Order out of Chaos - 7/24/2009
"I love it when a plan comes together." - John "Hannibal" Smith
Water ski forums like ours are like a veritable salad bar of tips, tricks, and techniques. Over the past 5 years or so I've tried an endless number of these tips in just about every order imaginable. For example, here are just a couple of things I'm trying to work on:
- Being open to the boat behind the boat
- Countering in the turns
- Keeping line tension after the 2nd wake, delaying reach
- Level shoulders in turns (and everywhere)
- Not pulling right off the ball
- Keeping front ankle bent, "soft knees"
- Handle toward pylon, during release
- Letting ski finish
- Keeping handle down
- ...Yet, arms straight and relaxed
- Gates, Gates, and Gates
And that's not all of them. I'm sure there are more. Every time I get out on the water, whether it's 0600 on a week day before work, a weekend morning on public water, or an evening set, I usually hit each pass with different thoughts and ideas. Sometimes I'm groggy and tired, sometimes I'm alert. Totally different states of mind all the time. During my set, something will feel good (so I'll chase it), or bad (so I'll ditch it), or I'll feel like I'm on the brink of a new discovery. I've never taken a methodical approach to tackling these things in order. Sometimes I'll come off a set thinking I've figured the whole sport out (see my post on line tension from last summer). Then, as quickly as it came, that feeling will disappear and I'll be back to square one. Fleeting moments of skiing clarity and wisdom.
Further, multiple coaches I've worked with have all had completely different advice. Some focus on the turn. Some ignore the turn and focus only on the wake cross. Some ignore everything except the gate. Who's right? Who's wrong? Who knows!
How do we take everything we've heard— all of our inputs— and formulate a plan that will work for us? What if I'm working on turns, but my gate pull-out and turn-in suck— how will I ever feel proper release into the turn? If I don't work on handle-down, center-of-mass-leading-the-charge, how will I feel a proper pre-turn? There has to be a way. A formula of some sort for each skier to get them where they need to go. Most movements in the course are dependent on previous movements. Right now you hear a lot of "here is what's wrong with your skiing and what you could improve". What order should we work on this stuff?
Do you have a plan? I don't have one at the moment but I'm really trying to work on that. I've had the best there is as far as advice from many coaches, friends, and ski buddies but I've still spun my wheels for the past 5 years. If you have a plan for your progress, share it with us!
Comments:
2gofaster, 7/27/2009: Joel,My thought is that you try too many things at once. Jodi Fisher and I were talking about this, this past weekend. He said that it's common knowledge with sports physiologists that for an athlete to train a fundemental to where it's 2nd nature, it takes 1000 repetitions. 7 Habits of Successful People teaches you that it takes 21 straight days of a specific exercise to begin to develop a habit. Think about that. You've had how many thousands of repetitions training to do it wrong? Yet you try something here, then try something there, then back to one thing, then across the board to another fundemental. In short, pick a fundemental to work on. It doesn't matter which one. But commit to working on that fundemental every pass on every set for a month. Then, pick a new fundemental and do the same thing. And then again, and again. It's boring and at first it seems as if you are spinning your wheels doing the same thing over and over, but after 2 or 3 months you realize that you're getting it finally. But it takes committment and focus. And if you are hopping around from fundemental to fundemental, you are not focusing on any one thing. I hope this helps.
blackdog, 7/27/2009: I agree with 2gf
2gofaster, 7/27/2009: And I want to add something else. LIke I said, it doesn't matter which fundemental you choose to work on. But just focus on one. I urge you to get a small notebook and list the fundemental you've decided to work on for that month. Then, for each ski set log it in the book. List the pass, mph, and buoy count. Then give yourself an assessment of how you did against your goal of working on that fundemental.
In time, you will find your assessment of yourself will get better. You will also find that you start seeing other fundementals that need work or are getting better as you get better at the fundemental you are working on that month. Notate those, in the front of your notebook, as they might be what you want to work on the next month.
h2odawg79, 7/28/2009: Great topic! I hope many will share their thoughts... Personally, after breaking my back (T-10 vert.) in 2001, I had given up skiing until Aug.of 08 ... So, my plans 1st priority is staying healthy while applying 1 part caution to 2 parts calculated risk! (I don't think I'd survive if I allowed my aggressive ego loose on the coarse.) So, my plan has been to keep it Fun and learn to run the coarse on a Wide Ride, while developing solid "Pull" fundamentals @ 15/28 and patiently working up the line to at least 28/28 before increasing the speed 1 mph and then eventually to the INT. 30 mph limit. Then adding my Annex @ 32 mph and repeating the process. But, at 195-200lbs. I unfortunately cannot run the kind of 15/28's I had envisioned. (too heavy & too slow...) I have found, 22/28 feels & works much better. The "Pull" aspect is my top technical priority. A great Pull not only creates necessary time and separation from the boat, it also allows for automatic edge changes and can help to cover a multitude of other tech. sins! (and can also help keep the OTF doc away..) For this season, buoy counts are intentionally rare, as I normally shadow (very closely) the odd only or the even only buoy's to take the pressure off of counting. Which also free's me up to execute my agenda, which is decreasing the emphasis on turning and increasing my Pull efficiency. Only when I'm "under turning" and Pulling well, will I allow my ego a couple of counts. I evaluate each outing later that day or in the morning as I log my sets and right then write a simple "3 key word agenda" that I place in the boat's glove box for my next trip. My plan had also included 1 or 2, 2-day coaching sessions but, this economy has killed that for now. For me, I'm focusing hard on one paramount area, -Not "areas". Not worrying about speed or counts. Rather hoping they will be an automatic by-product of Under-turning & polishing the Pull. This will probably be my basic plan for next season as well... P.S. without any hard falls, I have injured my mid back and have now missed a few wks. and counting... -This was Not part of my plan! -ha,ha!!!
smoothasglass, 7/30/2009: I've a list like that...its almost 2 pgs. Best one on the list is breathe, which takes me to relax. And that is the basic rule of all sports I think. All the other movements which we've all done a zillion times seem to come more easily, at least for me. Dawg hope u get well.
h2odawg79, 8/4/2009: doesn't anyone else have a plan??? didn't it say above:"If you have a plan for your progress, share it with us"!????
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