Skiing

Top golfers use 'stepping stones' !

Watching BBC Breakfast over my toast and coffee the other morning, the program switched into sports mode with an interview with Justin Rose the top English golfer competing in the US Masters.

Justin, currently ranked top European and 9th in the World was being interviewed about his excellent start to the event, topping the leader board after the 1st day.

During the interview he described how winning major tournaments such as the US Masters was his long term career goal and how he has broken this goal down into smaller goals, winning specific tournaments of increasing importance.

I nearly choked on my coffee when he described these intermediate goals as 'stepping stones'. This is exactly the same way as I describe the goal setting process to my skiing clients and on my web site.

The idea is to break down a 'big' goal into smaller, more achievable sub goals (or stepping stones) which lead you towards the 'big' one. These stepping stones cover not just outcomes or results but also incorporate elements such as technique, equipment, fitness, tactics or psychology depending on your relative position to your 'big' goal.

Justin was also using the 'stepping stone' idea to manage the possibility of not winning at the Masters. During the interview he stated that he still had a few steps to go before he expected to win events such as the Masters - not that it wouldn't be nice. This meant he could try his best for the win without too much self imposed pressure, as should he loose, he still had his pre planned 'stepping stones' which will lead him to success.

The great thing for skiers everywhere is that this approach is not confined to top level sports people but available to everyone. Start now - decide what your 'big' goal is and take it from there !

Focus and Concentration in skiing

Snow, Sky, Snow, Crash. It had been going so well, I was just 2 gates from the end of a GS race course.

The race in question being part of the qualification process for a ski instructor licence. The idea is to ski the GS course within a percentage time set by a pro ski racer. You get 2 go's and the best time counts. The first run was going fantastically and a few gates from the end I found myself thinking "bloody hell, I've nearly done this, just let it be over!"

The next thing I knew, it was. I'd crashed head over heals trying to make the the penultimate gate, so it was back to the top for a final go. I knew I could do it as I'd still got several seconds in hand while recovering after the crash. The second run started 'so so' and I found myself on wrong the line through the 'easy' top gates. This wasn't going well . . . . . . .

The thing is, 'technically' I was easily capable of skiing the course within the time required. My equipment was good and I had the right tactics worked out for the course but my 'head' was not so good. It was not a confidence issue or a problem dealing with the 'pressure', but the lack of concentration & focus. Prior to the crash I had switched my focus from skiing the correct line through the gates to "just finishing" and at the start of the second run I wasn't focused at all, "just skiing".

This is a problem for many recreational skiers (and participents of other sports) when they encounter tricker slopes or challenging conditions:

• A good friend and fellow coach often comments that when he's skiing powder his run goes really well, up until the point he thinks "I can't believe how well this is going" at which point he takes a fall !
• During one of my race training runs I was surprised by an unexpected shadow on the course (it was immediately after lunch). I thought "ah, I'm going into shadow - this could be tricky" and promptly missed the next gate as a result. Doh !
• More randomly I once found myself circulating Oulton Park race circuit on a 250cc race bike thinking "I wonder what's for tea" !!!!

As well as being intrusive and changing your focus, these thoughts often have negative connotations:

• When things ate going well, the idea forms that your performance would normally be 'worse'.
• I may not finish the race or loose the game.
• This is going to be hard or tricky.
• or just not paying attention.

Luckily once you become aware of this type of thought it's easy to recognise. When they do pop up it's simply a case re focusing on the task to hand. The line through gates in case of my race or linking the next turns together for my powder friend. It worked for me in my race test, and I finished 5th and made the time.