First GS Win for Shiffrin

First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby jbotti » Sat Oct 25, 2014 9:59 am

Tied for first today it Soelden with Anna Fenninger. Haven't seen it yet but you have to think it bodes well for her season. If she can start to podium regularly in GS and continue to dominate slalom she will be a contender for the overall.

http://skiracing.com/stories/tie-at-the ... fenninger/
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby Erik » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:52 pm

Mikaela's tie for top podium at Soelden prompted this piece http://skiracing.com/stories/shiffrin-in-soelden-from-good-skiing-to-fast-skiing/. I can imagine that many junior race coaches will read this piece and see it as license to skip the technical skills that they can't teach. Just let the kids go rip down the hill. The author seems to be saying that skill development and tactics come first, then discovering the edge of your ability to ski fast. If the real subject is "Developing strong technical skiers to ski faster", then maybe there is a place for such a discussion. More specifics are promised in further articles. But I'm not optimistic that it will be very applicable for most race programs as guidance on priorities about where they should spend their time.
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby h.harb » Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:40 pm

Erik, Your evaluation of the Jim Taylor's article is brilliant. That is exactly what I was going to post on that page. I saw the link today on my phone while driving so I wasn't able to respond immediately, but you said it. In the US, the last thing we need to do is start getting more aggressive with poor ski technique.

When you have excellent technique, you will be really to go all out, not before.
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby Spark » Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:35 am

The assumption behind the article is one of 'either/or' (either you are skiing good or you are skiing fast). The goal should be 'both/and' (you are skiing good and you are fast). Skiing fast as Jim Taylor describes it, is a perfect recipe for inconsistent performance results. Skiing good and fast is a perfect recipe for consistent performance that will result in a crystal globe. 'Fast skiing' is a desperation move that is attempting to compensate for incomplete skills development. The raggedness of a fast run is an indication that the skier is performing beyond the edge of their skills envelope, a nice place to explore for learning purposes, but not a great place to hang out for regular visits to the podium. Jim Taylor admires Bode Miller for doing it, yet Bode is the epitome of inconsistent performance.

Because PMTS is based on movements and resulting actions and not a cauldron of muddy thinking and black magic recipes, it is easier for PMTS skiers to see the fallacy of this 'skiing fast' argument.
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby DougD » Wed Oct 29, 2014 8:23 am

Totally agree with the evaluations above. Imagine applying Jim Taylor's (apparent) either/or coaching philosophy to a young F1 race driver... the results would be one catastrophic DNF after another. You can't constantly push a F1 car (or a GS ski) beyond the edge of your technical abilities and expect to finish tough courses. If you want to win often, the first requirement is to finish often.

As Spark noted, skiing over the edge is Bode's style and his legend will be one of inconsistency.

That's not to say skiing over the edge can't sometimes win, on even the toughest course. The classic example would be Klammer's Hahnenkamm gold in 1976.

But (subject to Harald's analysis) I believe Klammer had a base of good skills and was perfectly capable of skiing within them. I had the privilege of following him and Peter Schreier around Sugarbush for a day of free skiing, back in the 90s. Klammer was on SL boards and both Austrians were kind enough to take things (relatively) easy so we wannabes could keep up... mostly.

I skied right on Klammer's tails down several easy trails, slaloming through open glades at significant (for me) speeds. He moved with the perfect, efficient grace of a cat... amazing for a fairly big guy. Following his tails felt like water flowing downhill, fluid and effortless. Skiing like that required perfectly honed skills. His gung-ho attitude on race day was based on those skills, not in contradiction to them.
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby Max_501 » Wed Oct 29, 2014 7:23 pm

Why do so many PMTS students spend time reading non PMTS articles? How is that going to help you become a better skier?
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby jclayton » Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:34 pm

" Why do so many PMTS students spend time reading non PMTS articles? How is that going to help you become a better skier? "


Once born into this world as a naturally curious human being it is hard to kick the habit !

It is also nice to read other stuff and feel nicely superior and warm all over as a PMTSer .
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Re: First GS Win for Shiffrin

Postby jclayton » Sun Nov 02, 2014 1:34 pm

" Why do so many PMTS students spend time reading non PMTS articles? How is that going to help you become a better skier? "


Once born into this world as a naturally curious human being it is hard to kick the habit !

It is also nice to read other stuff and feel nicely superior and warm all over as a PMTSer .
skinut ,among other things
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