I was wrong about using spikes for a simple prune job

I always used my climbing spikes for every single ascent, even for a basic crown clean on a healthy maple. My boss in Charlotte saw me last week and said 'You're poking holes in that tree for no reason, kid.' He was right, I checked the trunk after and saw the damage. Anyone else have a hard rule about when to finally strap on the spikes?

3 comments

3 Comments

patjones1d ago

Spikes only for removals now, never on a keeper.

king.stella1d ago

The 2022 rule change made that a smart move. Before that, a keeper could just smother the ball on a spike. Now it's a clear penalty if you touch the keeper. It completely changed the risk. Using it just for clearing a loose ball in the box is the only safe play now. Coaches drill that into us from youth level up.

webb.dakota1d ago

Hold on, the rule change was in 2019, not 2022. They made it an offense to play in a dangerous manner if you raise your foot near a keeper's hands. You're right that it changed the risk, but the coaching point about only using spikes to clear a loose ball started years earlier. The 2019 clarification just made it an automatic call.