Your Problem Could Be Mental
The Practice Session
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This article deals specifically with the practice session and how to organize it. The purpose of this piece is to get you to stop taking a random approach to practicing skateboarding. It will seem like work, and it will be work for more than half of the time. But your skating will improve, so although you may have less fun in terms of time, the fun you have will be bigger fun. So with the work you put in and the fun you give up, some of the fun will expand, so it should all come out even. Does that sound fair?
I have written this piece in two parts. The first part, Part A, is geared for most skateboarders who are self taught, undisciplined, and think coaching is worthless. The only thing that's going to reach them is to insult their flaws and yell at them, and maybe it'll sink in. So I've written an extra intro part for each section just for the majority of skateboarders, as I've come to know their personality type.
Some atheletes love tips and coaching. They are reasonable people and are easy to reach with a firm, polite explanation of a technique. If you are a reasonable person and can simply accept a straightforward explanation, then skip to Part B.
Part A.
If you need to be yelled at, read these intros
Otherwise, skip to Part B
Hey You!
Your eyes are great from staring at your board, but your tricks ain't so good
You practice the beginning of tricks by beginning, and practice the end of tricks by falling
You pick one speed, fast or slow, and you stay there all day
You think obsessiveness is the same as discipline
Part B.
Four keys to setting up a good practice session
Make your practice watchable
An awareness of the performance aspect of skateboarding can get you out of a practice rut.
Break down tricks into beginning, middle, and end. The story structure
The chapters in this story may not go in the order you'd expect.
Vary your speed in pursuit of excellence
My theory of fluctuating your speed in a pattern during practice. How to push speed safely. How to deal with the intimidation of increased speed in tricks. Warning: pretty heavy reading. Philosophy of self deception in sports included.
Practice in an organized way. The pyramid structure
Structuring your practice with discipline and giving it a flow that uses your natural body rhythms will make you a far better skater, and will up your performance and crowd working skills.
