In this Analytic Bouldering episode I’m breaking down one of my favorite “teaching” problems—an around 7/8 boulder I set myself. The start is a drop knee with a left-hand crimp, right-hand crimp, and then a super high right foot plus a nasty shallow edge that turns into a Gaston. From there you hit the classic issue: the barn door. It’s pretty vertical, the holds are shallow, and there’s a huge gap to the top—so if you don’t manage the rotation, you just get peeled. I explain barn door physics the way I think about it on the wall: your right hand and right foot become the hinges, and if you connect them you get the axis you’ll rotate around. Because the wall is vertical, your center of gravity sticks out just enough to create a force that wants to swing you away—especially when you have to leave that left foot and step up. Then I go through the practical fixes: bring your center of gravity closer to the axis (when possible), increase counter-pressure with the left hand/left foot (often you’re already maxed), or—my favorite here—make the axis less steep by stepping higher with the right foot and grabbing a bit higher with the right hand. That tiny detail changes everything, and it’s exactly why long shallow shapes are so cool for setters: endless solutions inside one hold.