 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all ,firstly what a great site ,the tips advice and enthusiasm is just brilliant
My wife (the gaffer ) and I started skiing at 39 years young and we've ski d the last 5 seasons so that makes us 24 !
The first 4 years we took group lessons which where really good for us then last year we went solo which we enjoyed
The freedom of getting out on slopes our selfs ,but we both feel we'd like to keep progressing and go back to lessons
This trip .the gaffer would like to back to group lessons but the last time there was 12 in our group and I felt it was 2 or 3
To many and our progress stalled ,I'm thinking a couple of hour long private lesson we may be suit us better ???
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Paul334, welcome to snowheads  . Private lessons are good (usually) but an hour is a bit short - 1.5 or 2 hours is better.
But, another very good alternative is small group lessons. Where are you going? Many of the bigger French resorts have British-run ski schools which do small group (max 6) lessons. You could start by searching for the BASS schools, but there are others. There are advantages to having lessons with a native english speaker. If one sort of explanation doesn't help, they can try a different one.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi thanks for reply
It's looking like Italy .I like the the sound of the smaller group lessons ,that would suit us both ill look in to that ,in the bigger groups I felt
Parts of the lessons past us by
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@Paul334, I've not heard anyone talk of small group lessons in italy - though they might exist. Some people on SHs know the various Italian resorts well and might be able to recommend specific schools or instructors. I agree that lessons in a group of 12 are fairly hopeless, though they can be sociable and fun for complete beginners.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Paul334, the last group lesson I did (quite a long time ago now) were in Selva and there were initially 6 of us, including me and Hubby. That was a really good group, then for the second day somebody was put up from the group below (mainly, as far as we can gather because those lower groups had too many people in) she was clearly at a much lower level than the rest of us, which came to the fore, when the instructor took us up a blue run on our third day (one we had been warming up in!), on which she was petrified. He spent the rest of the lesson coaxing her down and the rest of us were ignored. We had only booked the three half days. After tat we have done odd joint private lessons. Which have been well worth it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi,
We are off to Folgarida in Italy - next to Madonna di Campiglio but cheaper. We have been there a couple of times before and the Folgarida ski school has always been pretty good. The groups have never been massive and they seem to be able to cope with varying abilities. The slopes are pretty easy round there as well.
It is pretty good value as you get 5×2 hours between 11 AM and 1 PM for about €100 but they also do private lessons as well.
They have a reasonable website and the instructors all spoke fantastic English – we even had an English one the other year who was a very nice chap indeed
http://www.scuolascifolgarida.com/en/
Hope that helps
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@Paul334, Where are you based -- why not have some lessons before you go at your nearest artificial slope ?
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Paul,
I would very much recommend private lessons for the two of you. Decide on your budget and book as many as fit in. 2 hours is normally more efficient than anything shorter because of faffing about at each end. I'd try to space them through the week - say take a day to find your legs, then have a lesson, then a day to practise what you learned, etc.
Although private lessons seem expensive I think you still get much better value for money from focused tuition and exercises based on your needs with direct feedback.
I think the only arguments for group lessons are to meet people or for child care (not relevant to you!).
Cheers, J
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Paul334,
The advice from @jedster, is spot on you will learn a lot more in private lessons than group lessons and spreading the lessons out will allow you to practice what you learnt.
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@speed098, +1
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Depending on your level and how much time you want to spend in group coaching, one of the Italian trips here might suit you. Having been on a couple I can also vouch for the fact that the holidays are very sociable!
Rob and Scott from Inside Out are both snowHeads.
http://www.insideoutskiing.com/holidays.html
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Welcome to snowHeads, by the way!
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@jedster, it's a bit sweeping to dismiss group lessons. I have had excellent group lessons with Inside Out, BASS Les Gets and Evo 2. And I'm sure there are other good ones out there.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've also had some poor private lessons.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks guys that's brilliant ,we're based in northumberland so could easily get to the dry slopes at Edinburgh (have to say never fancied it but will give
It a try  !)I'm leaning towards the 2 two hour private lessons I'll tell the gaffer that's what we're doing haha ,had been looking at la thuile but will have a look at folgarida ,had stayed away from the madonna area because I'd heard it was a tad expensive ,cheers
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Paul334,
One of the members on here is an instructor at Hillend ( balernoStu ) hopefully he will pop along to this thread soon and can give you some advice re the slope there.
