Soft Catches

Is there more to a soft catch than jumping at the right time?

I often get pulled up quite fra when I jump as a belayer - does this automatically mean I am giving a soft catch? Is there more I can be doing? A couple of times that has happened and the climber has said it was hard on their ankles when they landed back on the wall. I'm wondering if that is because of how the climber took the impact through their legs or if I can help more?

Thank you!

Weight differential - 

• For me understanding the weight differential if hugely important to how I catch. I weigh 160, so if my partner is 190 I basically catch them hard and that becomes a soft catch as I get rocketed off the ground. I also climb with a few partners who weigh around 100 lbs, for them I have to stand away from the wall and I walk forward as they fall to catch them softly. For partners that weight the same as me I just introduce a hop as I catch, this has to be timed right but is usually easy enough to do. 

Terrain (and height). 

• If my partner is well up a sport route that is decently overhanging and well protected then leaving slack in the system and allowing them to fall a little father is a good thing (not unnecessary huge whips). Even if you are light and your partner is heavy a really tight belay (minimal slack) can result in a pretty hard catch. I also hate to see so much slack out that the rope drooping out to the ground, like everything in life one needs to find the balance. 
• If the route us slabby I'll keep it a little tighter but then I'll be very diligent in catching as softly as I possibly can. - short fall soft catch. 

Final note - it is also partly the climber's responsibility to protect themselves when they fall. (rope awareness, terrain awareness, keeping your feet in front of you to catch yourself on the rock). typically if I see someone get hurt on a fall they just yeeted themselves off the cliff and made no effort to brace for impact. Sometimes that is unavoidable but I have definitely seen people slam when they could have done more to protect themselves.  

Soft catches are so  awesome when the leader  falls  far enough to hit a ledge... they are also super awesome when the belayer  jumps up and the heavier leader yanks them  halfway up the climb until  their  too cool to wear a helmet head  splits  open  on a roof.  Keep it subtle and keep the leader off the deck.. I  usually just let a little rope  slip  through the ATC. Obviously that dosen't work for gri gri.. 

and by all means blame your belayer for everything if you don't send... 

J Clouwrote:

Is there more to a soft catch than jumping at the right time?

I often get pulled up quite fra when I jump as a belayer - does this automatically mean I am giving a soft catch? Is there more I can be doing? A couple of times that has happened and the climber has said it was hard on their ankles when they landed back on the wall. I'm wondering if that is because of how the climber took the impact through their legs or if I can help more?

I had a thought about this, not sure if it makes any sense.  Interested in what people think.  Many people when they consciously try to jump, initiate that by squatting a little bit and then springing up.  If you are catching a surprise fall, and your reaction is slow and this is your method, you may actually be giving a hard catch, during the squat phase, but then the force of the climber at the end of the fall is what is pulling you up, out of the squat.  Added to you trying to jump, that gives the large pull-up.

As someone mentioned above so much of this is body weight differential.  Typically, even with people at my weight or even slightly lighter (5-10 lbs), all I have to do is be in a relaxed stance and not react by squatting.  I may just lift onto my toes. I never jump.  For partners that outweigh me by more than that, if I'm in a relaxed stance, I'm going to get pulled up pretty hard.  They get the automatic soft catch.  When people are in ground fall territory, or on routes with obstacles to hit, I  stand close and focus on reacting by deliberately squatting down and opposing the force of the upward pull, even pulling in rope.