Intermediate and Pro Climber Compared | Technique Analysis

Robin O'Leary, performance climbing coach, compares Hannah Morris and professional climber Alex Puccio. Head to squarespace.com/hannahmorris to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code hannahmorris.
Due to popular demand, Robin O'Leary is back to analyse the key differences and contrasts in climbing technique and performance between Hannah Morris, a V7 climber and Alex Puccio, a V14 climber.
One of the most effective ways to learn bouldering movement, in my opinion, is to watch and learn from climbers that are better at climbing than you. Another really effective way to understand how your body is moving in space to achieve efficient movement patterns is video analysis, so that’s exactly what we’re combining in today’s analysis video.
I enlisted performance coach Robin to analyse the differences between me, a intermediate climber climbing in the V6 / V7 bracket, and Alex Puccio, a professional climber and 11 x National Champion whose bouldered up to V14, to see what we could learn from comparing our approaches and methods on boulders in the gym.
Alex is a professional climber and one of the strongest American climbers in the history of climbing. Hannah is an amateur climber, climbing in the intermediate grade range. She tends to prefer a static, slow style of climbing, and often struggles to unlock powerful, fast and confident movement.
ROAP Climbing Channel
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After a bouldering session at Movement Baker, Robin was able to compare the differences in technique from two very different climbers over two very different styles of boulder. What resulted was a unique exercise in comparison, helping to highlight the strengths and techniques needed to climb at the elite level.
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[@roapcoaching917]

So much fun, thank you for the opportunity. Your progression with your climbing is inspiring for so many. You’re tapping into a new level which will highlight a breakthrough with your climbing and it’s exciting to see and be a part of. Keep trying hard (!), being analytical and push yourself to make yourself a well-rounded athlete. We are psyched to see where you’ll take your climbing, but we know that those bigger numbers are coming your way soon! Thanks guys!!!❤

[@user-je4eh9ht1k]

You're my fav climbing channel to watch. You're realistic with your progression and the hurdles that come with it yet you stay inquisitive and positive which is inspiring for this newbie :)

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Thank you so much! That’s made my day! Hope you’ve loving climbing so far 🥹😅

[@NathanBetts]

Official petition to ship Robin back to his UK homeland to coach us more.

[@viniciuscollaco]

Will be awsome

[@robinoleary1592]

Hahaha!!! I’m coming back in December! ;) 🎉

[@bobfrommars321]

Your lock off strength never fails to amaze me

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Haha it’s definitely the place I feel happiest in on the wall, and does come in handy sometimes! But it would be nice to be comfortable moving with a bit more momentum too. 😀

[@roapcoaching917]

So true! The deepest lock!!!!

[@LadyLaddy]

Seeing your progress and learning together/talking about problems and learning with other community members feels like progressing together. It's a small world in a huge one and I just wanted to say thanks :)

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Absolutely! Thank you so much - I really appreciate it :)

[@MidLifeCrux]

I like a point that Robin makes near the end about strength/stress. When Alex places feet, loads hips, and fires, it is very fluid and efficient, but strength is still part of the equation. To effectively dead point from a full crimp, you have to have some excess finger/contact strength to load and pivot. So I’m glad Robin pointed that out when comparing your sends. But I also am starting to really appreciate the benefit of video review. When I am on the wall, I am always conscious of my strength limits. But when I see a video of myself climbing, particularly failing a move, most the time I can see I was making things much harder than necessary with poor footwork, body position, etc. In fact, the only similarity I’ve seen between my climbing and Alex’s is that we both drop F bombs when struggling on lead. Thanks for sharing another great video!

[@brothersoulshine]

I used to have a pal who'd been quite an accomplished boxer as a youth. He was showing me one day how to throw a punch and it was surpising how the momentum seemed to wind up from somewhere around his knees and flow upwards, building into something much more powerful than you'd imagine could be possible. When I see Alex and other great climbers do there thing it feels like they're doing something similar. It's really impressive, focussed power. I wish I could be better at it!

[@themekfrommars]

I was bouldering this afternoon and practicing hanging with straight arms and pogo! (inspired by your last video). I made fresh progress on two projects with dynamic moves but couldn't bring myself to dyno to a sloper top handhold! I think I need that magic chalk...

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

That’s so cool to hear! Glad to hear it was helpful for you. Slopers are tough, I find them so tricky! Magic chalk definitely necessary 🥹

[@grassbench]

Incredibly informative video. Please do more with ROAP!!

