Teaching with analogies (teach for transfer)

[john petersen]

It is very natural to use analogies we are familiar with to help us understand concepts we are unfamiliar with. Instructors use this method all the time to help guests visualize or internalize new skiing movements or ideas.

the question we usually ask very early in a lesson is, "so what else do you like to do when your not skiing?"

It can be anything from playing a musical instrument to driving a truck or flying an airplane. Heck, we even have analogies for mathematicians and engineers.

I have an analogy between target sports and skiing that I have been working on. It was initially purely a mental exercise (though the situation exists for me teaching both disciplines....) I thought that if I could logically identify the similarities in coaching these two seemingly unrelated sports and do it in a way that had merit...then I would be able to make analogies between almost any two activities that involved human beings......I found many commonalities. Many more than I thought existed...and some that I had to dig really deep for!....
But before I assail you guys with that lengthy inquisition, and only if your interested, Here are a few common analogies you may have heard before.

Skating: hockey or figure.
If you have ever pushed off the side of an ice skate's edge (not the toe gear on a figure skate) then you will be able to visualize skating on skis...and the sensations will be very similar.

Pedaling a bicycle: backwards.
helps with understanding skiing from outside ski to outside ski, and keeping your feet under your body mass. COM

Squeeze the lemon slices:
imagine lemon slices placed one, at the top of the tongue of your boot, the other at the top of the shaft of your boot....you can gently squeeze either one, but dont crush them....

Practice your penmanship:
what letter do most intermediate skiers leave in the snow? "Z" the shape of their turns or the tracks they leave in the snow look like "Z"s strung together. Work on turning those "Z"s into "C"s and then "S"s. (control speed through turn shape)

These are just a few simple examples.....Please add more if you like....or tell us something that has worked for you.....

JP

 

[LiquidFeet]

I taught a 70 year old novice skier once-a-week private lessons for a while. My goal was to get him to stop using upper body rotation and replace it with leg rotation under a somewhat stable upper body. The goal of all these lessons was to help him ski safely down from the main lift in front of the lodge with his friends who were skiers. He was permanently in the back seat; we got nowhere with that.

He had trouble with turning the legs without turning the hips and torso; it didn't make sense to him. I asked him if he remembered Chubby Checker doing the twist. He did! He lit up with a big smile. I asked him to do the twist, in boots, and he did. Then I said just twist the legs, not the upper body. Not perfect, but done!

And he skied down from the summit, without falling, after that, on our icy trails.
.

 

[Jilly]

My husband had a constant low and back hand position. One tactic is to ask the student to get on their bicycle and hold the handle bars. Didn't have a bike as kid, so no knowledge of that feeling. Another is pick up a case of 24, well if you're in Canada. DH just couldn't get (and he was a beer drinker). Finally one instructor asked him....What do you do for a living?....Carpenter!. Well pick up your wheelbarrow and lets go. Finally something he understood.

These conversations are important. The CSIA is promoting "customer service" and that is part of it.

 

[T-Square]

4 or 5 year old in a private lesson. His parents told me he was a locked in wedge skier and they wanted him to ski parallel. OK now I know their goal, how do I get that across to the kid?

As we are talking while walking and he looks at me and says, "Do you know Thomas?"

I start thinking, Thomas? Must be some kid in school. How should I know who the heck Thomas .... .... .... and it hits me. "You mean Thomas the Tank Engine?"

Sweet little voice says, "Yes."

And suddenly I had the lesson plan. We're going to make railroad tracks for Thomas. He was just thrilled. By the end of the lesson he had open stance parallel turns on our beginner area nailed. His parents could not believe it. For me it wasn't a lesson, it was just playing with a kid on snow.

Sometimes blind dumb luck provides the keys to a good lesson. You just have to be open to them and keep looking for them.

 

[john petersen]

you guys are making me smile!...no analogy there, just smiling.

JP

 

[Mendieta]

First private lesson, first ski day ever. The instructor starts asking what sports, if any we (family and I) played. It turns out, most of us played Basketball.

"Ok, you know this strong, flexed position before shooting a free throw? That's the athletic stance we ski on."

