Question: What are your go to technical self-talk messages?

[snoWYmonkey]

I just spent an entire day coaching a local group of skiers on the benefits of positive self talk; both technical and motivational (less skill specific). Today was my first day off where I got to free ski and the same four or five points kept coming back in my head. If I focus on them I am happy with my skiing. When I don't I get sloppy.

This made me curious about what ski diva members say to themselves to keep their skiing focused and fun.

Mine are: look farther downhill, keep shins to the tongues, remember to pressure inside ski, extend across not up, and finally keep the pendulum, aka pole, moving in time with the turn. My motivational saying is: I love to ski ALL snow conditions (which is true, even if I often forget this simple fact.)

Would love to hear what some key phrases are for different level skiers!

 

[newskimama]

One word when I'm facing something challenging. Commit! Otherwise, I'm sitting back and following natural, but incorrect, instinct. And if I don't commit to it, it's not likely to go well.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I like it! While not super specific in it's phrasing, you must clearly have a solid mental picture to go with a very positive motivational word. I love how to the point it is.

 

[newskimama]

I like it! While not super specific in it's phrasing, you must clearly have a solid mental picture to go with a very positive motivational word. I love how to the point it is.

It's all I need for skiing

Tennis is another matter. That chatter is endless. When distracted or playing badly, I start with "Who likes to play? I LOVE to play? Who came here to play? Or do you just want a drink of water and the match to end so you can go home?" Much longer conversation...... But that commit word has kept me going when trailing friends on stuff I wouldn't have done on my own and pushed me harder than anything else I've used.

 

[Perty]

Hmm...various...
Not sure if they are chants to myself but I kind of tell myself:
"Feel your feet against the soles of the boots";
"edge"-I try and imagine the front then middle edge biting into the snow
Hips forward (well...actually I DO use my "Less sh***ing more f***ing" chant).
Pull uphill foot back, push downhill thigh forwards...

"HANDS!" -mainly because I never have them where they should be. Though recently maybe a penny has started to drop when an instructor described it as like holding a big steering wheel...somehow the sense that my hands are invisibly on the wheel directing me down the hill is more likely to keep them in position.

As you can tell...there's a lot going on in side my brain, though unfortunately not all at the same time..there's isn't room!

I like the idea of "Commit" though. Think I'll apply that one in all sorts of situations.

 

[Ashleigh Lawrence]

I'm a beginner, so currently "Breathe!" is top of my list!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Laughs, I hope the wee bit of vulgarity helps the body relax too...from the mental laughter. I like the steering wheel. Not to confuse anyone, but I tell my students to turn it away from the turn, the opposite of a car!

Breathing is good. An often forgotten movement that is so crucial no matter what level skier!

 

[Skier31]

Pole touch and extending ankles first simultaneously with edge release. (Kind of hard to say but if I do this my skiing is much better)
Focus on moving center across and not up.
Rotation from femur not feet.

 

[Jilly]

I use that commit one too! In my case commit to the bump.

For Perty - "Hands up, baby hands up"....the Club Med song....works for me. And I think the Diva saying is "push the bush"!!

 

[diymom]

When I read the phrase "tits over tips" on here, something clicked for me. Have to make sure I keep my dialogue internal, though.

 

[Suzanne Leamer]

Quiet mind.
Breathe deep.
Head and shoulders down the fall line.
Quiet upper body.
Drive into the fronts of my boots and edges into my turn.
Look ahead (go faster, look further).
Stop the friggin' worry!

...about the meander-ers - keep them in my peripheral, not in my focus​

...if speed becomes uncomfortable, be aggressive! (LOVE mentions of "commit" above!)​

...if it's too steep, DO IT and be aggressive!​

...if conditions are not just right, adjust and love it!​

Not scared? Not tryin'!
Quiet mind.

 

[abc]

My changes, as my technical challenges changes over the years. But there's one I always use when things are going to pieces:

"Upper body down the hill first! "

Sometimes I do it differently but for the same effect:

"Pretending I'm double poling down the hill"

-- that keeps both of my hand out front and moves my upper body down the hill. The legs always managed to do the right thing pretty well.

In fact, the pretending to double-poling tend to work extremely well for me, all I have to do is to THINK about it (have a mental image). The rest tend to come together as a result.

 

[Jilly]

One that came out at Roxy for me - keep turning, keep steering, forgot the pressure control, STEER!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Super interesting to read these. Obviously different appraoches are the bullseye for different types of women and skiers. Though, a touch of T & A seems to run through the thread.

 

[wine&ski]

I used to use "hug the bear, drink the beer" over and over. On a recent trip its now changed to "I'm a coil, I'm a coil" which has been really useful in deeper powder, along with "round your turns"

 

[AltaEgo]

Bumps: Tips (and tits!) go in first. Tips go in first keeps me in balance and tits to keep my body facing downhill!

 

[KatyPerrey]

Faster, faster, faster til the thrill of speed overcomes your fear of death!

 

[geargrrl]

It's funny, I try to turn off the technical talk in my head. It can really get in my way as I need to spend more time doing and less time thinking about it.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

It's funny, I try to turn off the technical talk in my head. It can really get in my way as I need to spend more time doing and less time thinking about it.

If you ever figure out how let us know! I have turned it off by following my coach down going super fast and just skied (terribly), thinking I can not self talk, must survive.
But even then, I ended up skiing better when I told myself against my better judgement to relax and be patient.

I am very surprised that two ladies so far choose to be fast and aggressive in their heads to help them ski better! Good to keep in mind for us instructors...assuming speed and aggressive skiing is appropriately safe...that effortless flow is not always the best mental image.

 

[SkiBam]

If conditions aren't very exciting or challenging (groomed), that's when I try to think technical and concentrate on what I'm doing. For a few runs anyway. But then I think it's important to "forget" the technical stuff and just ski.

Sort of like the right brain/left brain thing, which I'm sure we've discussed before. When you're learning anything, or trying to improve at it (be it painting, dance, or whatever), you need to spend some time using your left brain: thinking it through, learning and following the rules, etc. But then you have to try and turn off the left brain and let the right take over: essentially, get creative. For me, the same holds true with skiing.