Summary of "The One Change That Will Make You Instantly Climb Better"

Coach-sized wake-up call

Most climbers are “optic” — they lock their eyes on the next hold and attempt to brute their hand to it, which on hard moves becomes a flail: feet cut, timing slips, they get stuck and can’t generate coordinated power. The single shift that separates pros from the rest is changing from “look” to “feel” — from optic to haptic climbing — and then combining that feeling with a pre-planned movement order (a mapped trajectory).

What pros actually do (illustrated by Nathaniel Coleman)

Instead of “reach for the hold,” pros narrate and cue tactile sensations. They name specific body contacts and feelings rather than visual targets.

Examples from a V17 crux inner monologue:

Find the divots for fingers and thumbs.
Pull shoulder blades down and back.
Place the left foot lightly.
Squeeze legs to lock a heel hook.

Tactile focus gives three concrete advantages:

Pinpoint which body parts must generate force.
Coordinate simultaneous pressure points so the whole body moves together instead of throwing a hand.
Eliminate slack so the climber arrives braced and powerful at the target rather than floppy.

Applying haptic thinking to a concrete boulder: Lavender V17 (~V17-10-)

Situation:

Right-hand target is far away.
Start position: high right heel and two hands pulling down.
Tactical coach questions: which foot is primary (right heel)? how long to hold pressure (through the whole, high-tension move)? how to remove slack (scapular depression, half-pull, rotate into the arm, squeeze with feet)?

Practical setup used:

Half-locked-off pull with scapular depression.
Early engagement of the right heel to elevate the hips.
Remove the left push foot and hold a slightly locked position that keeps the body flush to the wall.
This protects against an early foot cut and preserves tension through the move.

When the move has many variables: map a trajectory

Problem move characteristics:

Left heel in, ambiguous right foot placement.
Left hand pulling down, right hand pulling sideways.
Target is a slippery sloper at ~2:00 on a slight overhang.
Too many simultaneous cues will confuse execution.

Nathaniel’s approach: create a strict, ordered sequence so the body follows a precise path to the hold.

Pull chest in/up.
Heel pushes down (foot/calf flex) to drive hips up.
Engage a vice-like grip and balance push/pull between hands.

Example mapped sequence for the move:

Left heel stabilizes.
Body sags slightly to create slack/momentum.
Both hands pull inward/up (right hand also pulls laterally).
Right leg swings up (pogo) to add upward drive.
Right hand releases to catch the sloper.
Left heel cuts and left hand keeps pressure on the crimp until the swing finishes and the body stabilizes.

Takeaway

Think and practice haptically: cue the feeling at specific contact points rather than just staring at a hold.
Combine those tactile cues with a mapped trajectory — an explicit, ordered sequence of what to engage and when.
The result: cleaner execution, faster learning, and more repeatable success on hard moves.

Presenters / sources

Nathaniel Coleman — quoted inner monologue; example of pro haptic processing.
Movement for Climbers — video creator / coach speaking in first person (movementforclimbers.com).
Lavender V17 — boulder example referenced.