We were still in the gondola heading to the base, and I already had an idea of how I would stand on the skis

 

[David Mcc]

A lot of what I am trying to do with guest is to take away their edges, to keep them from pushing hard down on the ski like they are always hitting the brakes. One thing I mention is to use the skis like a butter knife and spread the peanut but gently over the bread , not rip at it and tear up the bread. I'll keep at them by telling them don't rip up our snow we need to preserve it. As they progress and spread the butter more their turn shape really ramps up.

 

[john petersen]

there are some great analogies for stance...

-athletic stance
-tennis "ready" stance
-hop and land ready

all point to being ready to move with versatility.....

while moving:
-bunny hops
-elephant hops
-tail hops
-tip hops
-foot hops



JP

 

[Kneale Brownson]

And do your hops without hopping.

 

[Stev]

^
All of these are great to hear.

I would ask my students what their favorite drink was. (Mine is carrot juice BTW.)
Next, to imagine that their ski boots were continuously filled to the top with their favorite drink.
We would pour our favorite drinks on to the snow to each side out of the top of our boots as we skied down the hill.
Talking about having drinks would also help most students relax along with rolling edge to edge on turns.

 

[oldschoolskier]

One of the things that I found out over the years is that sometimes individuals do not understand the terminology or concepts that we explain (sort of like a new language).

The solution I find is show them video of what they do (i.e. take video) and what they should do.

Now the concept is a personal visual and a new language begins for both the student and instructor.

One other thing, sometimes what feels right is wrong which makes changes wrong.

 

[JESinstr]

For those that are rushing their turns, I ask them to consider this:
You are driving down the road doing 30MPH and you see a stop sign ahead. What do you do?
First, you take your foot off the gas, then transfer it to the brake, then touch lightly and finally apply increasing pressure to a stop. So you spend 70 percent of the time preparing for the stop and 30 percent applying pressure.

Now if you are doing 60MPH and a deer jumps out in front of you, does the process change? No, it just has to happen in a faster time frame and that is what experience and skill level is all about.

 

[T-Square]

Ah, DIRT; duration, intensity, rate, and timing. Skiing remains the same, you just adjust the DIRT to meet the needs of the situation.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

The solution I find is show them video of what they do (i.e. take video) and what they should do.

Now the concept is a personal visual and a new language begins for both the student and instructor.

One other thing, sometimes what feels right is wrong which makes changes wrong.

Coach's Eye is a great app for phone or pad to help with this approach

 

[oldschoolskier]

Coach's Eye is a great app for phone or pad to help with this approach

Yes it is, have been using it for swimming for about 5years

 

[Tricia]

there are some great analogies for stance...

-athletic stance
-tennis "ready" stance
-hop and land ready

all point to being ready to move with versatility.....

while moving:
-bunny hops
-elephant hops
-tail hops
-tip hops
-foot hops



JP

Power position.

While taking a steeps clinic with Ingrid Backstrom and Jessica Sobolowski, one of the things she emphasized was keeping your upper body square to the fall line, with the athletic stance you speak of. Power Position.

 

[Jilly]

Power position.

While taking a steeps clinic with Ingrid Backstrom and Jessica Sobolowski, one of the things she emphasized was keeping your upper body square to the fall line, with the athletic stance you speak of. Power Position.

Maybe it's the women...Kathy Prophet (CSIA IV, women's edge camp leader) states the same thing....power position.

 

[Tricia]

Hmmmm, I don't think it's a women thing. I think it's a good analogy

 

[at_nyc]

"upper body square to the fall line"

A lot of students THOUGHT they were facing down the hill when they were not. They were only facing down the hill during the 2nd half of the turn. They turn AWAY from the fall line initiating the turn...

We were on a short stretch just above the base. The instructor went like: "See that small windmill on the roof of the building spinning in the wind slowly? Count the number of turns as you ski down". Well, if they turn away from the fall line part of the turn, they miss the rotating windmill!

Granted, a windmill at the bottom of the run is not a common thing. But any analogy to KEEP their eyes on the bottom of the run will help them not to turn their upper body away.

 

[Tricia]

Power position.

While taking a steeps clinic with Ingrid Backstrom and Jessica Sobolowski, one of the things she emphasized was keeping your upper body square to the fall line, with the athletic stance you speak of. Power Position.

Looking for something else, I found this video about The Countered Position. He demonstrates the Power Position when he has Jeff shove him in different positions.