Drawing out moves is not about the number of stories you have, but about your imagination to figure out the best moves from a limited number of options. This imagination can be developed through training.
In this YouTube video, I introduced my signature explosive route setting technique, the floor set. It is an effective setting method for any setter and in any situation, so please take a look.
The floor set, as the name suggests, is a method of completing a set in your mind while the holds are up on the floor, and it is very effective for practicing imagination. Furthermore, once you get used to it, it is also an effective time-saving technique, minimizing the time you spend worrying about putting up on the wall.
I gave a brief explanation on YouTube, referring to an archive of an actual live set of floor sets, but once again, I’ll briefly set up the order of the set…
- Arrange the holds on the floor (in the direction you will actually use them)
- Set the holds on the floor while comparing them to the wall
- Put them on the wall, starting with the most important part
- Fore running
- Correct the parts that are different from your imagination or that you want to stick to
In this way, you can have a flow of “Conclusion” – “Details” – “Revision”. Basically, this flow is the theory behind efficient sets, not just floor sets.
The conclusion is, “What kind of task do you want to set? However, there are a surprising number of people who start a set without this in mind. If this is the case, it is difficult to use up the limited resources of the hold, and it takes time.
One of the advantages of the floor set is that by making a “conclusion” on the floor in advance, the time to correct any happenings or errors is greatly reduced and efficiency is increased.
There is also another big advantage. The floor set is very useful when the number of holds is limited. Since you can think of all the options (holds) on the floor, you can follow up quickly and improve the quality of the challenge as much as possible, even if you need to modify it as in Plan B or C.
When I set up in Singapore, it was the opening set, and the holds were late in coming in, so I had to borrow holds from a nearby gym in a hurry. The conditions were so severe that I seriously thought about returning to Japan, but thanks to my familiarity with floor sets, I was able to put together a surprisingly good set of challenges with a lot of variation, which is a good memory.
So, the floor set. How did you like it? Please try it once, or at least a hundred times.