Purpose:
To help you to better understand and practice ‘contralateral movement’
Where: wherever you like
This drill can be done in any environment on any hold types but is best done on jugs. You’ll ideally need a high concentration of holds so consider rainbow routes.
Ideally, this drill works best on longer routes – so top rope or auto belay – but can be done on boulder problems as well.
Crucially, your climbs need to go UP so don’t try this drill on a traverse wall.
When: during the Learning Window
Grade is not relevant here, as we are effectively doing eliminates but you’ll need to be fairly fresh so at the start of the Learning Window is best
The Drill:
You’ll ideally need easy, juggy holds for this one as we’re going to skip out a lot of them here. Essentially, it is climbing with only one rule
- You can only place your foot and stand on a hold if you are holding it with your hand
Obviously no matching or it will be impossible. You’ll need your hands fairly spaced out and will involve standing up tall on one foot, effectively completing a big rockover repeatedly.
The Outcome: How do you know when it’s working?
Over time, you should find that you are practicing the concept of ‘contralateral movement’ or using opposite hand and foot on the wall at the same time. It may also help to strengthen your quadriceps and develop some flexibility