Archive for August, 2008
A little help in late August! Slumpin’?
Slumpin’?
So you just can’t find the root of the problem. Your skiing just doesn’t seem to be coming alive…in fact quite to the contrary it seems to be in a nose dive, a tail spin, a black hole, and swirling out of control. For those of you who are skiing the best you’ve ever skied, I salute you with a little bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Save this article for a time when you come to know the feeling of falling into a helpless slump.
If you can’t tell from the tone of words, I am one of those unfortunate skiers who is in the depths of a slump. In fact, so much so that I may be a bit premature in attempting to guide you out of yours. I have been here before and always seem to magically find a way out, but this time I am not feeling that same love! Below is a picture of the grimace on my face at the US Nationals and I just thought it epitomized the anguish of feeling like you just can’t ski like yourself.
Either way, I think I have a plan, and I think it may work for you as well. Try a couple of the following things and see if you can’t kick the habit of poor sking and get back on track to the top of the podium:
- Back to Basics - Generally speaking when we start to make mistakes that make everything feel a little tough, we are missing something very basic. Perhaps it is related to your stance on the ski or perhaps you are trying to kill the turn and therefore attempting to take an impossible line/path across the wakes. Either way, basic elements are sometimes the cure.
- Video tape - I don’t want you to start picking yourself apart, but you need a way to quantify what you feel. Take a look at a set or two and watch for some of the better movements and then go out and try to emulate them. You can also compare the video to a time you were feeling great about your skiing and see if you can’t get a good visual to bring you back to your old self. (By the way, you can send in a video for us to give you a video coaching session as well. Go to www.waterskitrainer.com/analysis.html).
- Get prepared - Don’t just go out and take a set, warmup and visualize before the set in order to truly get prepared for your ride. This can work wonders for getting you in the game!
- Enjoy the ride while free skiing - Go back to your roots and take a ride on open water and revisit the reason you started skiing in the first place. This just might bring you back to the core feeling you are looking for.
- Seek professional help - Many people are embarrassed to go see a coach when they are in a slump. It’s important to communicate with a coach and be willing to get coaching and explain your situation. After a summer of 8 hours a day in the boat for me and very little time for any coaching for myself, I have asked my training partner and fellow coach Tom Henderson to try to help me…and trust me it is humbling to have him pick me apart, but I am already seeing the benefits…so much so that I think I am going to put it together in time for my next tournament…fingers crossed.
The moral of the story is that there is a way to recover and you don’t need to throw in the towel and take up golf (trust me it is equally frustrating). Just commit to getting better and climb your way out with one or all of these ideas.
