The Inevitible Mid Season Slump

[Texas6]

Am I the only one lucky enough to experience this phenomenon? Every summer I begin the season making moderate progress, and about this time I begin taking steps backwards. I used to think it was my body breaking down and getting tired, but I'm certain that isn't it this year. It's my form and my rythm that begins to break down. Does anyone else experience this? Any prevention tips are welcomed....I know....video

[skier2788]

No advice but i feel your pain.

[Wish]

YEEEEEES !!! tonight in fact. I have been at 80% with my 35s and alot of that had to do with fin changes. Then out of the blue a have this scrappy 32 and could not put away a 35. Like 5 attempts. Kept sticking the ski at 1 or 3 or 5. Aaaaaaaaaah! Ok this is not a slump.....erase erase erase!!

[ToddF]

I seem to get it every year as well. And what helps me the most is pulling harder (being aggressive). I start thinking that everything should be easy and I don't have to be aggressive in the course to run my 28's and 32's, then at 35 I am out of the rythm. Today I just cranked and it felt good, seems like the warmer water just makes me have to work harder.

 

That is what helps me: run my 32's like they are 35's

[Boody]

Yes, I just got out of one, it sucked. I took some time off, cut back on my skiing a lot. This allowed me to "re-group" and even delete some of my bad habits. When I went back out on the water, things were better but still not as good. Instead of getting mad, I tried some things and a couple of them seemed to work great.

 

Stay with it, sit back, assess. Evaluating your skiing off the water can be as helpfull if not more than on the water practice.

[Nick Sullivan]

Boody I'm there now, feeling beat up too. May need to take a break and maybe just focus on doing some cardio for a week. Then come back with a clear head.

[ForrestGump]

Daryn, I took the wing off of my A2 today due to the 98 degree water. SO much better!

[SkiJay]

I was struggling with -32, then 10 days ago, I added .007" to DFT and picked up a pass and a half the next set just by freeing the ski up to turn easier in our summer water. I wanted to leave the fin alone ... but I'm glad I didn't.

[Texas6]

Lots of good advice here, thank you! Considering this happens to me EVERY season about this point, I like the water temp theory a lot. I'm going to play with the wing a bit and maybe even try removing it to see what happens. Thx!!

[LeonL]

Water temp is a big factor, but most slumps can be traced to failing to put proper emphasis on our gates. We just seem to neglect that and concentrate on other finesse items. Try to be sure you're getting the best gate possible and see if your slump goes away.

[Horton]

I have gone backwards a little so last few sets I have done the following:

 

Try to think about what really worked earlier in the season. Back to basics.

 

Also not burning up the rope. Running a lot of mid range passes. For me it is 32 off. Going out and running 36 or 48 balls in a set as smooth and technical as possible. Staying away from top pass.

 

Doing this I think I rediscovered what I need to get back to where I was.

[35 in the bag]

The water temp thing can be like a dog chasing its tail on some bodies of water. On Lake Jepawhit in Michigan for instance, the temp will vary 10 degrees from one end to the other depending on wind conditions. More over, during tournaments when we have constant boat activity, even on calm days the temperature varies significantly from one spot to the other. I have noticed this when swimming to change out buoys for slalom to jump. I bet I have felt 20 degree surface variations within 20 feet. Maybe this explains some of the buoy gremlins that affect some of the skiers.

 

JIII

[Texas6]

Good call @Horton. I have been climbing the rope a bit quicker towards my best pass, and skiing fewer form passes. Time to get back to the basics a bit. It's just near impossible not to cut the rope when you run a really smooth form pass:)

[Than_Bogan]

Lots of good points above. Also worth a shot: Chiropractor and/or massage therapist. Good ones can undo a lot of dysfunction that can set in from over-specialization.

 

In fact, this thread reminded me to make an appointment with Larry the Massage Guy. I'm not really in a slump exactly, but I've definitely leveled off just when I thought I was about to take a leap.

[Boody]

@Than Bogan "Larry the Massage Guy" LOL

 

He better be good! I have never had a male give me a massage, a guys hands rubbing all over my body....gross

[Than_Bogan]

Hah. A real massage has no rubbing! More like an all out assault on seized muscle fibers. All pain with lots of gain. Few women are strong enough to do it well, actually.

[Wish]

Does Larry "Getter done"? Sorry, had to say it. I think I found my slump issue. The warm water has also affected boat speed. We spin into the course and found that the boat was not up to speed soon enough along with the fact that I changed my pull out to a bit sooner. I think our lake has jumped 8 degrees maybe more this week. It's been HOT and with little to no rain. I kept feeling like I was pulling out in mud. Up the boat speed through the spin and hay 35s were dropping again. But what a mind game that played on me. Not out of the woods though as the confidence has been trashed. Need many no miss 35s before the MW Reg. With an older boat and an older PP, this may also be worth checking.

