 Poster: A snowHead
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So I'm an 'okay' skier. Not great, not awful, not sure I'd label myself as a 'skier' yet as much as a totally love it.
I've done a week in the alps plus up to the improver lessons in the Chill Factore. I can sometimes do parallel turns, but I think I need more practice.
I was going to take the development classes in the Chill Factore as I'm not 100% sure I'll be heading out anywhere this winter for definite. But they aren't at the best times for me (late evenings). Should I try and figure a way to take the classes, or just try and practice more and more myself by getting a lift pass?
Either way, any improvement tips? I seem to manage a lot better when turning to the right. Turning left is fine, but right feels stronger. I guess it's like any sport though, you have a stronger side?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Keep taking lessons, if you feel you are improving. Trouble with practice is that you might be perfecting bad habits rather than good habits.
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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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@rob@rar, +1
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Have a look at the guided practice lessons if CFe still offer them, chance to get the distance up on the skis with an instructor around to keep a check on nasty habits. Whilst there is most definitely a benefit to lessons, you still need the mileage. No point in going up to the next level if you have only just got through the last one and still a little shaky with it. After all, if you were taking, for example, a course of lessons in the Alps on holiday, you wouldn't be taught to parallel turn the second you've managed a snowplough turn.
Example being when I took some of the advanced lessons (carving, short turns), there were a couple of people who had just gone from one level lesson to the next without any other slope time in between to practice. It really showed, they never got any way near getting on to their edges or short turns, they only just about managed to link some parallel turns.
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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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@rob@rar, +2
At your level lessons are your best bet. Have a look at the CFe monthly pass ( if you do not already have one ) £60. Book some private lessons and then with the monthly pass get on the slope and practice what you have been shown in the lesson.
rob@rar is a well respected instructor here and his advice is about as good as you can get. Bad habits can really impede your progress, but backing up the lesson with extra hours working on what you have been shown can be a big benefit if done right.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@JanieS, can you make ladies coaching which is usually on at Chill a couple of mornings a month? That's really good coaching and a good bunch of people.
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Practice makes permanent, keep taking classes until you know well what exactly you need to practice.
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Another vote for lessons above ineffective practice.
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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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+1 for lessons.
And never stop taking lessons. At least one every season.
Top sports people don't stop taking lessons - they all have coaches.
We all have bad habits, lazy manoeuvres we resort to when tired of the going gets tricky, poor technique in certain conditions.
Without professional advice we all deteriorate.
Keep taking lessons. But don't stop practising as well, or the lessons are worthless.
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Obviously the answer is 'Both'. But agree with those above that at this stage mostly lessons.
I did the level 7/8/9 set of lessons at CFe about 3 or 4 times. At the time I found them useful and good value so kept going back even once I'd progressed beyond them. I think the wife did 4/5/6 more than once too.
Look out for when they have half price lessons on (they do at the moment: http://www.chillfactore.com/offers/beat-the-rush-get-the-rush-feel-the-rush/lessons/).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks everyone. I do feel I am improving with the lessons, I have found some that I should be able to attend during November, so I am looking forward to that! The half price lessons are fantastic @fullenglish but there aren't any spaces for development class left (unless in the week and I unfortunately can't attend then).
That is a very good point @Jonpim !
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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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@JanieS,
Remove left ski...left turns will soon improve 
My work here is done.
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Both.
Lessons are important on a regular basis,. but there's no substitute for miles. Lessons got me so far, having a few every holiday season.
But the big improvement came with spending a whole season skiing.
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You know it makes sense.
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But the big improvement came with spending a whole season skiing.
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Miles alone don't work. I made huge improvements working a season but I was always working on my technique when I was out skiing - trying new things, making tweaks, keeping what worked. I knew people who had worked four seasons in a row who were still pretty rubbish TBH because when they skied they just skied. Entirely up to them of course but you need purposeful practice not just miles. As evidenced also by all the people you meet who have been skiing since they were kids for 30+ years and are still pretty bad.
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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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| jedster wrote: |
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But the big improvement came with spending a whole season skiing.
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Miles alone don't work. I made huge improvements working a season but I was always working on my technique when I was out skiing - trying new things, making tweaks, keeping what worked. I knew people who had worked four seasons in a row who were still pretty rubbish TBH because when they skied they just skied. Entirely up to them of course but you need purposeful practice not just miles. As evidenced also by all the people you meet who have been skiing since they were kids for 30+ years and are still pretty bad. |
Agreed, absolutely - you can lock in bad habits by doing lots of miles.
But lessons alone don't work either - you need to lock in good habits! Conversely to you, I know plenty of folks who ski a couple of weeks a year, spend a fortune on private tuition, and barely improve.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have been learning at the Chill Factore since August. I did the beginners then improver course six weeks in a row but by the end I wasn't overly keen at being at the top, I could just about get down without dying but not much else. I have since done levels 4,5,6 again then also bought myself a a monthly pass for November (my old student card comes in handy sometimes!). I'm pretty lucky in that I only work 10 minutes away so I could go pretty much when I wanted, but I have found that going by myself has been really good just practising different things from the lessons (and listening in on other lessons that are happening for more tips).
So for me I couldn't have done without the lessons because I wouldn't have had a clue what to do, but practising in between and afterwards now that I know what I'm doing has really made me better.
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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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@rob@rar, +n
@JanieS, at this stage you're still trying to develop muscle memories and you have to do this with guidance, observation and feedback. Stick with lessons for the moment until you begin to 'get' a personal feedback loop that corresponds with what your instructor is giving you . . . a eureka moment.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Time is king.
Skiers need at least *2 weeks* of constant daily riding and lessons to move up another level.
Takes a week to get the muscle memory back.
And then another week to improve a step forward.
One-weekers rarely get proper good.
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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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@Whitegold, first time I did anything longer than a one-week ski trip was my Level 2 instructor exam.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
@Whitegold, first time I did anything longer than a one-week ski trip was my Level 2 instructor exam.
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I made good progress skiing one week a year for 5 years. Then I worked a season. Definitely got a lot of the main movements dialled in. But I've been able to improve my technique since and have never skied for more than 10 days at a time. Usually only 6 or 7 days.
One of my mates has never skied more than 10 days a season. He will ski anything with pretty good technique. Certainly good enough to put a smile on the face of a guide who you have hired for the day. A bit of talent and plenty of application can get you a long way in a short time.
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A bit of talent and plenty of application can get you a long way in a short time.
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Indeed it can. And a paucity of talent can see rather modest progress, despite application. 
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I found that buying skis and boots that were above my skill level after my first week forced me to correct my technique or I just ended up on the deck. 
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