WaterSki Magazine

Risto
2006-09-22 15:00:00 | 51 views |
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At this point in the season, you are probably starting to think, “Am I going to reach my goals this year?”  Well, whether your goal is to run your first full pass, trick 6,000 points or jump 180 feet, you have to home in on your training techniques to accomplish your object. This is something you don't hear much about when you go to ski school or when your backyard pro is coaching you. If you aren't sure you have what it takes to ski that PB by season's end, check out these five tips to make it happen.

1. Stay fresh. By this point in the season, we have all trained ourselves to death. Day in and day out of beating ourselves up on the water is starting to take its toll. The back has seen better days; that recurring ankle or knee
injury is starting to scream at you; and the tendonitis in the elbows from your Vulcan death grip on the handle is making everyday life a little tender. Take a few days off before your next tournament or big ski outing. Let the body recuperate; get a massage; jump in the whirlpool; or do some stretching. You'll be surprised how good some rest can be for your overall performance.

2. Find the keys. This late in the year, between the ski school you attended early in the season, your driver's tips from his or her mirror view, and your wife asking you why you get more slack in the rope than your buddies, your brain is overwhelmed. Sit down and decide on the few major keys that have given you the most improvement over the past couple of months and focus on them until your peak season has passed. If you go to a ski school, be sure they understand that your goal is to hone some basic skills, not to have a whole new list of chores dumped on your plate. Save the big changes for your fall visit to your favorite ski coach.

3. Think rhythm. All athletic training requires you to try and execute moves that are foreign to your body. This leads to very robotic movements, which, although they will greatly benefit you down the road, can cause you to look pretty uncoordinated on the water. Do some sets where you take it easy and focus on the rhythm and flow of the movements at a slower pace than normal in order to regain some of your free-flowing athletic movements.

4. Focus and rehearse. When the time comes to perform, to really go for that personal best whether it's in a tournament or skiing with your buddies, focus on what it's going to feel like and rehearse it on the shore before you go out there and give it your best shot. Close your eyes and visualize, or take your handle and walk your way through your
run. Be sure your mind understands what it is going to feel like to succeed well before your ski touches the water.

5. Throw caution to the wind. Forget losing. Go for it and give it every bit of yourself when you are on the water, as if it is your last ski ride on this earth. Failure is not an option. In fact, “failure” is not even in your vocabulary.

Seth Stisher is the head instructor and co-owner of H2Osmosis Sports located at Trophy Lakes. He is sponsored by MasterCraft Boats, D3 Skis, Zeal Optics, Fogman Bindings and Team Buoy Creek. Reach him at h2osmosis.com or 866.213.7993.