Most climbers are unaware of the application of pressure through their feet. We know this as we have worked with thousands of climbers over the years in person and remotely.
Your heel position has a huge knock-on effect to the rest of your body. Yes, we have ankle flexion that can combat some of it (i.e. standing on slabs), but most of the time, climbers drop their heels, which pushes their knees and bum away from the wall, putting more weight onto their hands and forearms.
On a positive foothold, you need to push more through the big toe. Shoes are typically designed to aid this, meaning if you lift the heel a little, you will get more pressure through your toe which will lead to more confidence and trust.
As well as this, it will help you activate and engage your core, meaning any drive from your feet will have a positive effect, rather than pushing your bum out from the wall.

Ever found yourself flying miles from the wall when trying a dyno? You probably had low heels and your feet were too front on.

On the flip side, if you're faced with a sloper or smear, then dropping the heel is important to maximize surface area.

Learning to play around d on both types of holds is crucial to furthering your understanding and advancing your movement awareness.

Have fun trying!

If you've not watched our video on precise and accurate footwork, please click here:    • Footwork for Climbing  

Big thanks to @GalenPeterson for the filming and editing and for ‪@movementgyms‬ for allowing us to film in their Baker District gym in Denver.

If you are interested in training with Robin O'Leary & Alex Puccio (ROAP), please check out https://www.roapcoaching.com/personal... for more info.