Purpose:
To demonstrate to you the high-wear areas of your shoe when climbing. If done on a wide enough variety of routes, it should show whether there is a bias between one foot and the other
Where: wherever you like
This drill can be done in any environment on any hold types.
When: during the Learning Window
Climbs should be easy enough to allow thought process but not so easy as the drill feels contrived.
The Drill:
You’ll need some chalk for this one. Personally, I use teacher’s/street chalk but a chalk ball should suffice. I strongly recommend using white so as to minimise disruption to the wall and, frankly, annoying them
- At the base of your climb, take your chalk and colour in the sole of both shoes. The more coverage the better
- Climb AS NORMAL both up and down. Complete anywhere between 1-5 climbs in succession
- Move away from the wall (you may have to crawl) and sit down.
- Remove your shoe, turn it sole-upwards and have a look at where the chalk has worn off
- Ask yourself: are you making the most of the whole of the sole of the shoe? And are both feet roughly the same or wildly different?
The Outcome: How do you know when it’s working?
Over time, you should find that you begin to understand the breadth of options available for you with your footwork and that your footwork becomes more precise