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Video analysis of climbing movements

Original Post
reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125

Anybody does it regularly? I usually pay some attentions to good climbers on how they move and can pick out a lot of subtleties, but haven't recorded my own movements to see if there is a divergence between how I think I'm moving vs how I actually look. Well, my wife sneakily recorded some footages of me on a route & Le sigh, I look a lot more robotic than I feel.

Monomaniac · · Morrison, CO · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 17,295

I do more film study than Peyton Manning!

Link to some thoughts on the subject.

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

i started using a video camera last fall, and got more serious about it this summer. i think it is really helpful for ironing out the minor details in sequencing/position, etc. it definitely helped me send several of my harder routes more quickly, no doubt about it.

one tough thing about using it to really analyze movement is that you can only see 2 dimensions. you have to really be thinking about it while you are watching it.

i would really like to use it while i am bouldering at the gym, but that would probably seem pretty cheezy.

it's kind of funny - sometimes when i watch it i am like, damn i actually look a lot better than i would have thought. then, on the other hand some things i see i totally cringe...

Ken Noyce · · Layton, UT · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 2,648
reboot wrote:Anybody does it regularly? I usually pay some attentions to good climbers on how they move and can pick out a lot of subtleties, but haven't recorded my own movements to see if there is a divergence between how I think I'm moving vs how I actually look. Well, my wife sneakily recorded some footages of me on a route & Le sigh, I look a lot more robotic than I feel.
Yep, I find it very helpful both for remembering moves and figuring out ways to improve and be more efficient.
reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Monomaniac wrote:I do more film study than Peyton Manning! Link to some thoughts on the subject.
Haha, I remember seeing that... Routes are hard to video (for movement quality), especially long ones.

slim wrote:i would really like to use it while i am bouldering at the gym, but that would probably seem pretty cheezy. it's kind of funny - sometimes when i watch it i am like, damn i actually look a lot better than i would have thought. then, on the other hand some things i see i totally cringe.
With the narcissistic tendency of people w/ a camera, it definitely can be construed that way. I say screw w/ what people think of you. One thing I've found is I usually look better (period) than I feel when I'm more tired (but not trashed), but much more robotic when I'm fresher, even though I think I've executed the moves well. This doesn't come as a huge surprise to me, as I've always found the same thing when practicing martial arts. My theory is being moderately tired forces you to be more efficient.
Rui Ferreira · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 903
reboot wrote: much more robotic when I'm fresher, even though I think I've executed the moves well.
you may also want to re-evaluate your warm-up routine
reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
Rui Ferreira wrote: you may also want to re-evaluate your warm-up routine
Warm-ups are for suckers...seriously though, that's not the problem here. This is the 3rd burn on a training route, only I had a plenty rest & felt strong.

It's easy to waste energy when you have them, even if you really need to conserve it later. IMO, it can be better to practice efficient movement when you are a bit tired.
slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

when you get my age, 90% of your workout is the warmup.... i know what you mean though - sometimes i am almost too crisp early in the session instead of just letting it happen.

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125
slim wrote:instead of just letting it happen.
That's pretty much it. Since I don't train endurance in enough, it hasn't happened much in climbing. But when I'd repeat a martial arts technique hundreds or even a thousand times, sometimes, there's this magical window, usually way past the half way mark, where things feel aligned & I'm moving effortlessly. And if I really focus during this window, I'd always achieve some lasting improvement in my technique.
likeaturtle · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 0

I was going to post a similar question here. I've been interested in trying out video to see what I can learn from it. I can sympathize with reboot. I've seen video of myself climbing once. It was on a route that had what I felt were really powerful, dynamic moves. So, I happened to send the route while my friend filmed, and was excited to watch the video, thinking I would look like a badass doing these big powerful moves. I looked...well, like a turtle, just super slow and static and boring the whole way up the route. Of course, it doesn't really matter what you look like, I was just amazed at the disconnect between how I felt and how I looked.

I was thinking of busting out two video cameras (or, my phone and a camera), placing one behind me and one at the side, while doing moves on a steep bouldering board. Does anyone know of some good, basic video software that would allow me to place the same take from two angles side by side? This may allow for some interesting feedback...?

Micah Klesick · · Charlotte, NC · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 3,971

I'm planning to start videoing as well, since the place I'm working routes is so beta intensive, I'm finding it hard to remember what holds to use, let alone footwork, positioning and sequences!
I'm thinking as close to a side view as possible might be best?

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103
Micah Klesick wrote:I'm planning to start videoing as well, since the place I'm working routes is so beta intensive, I'm finding it hard to remember what holds to use, let alone footwork, positioning and sequences! I'm thinking as close to a side view as possible might be best?
a lot of times the view is greatly dictated by the surroundings, particularly if you are on the side of a hill, with trees, etc. on a handful of routes that i have taped, i could really only tape short sections of the routes due to not being able to get back away from the route.

side views can be good in some ways, but it can be hard to see which holds you are using. notes are really helpful to combine with the tape (even if you have a great view of the route).
Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

We use it a fair amount in coaching. Both in after-comp analysis and in practices. There are several good apps that allow you to play two takes side-by-side, use frame by frame or slo-mo. It's a very powerful tool, much easier to use in a gym or bouldering setting than outdoor routes though.

The side-by-side takes feature is pretty handy. You can play one take and freeze it at a specific spot, run the other take and compare body positions, or run a few seconds of a specific move to see what popped first, or how the movement was initiated.

I could not care less what people in the gym think. Most of them are typing away on their effin phones 90% of the time anyway, they probably wouldn't even notice.

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974

Will, would you be willing to comment on the relative merits of the available side by side apps?

Anybody use an iPad? The big screen for playback would be pretty nice.

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Mark, the downside for many of the apps is that they require expensive subscriptions and some are overloaded with features for things you're unlikely to use as a climber but might be better for repetitive sports like golf, tennis, etc where marking lines/angles on things is useful. For a random movement sport like climing, those features aren't really needed. For an individual, the cost might be prohibitive, whereas for a team you can kind of justify it.

Some have easier video interfaces and the different apps are all over the place in their ability to import/export video and in what format.

We had one called "Coaches Eye", which is spendy and requires a subscription, then went to another one that is more simplistic with no sub (can't recall the name offhand, it's not on my personal devices, loaded on another coaches tablet and phone).

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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