Intermediate techniques and here is one of the excercises that I was shown. Climb a route that is well within your ability, BUT dont use any hand holds above your eye level. I was too burnt out at the time to actually try it but that is definately something I will be trying next time I go climbing.
|
|
|
|
|
maddie
Mar 7, 2002, 7:18 AM
Post #20 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 18, 2002
Posts: 197
|
Someone once described rockclimbing as ballet on rock. Try silent climbing, it makes you pay more attention to your feet. other than that practice!
|
|
|
|
|
krustyklimber
Mar 7, 2002, 10:10 AM
Post #21 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 25, 2002
Posts: 1650
|
Stop climbing with that person!! Jeff
|
|
|
|
|
metoliusmunchkin
Mar 8, 2002, 7:59 PM
Post #22 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 7, 2001
Posts: 1410
|
I all can really tell you here, is that you must constantly look down at your feet while climbing. This is what many newbies have trouble with, they do not really concentrate on what is below them (their feet, and all of their foot placements), yet rather what is above them. Once you really have practiced this method of looking down and realizing your foot movements, all that really comes next is some more practice. Practice, practice, practice!
|
|
|
|
|
crux_clipper
Mar 14, 2002, 12:12 PM
Post #23 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 14, 2001
Posts: 531
|
A good trainer i found was to find a hollw wooden wall. The ntraverse, watch your feet, and try to climb 'silently' The hollow wall magnifies everysound, so rather then slapping your foot above a hold and hearing a loud thump, place it on the hold so no noise is made, and continue.
|
|
|
|
|
rock_chic
Mar 17, 2002, 12:05 PM
Post #24 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 16, 2002
Posts: 9
|
I agree totally with all the advice given here-and I'll use some myself too! When I just started climbing, some one told me to do this and it really helps, As your climbing, you automatically look for hand holds and you usually use the grab-and-pull technique. Try climbing a few routes and say mentally to yourself "hand,hand,foot,foot' When you're saying "hand, hand" look for hand holds, then when your'e sayiong"foot,foot", look for footholds. I found this really useful to start off and now I still use it sometimes when I'm up somewhere really high and scary and I'm shitting a brick,and I feel like I will never be able to move out of where I am! I just go"hand, hand, foot, foot" ,you sound very strange but it forces you to concentrate on the climbing and not the scary situation your'e in!
|
|
|
|
|
bradhill
Mar 22, 2002, 10:21 PM
Post #25 of 26
(6834 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 486
|
Put on a 30 lb pack and winter gloves. Pick a really easy route in the gym and just keep going up and down it. Do 10-15 up or 5-8 up and down before you take a break. Keep it up. Your arms will quickly grow so tired and the gloves keep you from relying on hand strength enough that you can't help but use your feet to get up the wall. You may find that the second set of 10 is easier than the first because your technique and reliance on feet will have improved so much.
|
|
|
|
|
|