I want to force a flag into a route, and I want there to be no other option but to use a flag at a particular point. Any ideas on how to do this?
I realize that you'd have to see the wall itself, etc... in order to give be the best advice you could, but I figure asking for advice is still worth a shot.
Actually don't need to see the wall at all, just need to know the mechanics of flagging. The question is, which type of flag do you want to try to force?
Flags occur when the points of contact with the wall are on the same side of the body, right hand and right foot; or left hand and left foot. The purpose of the flag is to bring the center of gravity (COG) closer to the line between the foothold and the hand hold (the base of support), thus preventing the rotational movement that occurs when the COG is too far to one side of the base. The steeper the wall the shorter the distance between the base and the COG that is necessary for rotational movement to occur.
In situations when flags are effective so are back steps and drop knees, so if you want to force a flag you need to make sure that there are no foot holds available that facilitate a drop knee. You also need to make sure that the climber can't switch feet on the available foot hold which they will likely try to do, thus changing the move from a flag to a back step.
If you want to force an outside flag (or under flag as some call it.) place the foothold fairly high in relation to the hand hand hold. and a bit farther to the left (if you are setting a left facing flag) than the hand hold. To force an inside flag, you have to create a situation in which the climber can't do a little hop to switch his feet on the hold. This is a bit harder to do, but if the hand holds are slopers, undercling, or even a gaston this can make the hop less likely.
Adding to what Douglas says:
Next to moving the COG, a flag also stops the turning by pressing against the wall with one foot on the other side of the line between handhold and foothold.
I think that the flag in which you pass the other leg between the wall and your leg is one of the coolest climbing moves. I beleive this is what douglas calls a inside flag. In the netherlands we call this a "cancan". However this move is very difficult to force becausethe rotation has to be big because otherwise a outside flag will do the trick. Also as said a change of feet has to be prevented also.
I most often use this when doing three handmoves of a single foothold. The second move being the flag.
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