The missing link for great skiing performance
The focus of ski lessons is often on technique yet to develop your performance and get the most from your learning a holistic approach is needed. This means addressing other areas such as tactics, physical preparation, the environment, equipment, and your mental skills.
This does not mean that technique is not important. Rather, it is vital that you learn a range of techniques, with sound movement patterns, that are practiced sufficiently that can then be applied tactically to the environment you are skiing. However, the way you approach your learning is important if you are to avoid a very busy mind. You can read more about this in a blog I wrote titled, Focus of Attention in Sport: Internal or external?
The Missing Link
Oftentimes, however, the missing link in your skiing performance is the psychological approach because the mind can be an inhibitor to successful learning and great performances. Think back to some of your recent skiing experiences. Have you ever felt frustrated when skiing a particular slope? Perhaps you lost some confidence or experienced some anxiety or fear? Or you just felt you should have been skiing much better than you were and gave yourself a really hard time. Does any of this sound familiar?
So what if you could train your mind in the same way as you train your body? What if you could learn a range of specific mental skills through practical activities that could be used while you are actually on the mountain as part of your skiing day? And then use these activities away form the slopes so that you look after your mental fitness as well as your physical fitness. Well now you can.
A brand NEW course
For this coming winter I have developed a brand new course called ‘Develop Your Mental Game’. In these one day courses I will teach you these skills and then show you how you can integrate them into your skiing day. In addition, you can book me for private lessons to focus on the mental side of your performance. Click here to find out more.
Accompanying book
These Mental Game courses are based on my latest book, “Six Steps for Training the Mind; For optimal performance & flow in sport & life”. The book is currently available in eBook format from Amazon but will be published as a paperback and made more widely available as an eBook soon .
References
Tate, D. N. (2020). Learn, Enjoy, Flow and Grow: Using the principles of positive psychology to help find passion and meaning in life (First). Parallel Dreams Publishing.
Tate, D. N. (2022). Six Steps for Training the Mind: For optimal performance & flow in sport & life (First). Parallel Dreams Publishing.
