What do you call "worse than a slump" ?

[RichardDoane]

I had one of the guys at the lake tell me today that he's been skiing really crappy lately. Wondering what other ballers do/recommend to help them get back in the groove when they're missing passes.

[ral]

0) rest

1) coaching

2) gym

3) new girlfriend

[Chuck_Dickey]

Step back and try to determine what I'm doing now verses when I was skiing my best. Determine what's changed and correct it if possible. In other words, retrace my steps.

[Dirt]

Same as chuck just said. Retrace your steps. Do what makes you ski well. I feel the same as RD's ski buddy. I was skiing great 2 day ago and today ended up in the E.R. Go back and think about what made you ski well.

[6balls]

I ski nothing but openers for a few sets...get stupid wide/early, build confidence, have fun not finding myself in the water again and again mid course. Then work my way back down short-line. Seems to clear my head and get me out of a cycle of frustration every time I ski...cuz that ain't fun and I ski to have fun.

[Guest]

Adjust for cooler water temps. Think warm and fuzzy thoughts. Watch football. Drink more beer and single malt. Be nice to your wife/girlfriend, (it's gonna be a long winter). Take up jumping, abuse MS and Horton all winter, Did I mention the beer and single malt thing?

[thompjs]

6balls - I've had slumps that I could not make openers

[LeonL]

Concentrate on your gate. Quite often (for me anyway) I try to work on something and neglect to emphasize my gate. Good gate and one is everything.

[Deanoski]

check the fin and setting. things get banged around. I had this happen to me fin was real shallow. watch some great skiing vids. I watch will A and nate smith.

[thompjs]

I get a great gate, it is just those 6 buoys that seem to be the problem!

[thager]

Winter!!!

[lpskier]

Time off and what LeonL said. A typical slump, especially where you are having trouble running an opener, is usually about a narrow gate, starting too hard on your turn in, releasing the handle too soon, pulling too long or skiing right at one ball, or a combination thereof. I'd think about a minimum of a week off, maybe two, then video yourself when you get back on the water feeling relaxed, fresh and eager. Your slump will probably be gone.

[MattP]

I would take some time off as well 1 week if he only gets to ski once or twice a week and 2 weeks if he skis more. Take his ski and check his settings if they are off change them back, if they are not tell him you made a change and give him the placebo effect and see if that works. Majority of the time it is in your head. If he is still skiing in his slump I would make a fin change. Oh and coaching from a pro never hurts.

[Horton]

Find your "Happy Place"

[skidawg]

check your binding placement and make sure they are connected to the ski, then check fin set up, then make sure you are not on MS's ski.

[colo_skier]

I certainly do not ski at the level that most people on this board do but at my own level it's still just as hard for me to make a pass (that's why this sport is so addictive). Something that has helped me is to record passes and analyze what is going on versus what I feel and think is going on. I look at the "good" passes but really critique the "bad" passes. Unfortunately for me I have a whole lot more passes to critique than those to just look at. I also try to do it directly after a set while it's fresh. Hopefully if they are all bad I can find a common error. As others have said I try to figure out what was the first thing that I did wrong versus what I was doing wrong when the pass ended and make sure I try to fix just the first thing. Sometimes you just have to get back to where the fun is again rather than keep banging into the frustration door also. It's a challenge but it is still meant to be rewarding and fun.

[thompjs]

skidawg: I'll check and see if bindings are mounted on ski or even the correct one.

 

Sometimes the small details make a big difference.

[skidawg]

Loose bindings on your plate can cause havoc to your skiing. Check to make sure the plate is attached to the boots as well as the ski.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Horton wrote "Find your "Happy Place" ". I think that goes to Ham's post earlier concerning drinking more beer and single malt...

[ForrestGump]

Jim, Dawg was telling Charles the same thing, that he needed to change the velcro on his ski. Believe it or not, Charles said the difference was noticeable after changing it.

[RichardDoane]

I agree with JTH's "happy place", I've been skiing on FluidMotion boots for the past couple of weeks due to the sore ankle (and skiing marginally in the FM's) but yesterday I went back to my comfy Strada Boots and skiing felt so much better

[Chuck_Dickey]

Gear changes can be a blessing or a curse. Like I said earlier, retrace your steps and you'll find your "Happy Thought"

[thompjs]

Shane, maybe I need some velcro?

 

 

[Hugh Nichols]

Jim,You already tried velcro, you really sucked with velcro. remember the rollerblade boot from Canada?

[thompjs]

That did s**k, didn't it?