Mental Factors

 

American baseball coach Yogi Berra is quoted as saying that "Baseball is 90% mental ;the other half is physical".

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How much of climbing performance is mental?

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Whatever the answer ,mental aspects make up a large component of climbing performance and it makes sense to understand and prioritise training skills in this area.

 

Flow state - or being "in the zone" is an optimal mindset with total absorption to enable best performance.

Being mentally and physically prepared makes it more likely that flow state is achieved.

 

Physical preparation is discussed a great deal in the climbing training community ,mental preparation less so.

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​Mental tools that climbers can use to enhance performance include:
 

• Imagery - for example vividly imagine a crux sequence before leaving the ground.

• Goal Setting - for example breaking  a redpoint project into separate overlapping links.

• Relaxation and Energisation - for example ,apply techniques to calm down at mid route rests to preserve energy.

• Self Talk - for example ,use personal cue words to go to maximum effort:  "fight "f***er"

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These tools can be used to develop better skills in:

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• Motivation - for example trying a redpoint when conditions are not ideal.

• Energy Management - an example is managing energy when a route calls for varied pacing.

• Attention - an example here is when to have a narrow or wide focus of attention when looking for holds during an onsite attempt.

• Stress Management - for example dealing with dangerous "no fall" zones when on lead.

• Self Confidence - for example having a realistic level of confidence when about to start a bold runout.

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"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face"  (Mike Tyson)

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Flow state is elusive and the above tools and skills are used to enhance mental toughness to ensure that the best performance under the circumstances is delivered in any situation ,particularly when things don't go according to plan.

 

Reference :

Sport Psychology for Coaches " by Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke.

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