The T-shirt Flinch Drill
Channel: Tom Herbert | useful. / usefulcoach
Date: 2021-10-07

Here's a drill I invented to help you learn to decouple flinching from maximally expressing force.

For full explanation and rational, watch the video.

1. Create a t-shirt ball and squeeze it for 10 seconds like your life depends on it.

2. Repeat again and notice how you are flinching, and the tension in your face and neck.

3. Repeat again, but while maximally engaging your grip, focus on relaxing your face, neck, and the rest of body. Repeat this a few times so you can separate your expression of force from the need to flinch.

4. Repeat the drill, but this time engage your grip without flinching at all. Practice maximally committing and expressing maximal force, but without the flinch.

This practice should now be carried into any other training and on the wall climbing. Learn to express maximal force and commitment whilst being relaxed, open, and non-flinched. In fact you should be smiling.

You want to keep the flinch (and power scream and grimace) when it's needed. It should not be your default expression.

This is a repost from my Instagram profile. 

Do let me know if you found this helpful, and if you practice it, do film yourself and tag me @usefulcoach