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Hopefully soon! They’re great ☺️

[@roapcoaching917]

❤

[@harrietttyler4702]

One of my favourite videos of yours - great to see breakdown and analysing moves

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robertcreer8826]

You almost put down your mug without a coaster there 🤣 Great video again :D

[@EllaClarke-ht3vb]

Robin seems like such a good coach!! Will check him out. Thank you Hannah :)

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

He’s great! So encouraging and good at breaking down moves & explaining what’s going right / wrong ☺️

[@roapcoaching917]

❤

[@saisaivipa]

Been climbing for over a year now. I’ve never filmed myself climbing. I think I feel self conscious about it and too scared to see how I really climb vs how I think I climbed 😂 But I think it’s time to step over this fear to face the music 😂 in the hope of improving faster. 💪🏼😤

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Yessss, climbing is so much about accepting that 90% of the journey is doing things wrong to learn how to do them right :)

[@pxr3423]

Hannah has those classic proper British features that just makes me think, 'If climbing was culturally acceptable in the 1700's this is what a young happy Marie Antoinette would have looked like bouldering hard."

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Haha I love this! I’ll be imagining myself as a character in a period drama next time I’m at the wall 🥹

[@Dave1507]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering You could do a halloween episode in fancy dress, would be a fun challenge, and a blast to watch! Maybe Josh and Louis are up for that too ;)

[@whydidthetilda]

Marie Antoinette was quite famously French

[@ladakh22]

@@whydidthetilda Actually Austrian. And later Queen of France.

[@johnmarcantonio6154]

Hey I made it into the background! Hope you had fun in Colorado

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

We did! We loved our time there - looking forward to coming back soon ☺️

[@marks3440]

Alex is just so vertical after all her moves. Nothing bent, nothing flagging wide that could mess with her center, max friction on all the slopers, bum in over feet.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Yeah! It’s really clear to see how in aware of and control she is over her centre of gravity in some of the moves on this one!

[@Edzi07]

Love your work hannah, saw you at Volume1 the other day. Interesting to see if we'll get a video from my local! I hear you used to go there a lot, but that was before i started climbing

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Thank you! We do still spend quite a lot of time at V1 despite it not being our local anymore! Hope you had a fun session ☺️

[@Edzi07]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering Well with you doing so much travelling, do you even have a local anymore :P oh cool maybe see you around then! Loved the psicobloc video, trying to arrange to go there with some friends at some point. Hope all is well :)

[@TuvofLuv]

Interesting! Great episode. Title says this is what separates V6 technique from V14. But I wonder if having more power and strength allows more control over technique? If moves feel too hard then surely technique almost always goes south?

[@bernat_pb]

Really cool and insightful video~ What is the thing that Alex has on her chest? I've seen it on the other video but I was afraid to ask.

[@roapcoaching917]

I was wearing a heart monitor for a couple of weeks for some check-ups (I’m OK ;) )

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@dace1807]

I picture of the route on screen would really help for context and visualization. Thanks for the video!

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

You’re welcome! Which part of the video, for future reference? In the analysis part? We tried to include screen grabs of the moves mentioned for reference to help viewers follow along. ☺️

[@dace1807]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering for instance from 2:15-3:00 there's a long sequence facing both you and your coach, and hearing the conversation is engaging. But it would be great if we could follow along with reading the route, which is hard to do when we're not seeing what you're seeing

[@viniciuscollaco]

Great Vídeo

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Thanks very much! ☺️

[@abdohidaya]

Hi Hanna, i really love your channel and videos. i just started blouldering and your videos are super helpfull :) if a photo of the route can be added to video while they analyze it, it would be really great. i think we all would be more involved in the video then.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Hey! We tried to add screenshots of the route and the moves we were discussing, but we’ll certainly add more in future analysis videos if it was hard to follow. ☺️

[@emterroso]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering I came here to comment on the same thing. At 4:20 Alex started analyzing the pink route, but it got lost on me. Because I didn't memorize the route, I didn't know what she was talking about. Don't take this in a bad way. I like your videos and I'm just trying to help you make them even more useful to us.

[@crystalding5589]

I actually want to third this suggestion! Ive been a fan since i started climbing a year ago. I admit that my brain starts "forcing myself" to try to pretend that Im following these useful comments, even though I actually have no idea what is being referenced. Trying to get my route memorization up several levels to get there, but I also struggle from brain injury symptoms that impede my visual processing, so yes - something simple like this would be super helpful. Thanks!

