This week we're going back to the world of dyno's, or dynamic movement, with the new-school classic The Footplant. The Footplant is a fantastic, fun start to complex dynamic movement, incorporating a small amount of coordination with confidence. Today, we'll be looking at Archie completing a fantastic Blue on the Shutter Wall.
Before starting with the footplant, ensure you have warmed up properly. We'll be putting extra stress on the joints today!
In image 1, Archie generates momentum by swinging his leading leg (the one he'll land on) back and forth - just like in a deadpoint. He's going to be landing on the large black volume, so doesn't need to focus on being super accurate. His hand will grab the large blue jug - as we can see in the image above, the foothold and handhold are in a vertical line (remember this for later).
We can see in the sequence above, Archie swings his leg hard towards the volume, generating momentum towards his end point. A key point here is the confidence in the movement; any hesitation from Archie will prevent his momentum from carrying his body towards the hold.
As Archie reaches the end of the swing, he lets go of the handholds and allows the momentum to carry him towards the next position. He keeps his body open, with his trailing arm and leg pushed in the opposite direction - this will help him slow the movement down as he reaches the hold.
As Archie catches the hold, we can see the line of his momentum carrying on past the hold. As the hold is undercut, pointing the same way as the momentum, Archie will need to stop the majority of the movement with his lower body. Generally speaking, stable positions are contra-lateral (think diagonally), so he will need to swap feet to create that position.
We can see in the above two image, Archie quickly swaps feet and pushes through his leg whilst pulling on his arm in the contra-lateral position. This enables him to stop the movement and enter a stable position. This is where the coordination helps, with fast feet enabling him to slow the movement as soon as possible.
Why not give it a try next time you're at the wall! Think about creating momentum with your lower body (leg swing, hip swing) and "floating" towards the next position. Try and finish the entire movement in a contra-lateral position, stable across diagonal limbs. Remember, ensure you're suitably warmed up before attempting this movement. Once you've mastered it on one side, try it out on the other side - balance is key!
Want to learn more about this move and others? Why not book on to one of our improver courses: