Stop Leaving Your Climbing Performance to Chance
Questions for sport climbing performance exploration.
Have you ever wondered why your climbing performance can sometimes feel great and other times it is just plain ‘x’? If you're tired of feeling like you're rolling the dice every time you climb, then this post is for you.
While technical and physical aspects of climbing are crucial, the mental aspect of the sport is often overlooked. Whether you've worked with a sports psychologist before or not, I believe answering these questions can help you gain a deeper understanding, provide valuable insights, and help you discover new ways to enhance your climbing skills and reach your full potential.
So take a few minutes to answer yourself the questions and see what you can learn.
If you're interested in learning more, feel free to reach out. We can discuss how sport psychology can help you gain insight into the patterns of your performance and discover ways to elevate your climbing to a higher level.
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QUALITATIVE EXAMINATION OF SPORT CLIMBING PERFORMANCE
0. KNOWLEDGE/PERSPECTIVE ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CLIMBING
How much do you usually focus on your feelings or thoughts before or during climbing?
Do you try to influence your mental or physical state before or during climbing?
Are you familiar with the concept of mental training? What does this concept mean to you?
What do you think about mental training for climbing?
1. EXPERIENCE: GOOD CLIMBING
Imagine a good climb, where you felt like you did really well. Take one of your previous experiences. Try to describe ….
What was going on BEFORE the climb?
How were you feeling then? What were your thoughts?
What happened when you approached the route/boulder?
Can you describe the BEGINNING of the climb? (first few meters, 3-5m on rock, up to 3 difficulty levels, first handholds on boulder, etc.)
What were your thoughts? Can you describe them more? (speed, nature, etc.)
What were your feelings?
What did you feel in your body?
Where was your focus? (switching between thoughts/attention/sensations)
(additionally: did this differ in any way from ‘normal’ climbing)?
How were you feeling DURING the climb?
What were your thoughts? Can you describe them more? (speed, nature, etc.)
What were your feelings?
What did you feel in your body?
Where was your focus? (switching between thoughts/attention/sensations)
When did you REALIZE that this climb was different from others?
(Additionally: did your thoughts/attention/sensations DIFFER in any way from ‘normal’ climbing)?
(Additionally: did your thoughts/attention/sensations DIFFER from ‘bad’ climbing?
2. EXPERIENCE: BAD CLIMBING
Imagine an experience when you felt/rated/valued like you climbed very poorly?
What were your THOUGHTS at the time? Can you describe them more? What was like …
speed of thought changes
duration of thoughts
intensity of thoughts
nature of thoughts -> what they were related to (internal thoughts - ‘in your head’, ‘this is going xy’, was thoughts related to factors within or outside of our control, focus - external ‘coach is screaming’ or internal sensations 'getting pumped, pain of no skin ect.’)
What were your emotions at the time?
What were your body sensations?
When DID YOU ASSESS climbing as bad/good/average?
Do you ‘know’ or ‘sense’ it beforehand?
What are the factors?
External (reached the top, good height)
Internal (I succeeded x, y, z)
Random (luck was on my side, my ‘setting’)
Stable (I am well prepared, I trained well, etc.)
Are the ATTRIBUTED FACTORS different depending on the good/poor/average performance evaluation?
IF, what happened that made you give up/what was the turning point?
What did you try before you ‘give up’ (if ever)?
3. EXPERIENCE: MAKE IT THROUGH
Describe the process when it seemed like you were having a "poor" performance during a climb, but then turned it around during the climb?
When you were able to interrupt the negative feelings/performance, how did you do it?
What was happening through the process. Describe BEGINNING of change?
What did you do (physically)?
What did you do or try mentally?
nature of thoughts
perceptions at that time
emotions
What usually worked?
What felt best overall? (what would you be most comfortable using again?)
What else could you have done?
CHANGES DURING CLIMB/PERFORMANCE
What changes do you perceive during a single climbing ascent?
What triggers the change? (usually, pick one)
What is the consequence of this/what follows?
What is the difference in experiencing the climb at the top of the route, at the beginning, or in the middle?
How do you decide on a move on the wall/grip/next foothold?
What is the difference in your state before an easy versus a difficult move?
How do you make the decision for your next move?
What influences decision making?
Does decision making differ between climbs that you would rate as good or bad?
DISTRACTING FACTORS
What has ever interrupted your concentration/what has distracted you?
What do you do to get back on track? (attention on the triangle between emotions-thoughts-feelings in body)
Which one showed first?
Which you coreceted first?
Do you have another example?
Have you ever experienced fear while climbing? What do you do in such a case?
Do negative thoughts ever distract you while climbing? What you do in such a case?
How does fatigue affect your climbing? How do you overcome it?
BEFORE CLIMBING
How does your overall state before climbing affect your climbing?
Physical
Mental
Self esteem (recent training, climbs, …)
Specifics factors (event unique, ect.)
How, IF you influence this state?
IDEAL STATE
How would you feel during climbing when you climb the best according to your physical abilities?
Are there any differences in the ideal state depending on the route/boulder you climb?
What would your thoughts, feelings, emotions be in that state? Describe …
Nature
Intensity
Clearance
Speed of thoughts
Describe ideal focus?
With all knowledge and insight you have gain in your climbing performance, how could you approach it?
Sport psychology - what is your idea?
It all begins with an idea.
By the Slovenian regulations, a sport psychologist is an (sport) psychology counsellor as well as a performance technique coach.
Is a professional, who teaches you performance techniques (such as goal setting, imagination, activation, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, concentration, emotional regulation focus changing, stress regulation and coping skills, pre-performance routine, ect.). At same time is also a (sport) psychologist counselor, who listens and asks the athlete, ‘what does it mean to you’, ‘how is it showing up’, ‘where does it show and how does it feel’, ect. Someone, who really wants and tries to understand an athlete. Help an athlete to identify his/her obstacles, limited beliefs (cognitive distortions), define problems, set a plan, address possible approaches and areas of improvement. Offer a confidential, supportive and structured environment for solving other possible problems, such as sport/athletic identity, school/job and athletic life regulation, address burnout, facing injuries, ending sport career, coach or parents communication etc … Sometimes, just offer a safe space, acceptance, supportive and non-judgmental environment for relief, beside all happening in a sports career. He/she works on a wild field of athlete improvement, growth and wellbeing.
As seen, a sport psychologist is more than just a performance technique coach. Not just someone, who tends to teach you another breathing or relaxation technique - which, (anyway), if you have not tried it jet, is a great and useful tool. ;)
Sport psychologists should strive for growth, improvement and holistic wellbeing of an athlete and be someone who (hopefully) understands the nature of (competitive) sport. If you're lucky, also understand the demands and specifics of your sport discipline. (Climbing).
(Some) One, I will strive to be. Always look up, to achieve high standards, as I did in my climbing career. <3
Mina