“At the Wall” Route Reading or Rest Drill: Teaching the Hips to Read in 3D

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Have you ever kicked yourself for missing a cleverly usable part of a hold—something that looked irrelevant from the ground but ended up being a game-changer mid-climb?

Have you ever tunnel-visioned your attention onto the juggiest, most obvious features of a problem, pantomimed your beta into the dusty air, then fallen off halfway only to look up in dismay and realize:
You forgot to explore how you could press, mantle, smear, or traverse using the less-obvious, less-positive features—especially on slabby walls, volumes, or subtle contours?

One reason this happens is when we zero in too early—and too narrowly—on getting to the top. We rush to decode the sequence that leads to the “send,” influenced by our personal stakes, our peers, and climbing culture’s elevation of performance.
In doing so, we prioritize linearity and outcome over observation and creativity.

But what if we shifted our focus?

What if we practiced reading for curiosity, not just for completion?

By intentionally observing and mapping the “irrelevant” or ambiguous details of a climb—purely for the experience of noticing—we can unlock alternative sequences, fresh body positions, and new layers of movement possibility. This relaxed, exploratory mindset calms the nervous system, reduces performance pressure, and invites novelty, freedom, and play.

Even better? This kind of visual and kinesthetic study—done from a grounded, restful position—can help rewire our movement default: training the hips and brain to collaborate as a first-resort in movement, rather than a backup plan once the hands fail. It also activates the posterior chain, improves subconscious processing, and builds whole-body spatial awareness.

Drill: Teaching the Hips to Read in 3D

You can do this during your rest between attempts on any boulder, at any level.

Steps:

1. Lie down in front of the boulder you’re about to attempt. Choose any angle that gives you full visibility of the climb.

2. Get into a hip bridge position: Bend your knees, feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your hips to a comfortable height. Lightly engage your glutes, hamstrings, and core. (Make it harder by extending your hips as high as possible and activating through your full posterior chain.)

3. Trace the holds in the air—with your hips:
   Starting from the start holds and moving upward, draw the full 3D shape of each hold or feature using your hips. Imagine the contours, edges, volumes, and negative space. From your angle, this may involve tilting side to side, shifting diagonally, or subtly rolling onto your toes or heels to match the geometry.

4. Climb!
   Bring your hips' memory into motion and see what your body has already started to absorb.

This drill trains your hip-eye-brain coordination, boosts your movement creativity, and invites you into a non-linear, body-first approach to reading terrain. Use it as a warm-up, a rest-day visualization, or a pressure diffuser mid-project.

Let the hips lead the way.