What is Stimulus Identification? This is the first stage in information processing in which we gather information and identify what is most important to our climb.
Our ability to prioritise the information we've gathered can be affected by our emotional state. For example, in high-pressure situations such as being in competition, may result in a different type or quality of movement than less stressful situations such as just doing a normal climbing session at the gym. Our ability to process information will be different in each case.
Hence, the more pressure or more emotional stress we feel, the more likely it is that we will be aware of only a limited number of stimuli. Those stimuli may not be the most important in terms of creating effective movement.
One example I can think of that I personally experience with regards to this is the fatigue I feel after work. From 8 am to 5 pm I'm at my desk, and so physically I am not doing anything active that increases my heart-rate. However, the entire time my mind is actually still very much alert. Hence, when I go to the gym there are times when my mind is just too tired to engage in more problem-solving activities like figuring out the beta for the route, and in turn this frustrates me because I want to climb but my mind is in some way burnt-out. Then, I tend to climb sloppily and half-heartedly 😞
Our experience is another factor that influences what stimuli we consider most important in our climbing.
Research on soccer players reported that players with only a few years' experience spend more time looking at their opponents' feet and the ball, while players with more than 10 years' experience pay more attention to the hips of the opponent with the ball, which allows them to anticipate where the ball will go next.
Similarly, what I have observed as a coach is that new climbers tend to focus on "not falling", and grabbing hold upwards regardless whether it's efficient or not just to avoid falling off the wall. In comparison, an experienced climber's priority is executing movements with the intent to catch the next hold with precision and correct power output to stick the move.
This is why when I am teaching new climbers to climb, my focus is always to get them comfortable with falling first such that it becomes second nature to them. That way, they stop prioritising their fear of falling, and instead they can prioritise planning their next movement on the wall with confidence.
Experienced athletes are likely to be hyper-aware of more subtle yet important information, whereas newer athletes perceive only the most obvious stimuli.
Knowing the way we process information, and in extension our movement as we climb, is affected by our 1) emotional state and 2) years of experience, how do we use this knowledge to improve?
Here are some call-to-action with regards to emotional state:
1) Before every climbing session, as you are stretching, assess how you are feeling in the moment. Are you tired from a long day of work? Are you energised and feeling well-rested?
2) During your climb, do you feel "heavy" on the wall? Do you feel like you're comparing yourself to other climbers and it's making you feel bad about yourself? Are there any nagging pain in your body that you are tolerating?
Based on your answers to these questions, adjust your expectations of yourself for that climbing session. If you feel like you are fatigued, lower the intensity of the climbs you are doing or shorten your session so that you can get some rest. If you feel like you are getting frustrated because there are climbers crushing your route and it's making you feel bad about yourself, remove yourself from the situation by physically moving away. It's okay to move on to another side of the gym and try other problems, and then come back once the frustration has subsided.
For climbing experience:
1) For newer climbers, get your basics right. Learn how to fall off a route properly. Do falling drills if you must, Ladder up any walls and try falling at an incremental height. If you do not know how to fall properly, ask the gym staff - it's their job to ensure that you are informed of how to do this properly anyway.
2) Also, clock in a lot of mileage. You do not need to jump many grades in one session. What you need to aim for is climbing as many problems in your current grade level, and get comfortable with it. Be patient with yourself 😊
3) For experienced climbers, name the gut feeling. Personally, I tend to rely on my gut and feels like "when I move this way it felt right". But if you can break it down even more to its minute parts like "when I shift my knee more to the right, and pivot my toe towards the wall, I can stand up a bit more and it's easier to transfer weight to my arms" etc. Naming the parts of your movement allows you to really visualise the movements you need to prioritise.
I hope the above tips are useful! Do you have any other tips? Or do you have questions on how to manage your emotional state and/or experience? Just let me know in the comment section! I'm here to help ❤️
