Key concepts & glossary
Trailing foot: the foot that is lower. Its job is mainly to press the COG upwards and provide a third point of contact for balance.
Primary foot: the foot that you are rocking over. Its job is mostly pulling until the COG is past the angle change of the boulder, then it becomes a combination of pulling and pushing until the mantle is almost done.
Inside hand: the hand on the same side as the primary foot. It can flip earlier than the opposite hand in most mantles.
Opposite hand: the hand on the opposite side from the primary foot. Usually flips last.
“Get out of the pool”: when the feet both remain low, and both hands are flipped before bringing a foot up
Ruddering the trailing foot: when the trailing foot is moved up the wall, pressing continuously, to keep the COG moving upwards before it moves inwards (see Rudder Flag)
Center of gravity (COG)
- The imaginary point of your center of mass, which moves with your body
- On most top outs, the COG should go up first, then inwards
- Don’t let the COG go closer to the rock than it needs to. This may cause a flop.
- Your COG may need to shift left or right over your foot to give you more leverage
Midline
- Imaginary line drawn vertically through your COG
- If your primary foot is too far from midline, your COG will be lower, and the topout will require more arm/chest strength. This may cause a flop.
- If your primary foot is close to midline, your COG will be higher. This topout will require more leg end range strength, like a pistol squat. If the leg can’t handle it, the knee will fold inward and this will cause a flop.
Plumb line & force vector
- Plumb line: What’s the best angle to apply force to a hold? / “What is the rock asking for”?
- Force vector: the angle at which you are applying force into the rock with your hand/foot
- When the plumb line and force vector are parallel, it’s easier to stick. When they become misaligned, you get more slips and foot pops.
- When you top out, keep the force vector where it should be. Don’t let your knee fold inward. If it folds inward, it could lose pressure on the foothold and cause a flop.
- When mantling with your hand, the same rule applies. You should keep your elbow pointed at the sky to mantle a flat ledge.
Strategies
Perspective: Always find the downclimb first. Look at the boulder from as many angles as possible before you consider topping it out.
Reset: When you reach the lip of a boulder, take a second to breathe and relax. Notice where any footholds are that will be useful for finishing the topout. Pick your trailing and primary foot before you start pulling upwards. Once you’ve picked them, commit to the plan. This is a variation of the Reset series of drills.
Robot: When practicing a top out, break it into pieces and move like a robot. Find a balance point in between each micro-movement. Make the micro-moves part of the bigger sequence – like flipping one of your hands, switching your heel to a toe, and shifting your center of gravity upwards, inwards or to the side. Learn what order works best for each scenario.
Practice anywhere: We used tiny boulders for our practice, because they are easy to find and low risk. This is something you can keep doing. Getting more practice is the most important part of becoming more confident and effective at topping out. Plenty of opportunities to practice are all around you if you open your mind to it!
Homework
- Do some top out moves every time you go climbing. Like we practiced in the clinic, these moves don’t have to be on “official” boulders. This real-world practice is the most important part of getting better. If you mostly climb in the gym, you can even do this on plyo boxes or a bench.
- When you climb with friends, relate topping out back to the key concepts we talked about: primary and trailing foot, opposite and inside hand, center of gravity, midline, and force vector. Use these concepts to start discussions about what is happening. This will help you send, but it will also keep you safe. Noticing why things go wrong is important to avoiding risky situations for both you and your climbing partners.
- When you review video of yourself climbing, use the same practice: watch what you’re doing, and break it down using the key concepts.