If you have not skied on plastic before it can take a bit of getting used to but is well worth persevering.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Several companies offer 3 days of small group lessons for more advanced skiers, they can work well if you like the social aspect (and price) of a group lesson, check ski school websites in your destination. For private lessons it is important to get a great instructor imo. There isn't time for them to faff about doing a variety of things to see what you like, and personally I'm always aware of the cost so have higher expectations! So try and get recommendations for individuals/schools if you can.
Dry slope always feels pants to me at the time and I'm convinced nothing I'm doing will transfer to the slopes as the feel is very different, but it's surprising how much it's helped when I do get the the real snow, so it is worth a go. Our local slope does a night with coaching for just an extra £10 which works really well. They have 2/3 coaches out for different levels and every couple of runs when you get to the top the coach gives you some feedback and something to focus on for the next few runs, individually or in 2s/3s so no standing around in big groups. aj xxx
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The British run New Generation are excellent. Max of 8 in their group lessons but they will run a lesson with only 2 people booked. They are in 3 vallees ( Meribel, La Tania) and a few other resorts in France and I think in Verbier too
- you can check where on their website. Our guests that stayed last year used them in January and there were just 3 in the ski group.
3V is an expensive ski area but if you will excuse the blatant advertising, Brides les Bains where we have our apartment is a good value base to access it - via a Gondola which takes you into Meribel. The pay off is that BLB is not a ski in /out resort but you get to ski a world class resort without breaking the bank - and excellent ski schools.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
@jedster, it's a bit sweeping to dismiss group lessons. I have had excellent group lessons with Inside Out, BASS Les Gets and Evo 2. And I'm sure there are other good ones out there.
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Pam, I'm sure that is right but it depends a lot on how you learn as well as how they teach.
Personally, I've always been able to get a lot out of simply watching good skiers and trying to copy them but that works because I am quite analytical, have a background in engineering so can think about the physics and perhaps most importantly have quite a good sense of what my own body is doing (i.e., when I see myself ski on video, I look like I imagined I did when I was doing it). My observation is that most people don't learn this way - they need to be told what THEY need to do in words that work for THEM (i.e., instructors probably need to explain something in several different ways before they find a version that chimes) and be given direct feedback on what THEY actually did. The best instructor in the world will struggle to provide this level of personalised attention to each of a group of 8.
But to be honest, this is an area where it would be good to get opinions from instructors (although might be tricky for them to be critical of group lessons  )
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Jedster you seem to have hit the nail on the head with me any way  ,for the first 1 to 3 season in my group lessons in my minds eye I was BENDING MY KNEES but I was more or less just lowering and raising my chest ,and there was me thinking I'd mastered it !hahaha onwards and upwards
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Paul334,
will result in your chest going up and down but will not help you balance
Bending your ankles and hips as well as your knees will help you stay in balance whilst regulating the pressures on your skis.
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I started skiing about the same time as you and at only a couple of years younger than you and have found that, after the first couple of weeks on skis, a private lesson once a year/trip is all you need.
Once you know the basics and can get down anything on the mountain (with more or less finesse) it's mostly about practice, which you can do on your own. Adding a mid-week lesson gives you a sanity check that you've remembered everything correctly, aren't picking up any bad habbits, and also gives you a little push to boost your self-confidence.
Personally I'd miss the freedom to go where I wanted, stop for a coffee (and adrenaline shot of going down the mandatory flight of smooth tile steps to the toilet in ski boots) when I wanted, and stop to look at the scenery once in a while if I was back in a group lesson.
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| speed098 wrote: |
@Paul334,
One of the members on here is an instructor at Hillend ( balernoStu ) hopefully he will pop along to this thread soon and can give you some advice re the slope there.
If you have not skied on plastic before it can take a bit of getting used to but is well worth persevering. |
Hi, just spotted this, and yes i teach there a few hours most weeks through the winter 
If you can be there 4 weekend mornings in a row the adult group lessons are excellent value at just under £100 for 4x2h, including uplift and kit. Max class size is 12 again though, but you'd be unlucky if the actual class size was more than 8. I took Sunday morning groups for most of the season '12/13 and had a great time with them. Being early in the day the slope was rarely busy: http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200136/lessons/651/adult_ski_courses
Private lessons are of course somewhat more expensive but may be good use of your time if one or two visits is more likely, and you may request a particular instructor for your lesson. When choosing a time avoid 2-5pm at the weekend as that's when the busy junior ski schools are out: http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200136/lessons/663/private_lessons
On a tighter budget there are 'open' classes for a one off 2h session, best reading the link to choose the correct date for your level: http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/200136/lessons/665/fast_track_open_ski_classes
Hope that's of some help!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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For my skiing, the key factor has (and continues to be) the amount of time I spend in front of a good instructor. Whether it's in a group or a private session doesn't really matter that much, not least because the rate of my improvement is not dependent on being constantly observed and given constant feedback. What has been (and continues to be) important for me is accurate feedback, and suggested drills or development which are tightly focused on making a significant difference to my skiing. A good instructor can, IME, easily manage that process for groups of skiers, providing individual feedback and differentiated tasks for everyone in the group as appropriate. Given that I can afford more time in a group classes than private coaching my skiing has improved more in classes than in one to one sessions.
