Purpose:
To practice and enhance your ability to heel hook while climbing. Phase Two combines the pull action with the idea of ‘point the foot’
Where: on the floor
This drill happens on the floor. You’ll need a resistance band and something suitable to tie it around for this one
When: during the Warm Up
Conduct this floor based drill before you start climbing
The Drill:
Tie your resistance band around a fixed anchor. A pillar is ideal if you can find one
- Lift your leg and place your heel inside the loop of resistance band
- Carefully pull your heel back towards you, fighting the strain of the band slightly (don’t go too mad too quickly, ease into it)
- You may need to move your standing foot forwards or back, or move the band higher or lower if possible
- Pay attention to the muscles in the leg that are engaging as well as the direction the toe is pointing
- Repeat on the other leg
The Outcome: How do you know when it’s working?
Over time, you should find that you develop the ability to engage the muscles and pull your heel back towards you while also realising that your toe needs to point in the right direction when heel hooking