Flagging

Climbing / Popular

Use a free leg as a counterweight to stop barn-dooring.

What coaches agree on

  • Which flag to reach for depends on where your only foothold sits relative to your handhold: a foothold roughly beneath or slightly ahead of your hand suits an outside or inside flag, while one set higher or further ahead calls for a back flag instead.
  • An inside or back flag can let you keep your foot exactly where it is instead of swapping it, saving the extra moves a foot swap would cost.
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Common mistakes

  • Letting the flagging leg go loose and dangle instead of keeping it straight and pressing it into the wall (a "lazy flag") gives far less stability than the technique is meant to provide.
  • Letting your hips or butt sag away from the wall instead of turning them in shifts the load onto your arms and pulls you off balance, especially on overhangs.
Flagging
Beginner

Flagging

Coach's take: Clean first explanation, but it's an overview - you'll want something with drills next.

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