Even Good Beta Spray is Bad Beta Spray
Believe me, I understand the urge. You want to help. Or you want to show off. Or you want to be the resident expert. It could be that you have great intentions, and you really want to see that person succeed and progress in their climbing. I doubt it - but it's possible.
Problem is, progression is about learning, but because of your spray, they likely didn't learn a damned thing.
The more I coach climbers, the more I become aware of this fact. I've been guilty. When one of my partners is struggling, I'm always happy to help them work out what beta will be best for them. I very rarely offer up beta to anyone but my closest partners, though it's happened, I'm sure.
While I do try to always explain why the beta I'm suggesting is better, and what my thought process was, I'm still generally doing them a disservice by telling them in the first place.
Of course, there are two types of beta sprayers: those with good intentions, and those who just want to hear themselves sound smart. You know the latter. Ignore them. While the sprayers with good intentions might be more tolerable, they may also be harming you…