Coaching Processes workshop

Some video from the Coaching Processes workshop for the FUNdamenatls development team. This event took place on 20th March but this is my first opportunity to make and post a rough edit from one of the sessions. I think that the video above provides an interesting insight into the value of video analysis. I've included side-by-side footage taken from two different angles; I only had one camera so the climber had to repeat the easy boulder problem twice - interestingly enough the pace and movement was very similar each time.

Comparing the two climbers is very interesting as well - we see two very different styles: neither is "right" or "wrong", but we can clearly see one climber who makes more use of upper body strength while the other is more reliant on foot placements and flexibility. The latter style will pay dividends on technical climbs with small holds. Both climbers are very experienced and have climbed at very high technical levels; the first is Ian Dunn  and the second is Katherine Schirrmacher.

Katherine's style may be compared to an ice climber, where the feet are moved high, suspended from straight arms, then the powerful leg muscles are used to project the climber upwards, with the hands used more for balance than pulling. The sideways footage shows how the pelvis moves out from the wall to position the feet then pulled towards the wall, often by dropping a knee, so that the upwards push takes place with the centre of gravity pulled more over the feet. Body rotation is quite evident here as well and became even more obvious when I filmed a further ascent with her wearing a chalk bag - the trajectory taken by the chalk bag provides a clear marker for the pelvis rotation.