Perhaps more important than time in lessons is the quality of the instructor...
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Rob,
In my limited experience of group lessons - everyone was given the same exercises at the same time. If an instructor can successfully give several different exercises and watch them all simultaneously then that would make a big difference to the effectiveness!
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Perhaps more important than time in lessons is the quality of the instructor...
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I'm sure that is right too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| jedster wrote: |
In my limited experience of group lessons - everyone was given the same exercises at the same time. If an instructor can successfully give several different exercises and watch them all simultaneously then that would make a big difference to the effectiveness!
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Mixing things up as appropriate is part of the challenge, and the fun, of teaching. Often the same fundamental skill is a weakness across all members of a group, so the entire group working on that same skill is a valuable use of time. You can give individual feedback on how they are skiing, change their focus on an individual basis, perhaps make minor changes to the exercise on an individual basis, etc, but essentially all group members are working on the same fundamentals. Individual video feedback also allows differentiation within the same broad task.
On other occasions you can tailor it completely to individual needs. For example, I was teaching in Tignes last week and for a couple of sessions I parked myself by the side of the piste, set a task and let my group lap around at their own pace. As the session continued I differentiated it so across the group of 8 so there were 4 different drills being employed and feedback was, as always, tailored to the individual skier. For some it was increasing edge angle, for others it was not collapsing the outside leg at the end of the turn, for others it was not being too countered through the turn. It's harder work that way and I don't think I could do that with a group larger than 8 as it becomes too difficult to keep in my head the different tasks and performances of everyone in the group. Sessions I teach at Hemel for skiers relatively new to the sport are for a maximum of four, and it's possible to teach those as four private lessons running in parallel, each operating entirely independently of the others in the group.
As a quick example, this is a photo from last week. The three Inside Out coaches are running all of their groups around the Rosolin piste. Individual clients come in for feedback as they lap around, others are getting watched or videoed. The three of us can watch each others' groups so we can exchange opinions and suggestions, and everyone gets individual feedback and their own tasks if necessary. The only downside is that it gets very cold standing around for an hour watching other people ski!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The three of us can watch each others' groups so we can exchange opinions and suggestions, and everyone gets individual feedback and their own tasks if necessary.
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Saw this sort of thing working really well last season. Four families had 7 kids in two groups of 3 and 4 (split by ability) but the instructors brought them together to do some basic gate training. One instructor at the top one at the bottom - reminders at the top, feedback as they finished the run.
That said we decided a few years ago that our children got a lot more out of 2.5 hours in a group of 4 than 5h hours in a group of 8+
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I've experienced that "lapping" approach and can confirm it works very well. No waiting around, individual input. I also had excellent group lessons in Tignes with Evolution 2, some years ago, with four of us at a range of ski standards. It was October, so terrain was limited but we worked for the three sessions on the same blue run/T bar. Kevin kept us all constructively busy and everyone enjoyed it very much. Also had excellent small group with Charlotte Swift in Les2Alpes last year. The secret is that the instructor has to have top observation/feedback/communication skills.
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You know it makes sense.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
For my skiing, the key factor has (and continues to be) the amount of time I spend in front of a good instructor. Whether it's in a group or a private session doesn't really matter that much, not least because the rate of my improvement is not dependent on being constantly observed and given constant feedback. What has been (and continues to be) important for me is accurate feedback, and suggested drills or development which are tightly focused on making a significant difference to my skiing. A good instructor can, IME, easily manage that process for groups of skiers, providing individual feedback and differentiated tasks for everyone in the group as appropriate. Given that I can afford more time in a group classes than private coaching my skiing has improved more in classes than in one to one sessions.
Perhaps more important than time in lessons is the quality of the instructor... |
+1, a small group with a great instructor and enough time to develop under their guidance is best.
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