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PEOL 252
Wed. 2:00-4:00: Indoor Climbing Facility
Instructor: Ryan Ojerio
Phone: 341-1485
Email: ryan_ojerio@hotmail.com
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Often neglected, footwork can be your "Achilles
tendon" or your "ace in the hole". Most folks consider
their feet and legs as simply things to stand on and indeed learning to
stand on your feet and use them to propel you upward is arguably the most
important skill for a beginner to learn. But you can also use your lower
appendages as counterbalance, or on really steep terrain you might need
to "latch" on to a hold with your feet to take weight off of
your arms. As with other areas of technique your footwork may begin to
suffer when you fatigue or get scared. When the going gets tough, you
may need to refocus on the basics:
Learn to stand on your feet. Good footwork starts
by opening your eyes and looking for good footholds. Unfortunately, indoor
gyms are terrible places to practice this skill. Most footholds are obviously
marked and you are seldom challenged to develop a discerning eye that
can detect the subtle differences in the features or texture of the rock
that can make or break your foot placement. It is also difficult to develop
a sense for how secure your shoes are on a variety of types of rock when
all you climb is plastic. To work on your footwork in a gym, challenge
yourself to climb using only the features or texture of the wall for your
feet. Practice smearing on slabs and focus on how your body position can
affect the friction you get with a smear.
Learn to walk your feet up. Failing to move your
feet up often means that you have to overextend your reach to get to a
new hand hold or perform a strained high-step to get to a new foothold.
Many beginners are reluctant to trade a secure foothold for a less secure
hold slightly higher up even thought the smaller hold will put them within
reach of the next move.
Learn to place your feet precisely. The quicker
you can move to a secure foothold, the less time you have to hang on your
arms. Practice placing your foot exactly where you want it the first time.
Banging the wall with your foot or pawing at the foothold burns valuable
energy. Practice this skill while warming up by climbing statically almost
in slow motion.
Learn to counterbalance. Reaching off to the
side or climbing on steep terrain can cause your center of gravity to
swing away from the wall. This "barn dooring" can be minimized
by flagging a foot to balance your weight or it can be placed against
the wall to push against the swing. Practice flagging with a leg on the
inside and a leg on the outside. How does your body position determine
which type of flag is most effective?
Learn to Heel Hook and Toe Hook. On extremely
steep or overhanging terrain, your feet can be used to grasp holds. A
heel hook or toe hook combined with strong abdominals can help maintain
body tension saving the arms and fingers from burning out. Practice these
moves on boulder problems with a spotter for safety, or you can also have
the spotter actively support you until you've got the technique worked
out.
For more info on footwork check out the following links:
Rock
1 Website
SmithRock.com
PARS Outdoor
Pursuits Program
Recreation
Center Rockwall
Physical Activities and
Recreation Services (PARS)
Outdoor
Program
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