So let’s talk about freestyle paralysis today because some people get stuck in it and it kills their snowboard progression.
Let me explain what I mean and how you can avoid it happening to you.
You’ll never get it all right
What I mean by ‘freestyle paralysis’ is sometimes I get emails from people who are determined to break down and get every single bit of some snowboard trick perfect and understand every detail of it before they start working on the trick.
While attention to detail is good, this method of learning is never going to work. Or if it does, it’s going to be insanely slow.
You’re never going to be able to figure out everything to a snowboard trick and get it all done without taking baby steps. Freestyle just plain doesn’t work that way, especially not at the start.
Even if they’re the most gifted snowboarder ever and some things need to be broken down and learnt piece by piece on-snow before you actually understand how it fits together.
For example…
Ever tried to learn how to do a 360? I don’t think I’ve EVER seen anyone piece together every single bit of a 360 right from the start.
You can watch 500 trick tip videos and understand every aspect of a 360, but good luck trying to learn the carving, popping, release, timing and landing all at the same time. Never going to happen.
Everyone starts with one piece and gets that right first, then adds another bit, then another and eventually all the little pieces they’ve put together make that trick they want to learn.
Analyse, take action, analyse, take action
I like to think that the ideal way to learn freestyle is you figure out one piece, then take action to learn it, then figure out another piece, then take action and so on.
Heck, even pro levels snowboarders don’t get every trick perfect after years of practice. It’s a constant battle to add to every trick and tweak it to be even better.
Don’t wait to get out there and start. Figure out one piece of the trick, then get out there and learn it. Then you can get started on the next piece.
Build your freestyle piece by piece. If you wait to start until you have all the pieces, you’ll be waiting a looong time and some things just don’t click until you get the other steps figured out first.
- Jed
