Paige Claassen – Precision Footwork

If you’re serious about climbing harder grades with reduced fatigue, then improving your footwork will help you accomplish your goals—and send your projects.
Paige Claassen – Precision Footwork
Climbing Magazine and pro climber Paige Claassen have teamed up to create this 7-week online course, which focuses solely on footwork, one of the most crucial—but all too often overlooked—aspects of rock climbing. Don’t be a myopic climber who’s so focused on upper-body strength that you neglect some of the strongest—and most useful—muscles in your body: your legs. Learn to power your movement from your toes up through your legs and core to send your very best—and hardest.
Improving footwork is one area many climbers neglect, yet it’s one of the best ways to progress. In this online course, pro climber, footwork specialist, and master technician Paige Claassen will teach you how to up your footwork game; she’ll also explore why it’s important, and give you specific tips and drills to incorporate into your training program. If your feet skitter and skate as you struggle to find footholds, or if you often fail to integrate foot moves into your sequencing, then this course is for you.
How This Course Works
We know you have a busy schedule, so we’ve designed this course to be taken at your own pace. You’ll learn through a variety of interactive formats, including video instruction, photo descriptions, and more. Each lesson builds on the last, and, while we’ve designed the course to be 7 weeks long, you can take it as quickly or slowly as you want. Plus, once you purchase the course, the lessons are yours forever.
Syllabus:
Course Intro

How improving footwork has helped Paige’s climbing
At which point in her career she realized the importance of footwork
Why she addressed it
Specific gains she saw as a result of the footwork focus

The Importance of Good Footwork

Why is footwork so important?
Crucial component of integrated beta

Pull harder moves using less strength
Efficiency & energy conservation
Eliminate “reachy” moves
Injury prevention
Preserve your climbing shoes

Why is footwork often neglected?
Homework

Analyzing Your Footwork

What does it mean to have good footwork?
What does it mean to have bad footwork?
Self-Analysis
Homework

Dialing in Climbing Shoes

Anatomy of a Climbing Shoe
Proper Fit
How tightly to size shoes based on goals and intended usage
Shoe break-in tips and tricks
Consider if your objective requires specific foot techniques

Toe hooking, need toe rubber
Heel hooking, need a well-fitting heel, might be narrow or ball shape

Homework

Improving Body Position

Analyze where footholds are in comparison to your body and your desired direction of travel

Feet under body = move up
Feet to the sides = move laterally

Turn outer hip into the wall and stand taller (outside edge, drop-knee)
Pull center of gravity over foot (heel hook, toe grip)
Homework

Honing Technique

Edging (inside and outside)
Heel hook (and outside heel hook)
Toe hook
Drop-knee
Flag (inside vs. outside)
Smear
Stemming
Match
Foot cam
Bicycle (and reverse bicycle)
Kneebar
Toe drag
Pogoing/Moon kick
Homework

Applying New Skills

Quiet feet = accurate foot placements
Repetition

Traversing with only smears
Toe hooking up the Moonboard/systems wall/corner
Choose technique you want to practice and repeat it for an entire route

Roof hangs
Choose technical routes
Ankle weights
Hovering feet/lockoffs for feet
First foot placement
Observe others
No-hands climbing
Other exercises to practice
Homework

Core + Supplemental Exercises

Strong core = control over feet
5–10 core exercises for better footwork
Strengthening toes/arches
Strong hands/fingers allow you to focus on feet
Homework

Course Wrap-Up

How to apply the concepts
Improving footwork is a lifelong endeavor