Ice tool Swing practice

So I struggle with my form with my left arm, and looking for a way to train at home. Anybody have a good home set up to practice your swing and stick? 

jacob m swrote:

So I struggle with my form with my left arm, and looking for a way to train at home. Anybody have a good home set up to practice your swing and stick? 

Banded swings, go through the swinging motion with a resistance band connected to some thing benhid you at roughly head hight. This helped me greatly after a shoulder injury. You can also alternate and have the band connected In front of you so the band creates resistance when “reverse” swinging. Often if you are weak in a specific movement pattern, doing it in reverse with some load or resistance will help. You can either just hold the band in you hand with a closed fist or attach it to the handle of your tool. Add in some variations at different angles. 

If your tools have an option for a "trigger finger" that's helped my non-dominant hand swing true when I'm tired more than anything.

Get a log and try pounding 16p nails into it with your weak arm 

This is what I've been using. Added tape to the screw threads on one end to be a 'handle', then added and adjusted weight position to add difficulty. Whenever I'm at my desk in a boring/frustrating meeting, I do 10 reps on each arm through a full slow motion swing (from way behind the head through to an overhead strike). While my left is still weaker than my right (probably need to still pound some nails), both were definitely stronger going in to this season than in any past season.

I'll second the pounding nails idea. For me its usually a motor control thing more than strength.

I prefer to have the nail at the same level you'd normally swing an ice tool, and to use a two to four pound hammer.

Building up strength and endurance (some good techniques posted above) should definitely be part of your training, but the flip side -almost catch 22 -part is that a good form swing takes very little strength or energy.
you say you want to work on form, so first ensure that your aim is good. Should be able to hit a dime sized target (sharpie dot) with a bit of pump.   Hammer and nails idea kills two birds with one stone.

Ideally you’ll have little shoulder and upper arm movement.  Should be able to hit your target with just moving forearm and with wrist snap.  

If you have a blank wall space (I used old and unused kids play set/jungle gym) secure some 1X boards for lower footholds and then upper axe holds with top most reachable area using Nicros FoamIce for example (or experiment on your own with some high density foam scraps) for actual swing targets.  Put some dots to aim for.  

Amazingly You can get quite worked just going through a cycle of monkey hangs up to reach and back down alternating arms.  Then swing at target, etc.  and include axe pull-ups or campusing  if you have the space.  Don’t need much height.  Can cycle around pretty good in just a 6 x8 space.  

 I think Will Gadd had a video a while back on something similar (he gets all his ideas from me ;)

I use two protocols:  1) cllimb tree-trunks in my yard with tools/poons -- year-round practice drill for swing and movement sequence      2)"weak-side laps" - early season, moderate climb, make every tool placement with my non-dominant hand.   for me thats left hand:   place left tool, match right hand on shaft, move up, place other tool with left hand, match move up, place with left, matcj, move up, place with left, etc for length of pitch.

-Haireball

never notice a difference. just go climbing a lot and it will sort itself out..