[@billking8843]

Hannah Morris Bouldering, ROAP, Be Fuller and Hazel Findlay should be awarded a joint Nobel Prize. Not sure which category.

[@billking8843]

Don't know if anyone else has found it hugely helpful but for me 'smearing foot as close to level with foot on the hold' has been a game changer for me on some problems.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

😇

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

I’ve found that I’m aware of this SO often now - so simple yet so effective!

[@maeveg7412]

watching you do this at baker knowing how heinously cramped the bouldering area can be is giving me secondhand anxiety

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Haha it was fairly busy! Good community vibe though!!

[@Azylys-]

Aaaand that's my "use momentum" reminder for tomorrow's session 😂❤

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Hope you have a good one! 😅

[@addohm]

What's taped to Alex's chest?

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

I believe it was a heart monitor for some tests :)

[@agusmkasmiri1092]

c mon hannah........keep it up !... .it s nearly 100k of the subs, great job dear..

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Thank you! Hopefully we’ll celebrate 100k this year. We’ll have to do a special celebration video ☺️

[@agusmkasmiri1092]

I M WAITING .....@@hannahmorrisbouldering

[@adventureawaits6923]

Great video! Fuckin wild how much valuable information you bring to the people, cheers! I think purposefully taking “safe” falls from higher up on the wall will help with stress while climbing. Exposure therapy does wonders for your mental strength.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Currently applying expose therapy to sport routes in preparation for an upcoming project and it definitely helps to force yourself out of what you feel comfortable with! 🤩

[@mrirror2277]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering interested in a vid about this (and safely falling consistently)! i feel i need sessions dedicated just to falling cuz it's so scary when it's decently high up D':

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Funny you should mention that, we have a video in the works with Hazel Findlay on how to fall, and how to combat the fear of falling. That might be helpful for you :)@@mrirror2277

[@phillippearce9680]

👍

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Welcome to the Front Range, Hannah!

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

🥰

[@thesimonsays1979]

V7 is intermediate? Depressing. Genuinely curious are US grades softer in comparison to UK because V7 at a UK wall would be towards the upper end probably most difficult being V8 (bar the odd freak woodie route someone has put up and claimed V10).

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

Mmm, I’m not sure! I think gym grading is fairly subjective and scattered across the board. It changes wildly from gym to gym, and the US is the same. I didn’t feel like I was climbing too much higher in grade here than I would be in a U.K. gym ☺️

[@heeroyui9439]

V5-V6 is intermediate, V7 is in the advanced range. I don't think I've ever seen hannah climb a V7 indoors and the 7A she climbed in font was downgraded to 6C+ which is converted to V6. It's still an impressive level of climbing(especially outdoor) and most people will struggle to reach V6 even indoor for years and years. If ever at all.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

@@heeroyui9439 I’ve climbed V7 outdoors in Yorkshire, and multiple V6’s in Fontainebleau and the UK that are on grade. I climb and project the V7+ circuit in my home gym. My more general point though would be, my top grade is V7, and Alex’s top grade is V14. I don’t film and post every boulder I climb, indoors or out. This channel isn’t a formal declaration or proof of my sends, it’s just my KZbin channel and being nitpicked on which grade I have or haven’t climbed is frustrating.

[@heeroyui9439]

@@hannahmorrisbouldering Nice, I'd love to see more climbing at your limit on the channel.

[@Daniel-yc2ur]

Collab with Magnus happens when?

[@rylandpeters8982]

Who cares...If you are getting to the top in your own way, and the other climbers are laughing at you for your technique. I'll respect anyone who has figured out their own unique way a lot more than a nerd who watches vidoes and takes notes on how to climb and gets autisticly mad if anyone does it different. You people, like other sports, turn things into a weird cult.

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

For me personally, learning better technique isn’t about everybody climbing robotically, but improving efficiency so that you can challenge your limits. One of the best things about climbing is that everyone does it differently depending on their strengths and body mechanics - it’s always your own way!

[@AB-ko6bn]

Your comment is rather agressive, no one was laughing at another climber, there was no "nerd" and no one got "autisticly mad"? Anyway aside from that, if you watch the video, you‘ll see it is not what it is about. If you have, you must have noticed different ways to do certain moves were discussed. What is wrong in comparing their pro and cons to choose the one that will exhaust the least your body? Or the one that fits your body the most?

[@ejl74]

I think that when the grades get difficult technique makes a huge difference

[@Daniel-yc2ur]

Collab with Magnus happens when?

[@hannahmorrisbouldering]

GOOD QUESTION - hopefully soon :)