[jimbrake]

interesting thread @Texas6. Thanks for starting it. I battle this every year, too. Last few years my early season starts off very good. Simple approach, simple thoughts that are easy to execute. Skiing starts to progress, then.....the thoughts start. "I should try ____." "The most important thing to do is____" "Always, wait no, never _____" Pretty soon I've got so many "must dos" in my head that I lose sight of what is important in my skiing and it all goes to s___. The Monday before regionals after two practice sets I was looking for a gun, ready to end it. Then Tues I remembered what I was working on in April that worked so well and had a semi-decent practice ride. Sort of pulled it together for regionals (not great, but didn't go down on my opener). Now I'm back on track. So, for me it's just back to basics, nail those, repetition, keep it simple, etc.

[Horton]

@Bruce55

I would love to have time for 1/2 of that

[Wish]

With all that cash, JTH can hire me to receive the regular chiropractic adjustments and deep tissue massages. That should open plenty of time for Johns to do the cardio, and TRX workouts. What's say you @Horton? I can start anytime.

[Horton]

Yea all that big website cash... funny

[Horton]

@Brent MmmmHmmm I will get right on that. I only have two full time jobs at the moment. Why not?

[GAJ0004]

Take a couple of days off from the course. The first day back after skiing a tournament I leave my slalom ski on the shelf for a day, and do some barefooting. I do extra trick skiing since it does not take as much muscle.

[Horton]

Solved. I changed skis and ran 38 second set on Jobe. Just keep changing skis.

[Than_Bogan]

@Horton. Wow, I just realized I'm doing exactly that: Just ran -38 and my very next set will be on a new ski. I didn't realize this pathology was contagious!!

[markchilcutt]

I am thinking time off the water at this point. I had a 2 week period that i coulsd not get past 1 @ 35 with a tourny approaching!!! i showed up with zero expectations this last saturday at the tourny and boom tied my tourny pb of 3 @35. It has been 4 days since ive skied and it feels good to be away. The goal is 2 weeks off of the handle and some mtn biking instead.

[35 in the bag]

I don't seem to have them (mid-season slumps that is). Our season is so short here in Michigan that by the time mid-season rolls around it's over and time to go fishing.

[6balls]

I build to where I'm skiing well and feel 38's are about to be gravy ALL the time, so I take a lot of shots at them and almost always I progressively start to stink. Then I go to @razorskier1's place for a week and ski far too many passes with not enough rest and it gets even worse. Then take enough time off that I can tie my own shoes and go back to basics in order to make a push in the fall season. Tonight felt as good as I have in 10 days despite big wind.

My vote is enough rest to be effortlessly strong, and back to basics. Run some longer passes and make 'em easy.

[Chef23]

I usually do what Horton said about dropping back a pass from your hardest full pass and run a lot of them. For me it is running a brunch of 28s. A few weeks ago I was feeling in a bit of a rut and spent a week running 28s then went out and ran a PB in a tournament.

[Razorskier1]

Drop back to an easier line and ski it perfectly. Sets your head right and lets you get ready to go short again. Also a nice physical and mental break from always shortening the line which, while fun, can sometimes stress you out too much. Last two days I've only skied one set. Yesterday skied 28, 32, 35, and then four 32s. Felt like I was really getting some things dialed in and it was easy and fun. Today eight 32s. Again, worked on just one thing (keeping my shoulders level at all times) and had a blast running very consistently good passes. Tomorrow and over the weekend I'll start cutting the line again.

[Horton]

Naaa just change skis. I am doing it again tomorrow.

[E_T]

@Horton , what is the flavor of the week?

[Chef23]

I took @Horton's advice and changed skis. I skied my last three sets on a Goode Fire Mid and so far I like it. In my second set I was within 1/2 buoy of my PB with 3.5@35 off and in my third set I ran 4@35 and got closer to 5 ball than I have ever been. I also had one of my cleanest 32s ever and the best starts to 35 off.

 

So far I like the Goode. It feels faster than my A1 and it will definitely turn harder than the A1 although my A1 is a big ski at 68.75. Unfortunately I am only going to be able to ski a few times over the next two weeks with all the travel I have coming up for work.

[cwillygood]

@Chef23 on the Goode? are you going to ski that at nationals? sounds like the Shaffers are having a solid time at Coble's

[Chef23]

@cwillygood I am not qualified for nationals I still need to get better to qualify. I only skied three sets at Coble's as I had to work. The kids had a great time with Matt pushing his PB by almost a full pass and Meghan running full passes.

[Horton]

@E_T Goode super secret no longer a secret mega Nano One

[cwillygood]

@Chef23 thats awesome for Matt!

[E_T]

@Horton Hmmmm ...........