[Climbing] Footwork

Why is footwork important?


Climbing is not all about the hands. When we are climbing, most of the work are done by muscles that are relatively weak in our body, such as forearms. That's why beginner climbers get tired quickly. Good footwork and stepping technique can transfer some body weight to the stronger parts of the body such as legs and feet, thus saving us a lot of energy while climbing.

How to improve footwork?

Move on your toe tips!


Moving on the toe tips has several advantages compared to moving on the sole:

First, moving on toe tips reduces the contact area with the footholds and thus increase the pressure of your shoe on the footholds. This will make it less likely for you to slip off the footholds.

Second, stepping on toe tips makes you more flexible on the wall and enables you to switch body positions easily. Many beginners step on their soles. This will actually lock their feet on the wall and make it very hard for the feet to rotate about the footholds.


Third, moving on toe tips can push you upwards on certain good footholds (see the above picture). This will save you a lot of energy by taking a portion of the body weight from your arms. It can also create decent momentum when you need to make a big move.

Lastly, moving on toe tips will train your stepping precision. When your projects grow harder, footholds often become smaller. This requires strong precision of your feet positioning. Getting accustomed to moving on the toe tips will gradually increase your positioning precision, and take you to higher levels.

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