UKC

Hey guys,

I've been climbing for about a year and a half now and work at an outdoor grade of 6b/6b+
I'm 5ft1 so I find a lot of the time I have to move quite dynamically to stick moves.
Because of this often when I'm on easier overhanging climbs indoors I find it a lot of fun jumping between moves and cutting loose in the process, my feet aren't flailing aimlessly and I always feel in control placing them back where I want, but I've heard it's good to keep cutting loose to a minimum to conserve energy.
Basically, does this kind of play really matter? Is it going to wreak havoc on my technique when it comes to harder climbs?

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

You don't choose the thug life.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

Moving dynamically is good and one of the keys to climbing harder grades. But cutting loose may be a problem on harder climbs with smaller holds.

Watch some videos online of top men and women climbers climbing some really hard climbs. Think Ondra, Sharma, Megos, Ashima, Janja Garnbret, Jain Kim. How often are they cutting loose on these top level climbs? Maybe once or twice in the crux moves? Sometimes the handholds are so small, the key is making sure their feet stay on.

Everyone has to learn to climb differently as they have their own strengths to exploit and weaknesses to iron out or work around. Generally I'd say it's better to develop your climbing style mostly keeping your feet on rather than monkey-barring between big holds - you won't find many climbs in the UK where you can do this, it sort of depends on the big buckets they put on indoor routes. But you have to work out what works best for you.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

As someone called Captain Cutloose by his friends...

Cutting loose can be useful - if, for example, completely changing your body position ( youtube.com/watch?v=_nGdx1IGh48& - 2.00 mins in). It can occasionally save energy if the alternative is spending ages finding poor footholds and you're moving between jugs (rare on rock in the UK).

However, as climbs get harder, it's likely that you'll find that cutting loose will make life much more difficult - holding on to pinches on an overhang is far easier if you can get your feet into good positions. The important thing is to be aware of this, and to be able to determine when cutting loose will help, and when to pull technique out of the bag (most of the time).

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

Your legs are heavy - best to keep them supported by something other than your arms.
.
Leaping for holds can end in tears (pronounced both ways) and is a fairly good way to hurt shoulders and finger tendons.
Leaping for holds on a trad route is a good spectator sport.
However, there's a time and a place for everything.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

How bad is cutting loose?

On a slab? Bad. Really bad.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:
Good technique on any given move can be defined as the most efficient way of doing the move. Sometimes cutting loose is more efficient than straining to keep feet on and you can use the momentum of the swing to get your feet back on higher holds. But most of the time it's better to keep your feet on as at least some of your bodyweight is supported by your feet meaning less on your hands. As you're small, on indoor routes particularly, I can imagine you'll need to cut loose far more than taller climbers.

I doubt playing cut loose games will be that detrimental providing they're only a part of your session. Doing harder steep problems where you're forced to keep feet on should definitely be included though. Keeping feet on requires more core strength and obviously is different to climbing feet off so you'll want to develop that technique to improve. Footwork can be pretty technically demanding, particularly on roofs.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

Ashima Shiraishi is like... 5'1"? Climbed 9a+ at age 13. I've seen a few of her videos and she isn't dyno-ing every move, pretty sure you don't have to either if you don't want to.

In reply to Shani:


Wings of Unreason (E4 6a)

Not all the time, even then

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

If you enjoy it go for it but it will definitely make hard grades harder. There's nothing wrong with cutting loose on the odd move if there aren't any footholds but just bear in mind that every time you do it you're throwing away huge amounts of strength. Personally I only use it as a last resort.

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

I would concentrate on learning to climb first and developing footwork before applying any acrobatics.

In reply to whenry:

>The important thing is to be aware of this, and to be able to determine when cutting loose will help, and when to pull technique out of the bag (most of the time).

Cutting loose is technique, and you need technique all of the time.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:


This^^

It's a technique which can also be critical if you're 'showboating' for an audience and campus the moves

In reply to SiobhanStraver:

"How do you reach the holds?"

Joe Brown "I climb up to them".

In reply to whenry:


Are you Louis Parkinson? If not you might have to challenge him for use of the nickname...