If you watch the best climbers in the gym, their feet rarely slam against the wall or make a sound. Instead, they place their feet and shift their weight from toe to heel with expert control. As you admire them, you become motivated to climb with that level of grace. Yet, you have only been climbing for a few months and don’t know where to begin.
We’ve got you covered.
The next time you’re in the gym, try these three drills to unlock the majestic footwork secrets of the expert climbers.
3 Drills to Improve Your Footwork
Quiet Feet
Overview: Have you ever noticed how the best climbers never seem to make a sound (other than the occasional power scream) while on the wall? But on the contrary, you are acutely aware that each time you move your feet, they slam into the wall with an audible ‘BOOM?’ Enter Quiet Feet – the perfect drill to develop control and precision so that you can climb without a sound. Plus, it’ll save you some shoe rubber too!
How to do it:
Pick a climb (on ropes or boulder) one grade below or right at the level you can climb consistently.
Begin climbing. Make sure to place your feet softly on each hold so there is no audible sound. Maintain eye contact with your foot for each move. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes to look at your foot!
If the sound is audible, downclimb or redo the move until you complete it without making noise.
Repeat this drill for five boulders or three rope climbs.
Sticky Feet
Overview: Have you ever noticed how the best climbers climb with confidence and minimal hesitation? It’s like they are super-glued to the wall. Well, the good news is no climber, not even the pros, has super glue hidden in their chalk bag. However, their toolbox includes precision and coordination, especially regarding their footwork. Like Quiet Feet, this drill will improve your precision and ability to see a foothold and place your foot in the optimal position on the first try!
How to do it:
Choose a climb (boulder or ropes) 2-3 grades below the level you can climb consistently.
Begin climbing, but you cannot adjust the foot positioning each time you move it to a new hold. Your foot becomes “stuck” until you go to move your foot to a new hold.
Tip: Don’t rush! If you adjust your foot, place your foot on the last foothold and redo the move.
Repeat this drill for five boulders or three rope climbs. As you get the gist of the drill, you can repeat it on harder grades up to your onsight level.
Strong Feet
Overview: This drill expands upon the skills developed in drills 1 and 2 (see above for how to do those drills). It is true that while the upper body strength of climbers is important (and very impressive), the power of their legs and the ability to stand firm on their feet is equally important.
How to do it:
Choose a climb (boulder or ropes) 3 grades below the level you can climb consistently, with big footholds.
Begin climbing. As you place your foot on a hold and go to push off, focus on putting as much force into that foot as possible. By over-engaging your feet, the goal is to receive the same type of “pump” in your legs that you usually receive in your forearms.
Tip: Think about stepping onto the hold so hard it comes off the wall (Trust me, it won’t. But it’s an excellent mental trick to use as much force as possible).
Repeat this drill for five boulders or three rope climbs. As you get the gist of the drill, you can repeat it on harder grades up to your onsight level.
Tips on Incorporating These Footwork Drills Into Your Training
Depending on your schedule and training routine, these drills are flexible and easy to incorporate. If you want a climbing session solely focused on footwork, warm up and complete the above drills in the order they are listed. If you are only bouldering and want to do Quiet Feet for your entire session, then up the number of boulders from 5 to whatever number you wish. Likewise, you can do the same for the other drills if you prefer to focus on one per session. However, since the Strong Feet drill builds off Quiet Feet and Sticky Feet, you are encouraged to perform drills 1 and 2 before jumping into drill 3!
Let us know in the comments which drill(s) you tried and if you’ve succeeded in improving your footwork and climbing!
