“What did you say?”…some thoughts from some of my students.
I try to keep my ears open to things I hear form my students so that I can continue to learn and improve what I know. Below are a few quick phrases that I picked up from various people I have coached over the last month or so. I hope you enjoy, and please, if you have any thoughts of your own…send them my way.
“Don’t do it better, just do it again.” (Steve Allen in reference to the fact that once you find the feeling, try to repeat it rather than always trying to over-exxagerate it.)
Desire can often beat a lot of talent (Mike Bray in reference to the fact that we all may have what it takes, but only those who have the heart to work diligently to accomplish a goal will truly excel. I agree whole-heartedly in both life and waterskiing.)
If you can get one, you can get ‘em all. (Drew Phillips when rationalizing the fact that he should be able to run his 32 off if he can get to one ball…kind of reminds me of the old football coach saying “if you can get your fingertips on the ball, you should be able to catch it.)
Work smart, or work hard! which is more effective?
Oftentimes, I see people beating themselves up day after day trying to get better by doing the same thing over and over. Well, surely we all know that working hard on the wrong things will land you in the same place year after year. To work smart, you need to be able to step back and really focus on what you are practicing. Good coaching is a must, but reflection on your part is also very important. Get your brain involved when you’re off the water in order to analyze (not so much that you tweak yourself out of the game) what you are doing and make corrections for better results. Working smart, will keep you on a track of never ending advancement.
Focus for quicker gains!
Over the years I have taken a great number of what I call “worthless sets.” These are the ones where you go out and ski and ski fairly poorly and only realize how un-focused you are by about the 8th pass when you are too tired to go any more. Somehwat hypocritically, I would suggest that you take a moment or two to focus before each set in order to maximize your time on the water. This doesn’t mean that you have to over-think what you are going to do. It may be as simple as walking through some of the motions that you make on the water, or taking some time by yourself to warm up, stretch out or get motivated. However you do it, note the importance of being in the game when you hit the water. This will prevent you from wasting a lot of yours and your training partner’s time.