I came to this forum to learn something about foiling. I unexpectedly learned about something called “deliberate practice.” I became interested and read Anders Ericsson’s book Peak. I see no end to the things I can get better at by applying what I’ve learned about deliberate practice. First, I endeavor to foil following the principles of deliberate practice.
Ericsson writes that deliberate practice, as opposed to other methods of practice, is best suited to activities that have been around long enough for excellence to have distinguished itself from average performance. There must also be people who excel at both the activity and at teaching the methods that allowed them to achieve excellence. Or, as Ericsson said in his book Peak, "Deliberate practice is informed and guided by the best performers’ accomplishments and by an understanding of what these expert performers do to excel.”
It sounds like I need a teacher. Ericsson offers advice on how to go about choosing one. Basically, it must be someone who can teach, having skill in something does not make one a good teacher. They should be reasonably accomplished in the field, not the best, but have had some level of success. You’ll want to look into past performance. Talk with former students. It’s especially helpful to look into the practice drills they assign because, as Ericsson describes in Peak, "No matter how many sessions a week you have with an instructor, most of your effort will be spent practicing by yourself, doing exercises that your teacher has assigned.”
My particular situation presents challenges to finding such a teacher. There are accomplished foilers here, but they’re not necessarily teachers. I am considering signing up with Coach James Casey, but I have doubts about the efficacy of online coaching. It’s great if it’s all that’s available, but I’d sooner work with somebody in person.
I’ll let you know how my search for a teacher goes. It seems only fitting that I share what I’m learning about deliberate practice with all of you here on The Progression Project forum. It may be the encouragement I need to keep a written record of my progression, and maybe it’ll prove useful to others. It would be great if you all could share your foiling progression.
There is also a big risk of overthinking this. By far the biggest determinant of progression at a beginner step at anything is just getting out there and practicing. Learning something challenging takes time and it’s a humbling process.
For foiling specifically, beyond a few intro lessons, i honestly feel the best use of experienced advice as a beginner is how to not blow a bunch of money on the wrong gear early on (at least that would have benefited me)
Yep, I’m open to paying for lessons. Problem is there are no coaches near me, that I know of. There is a helpful community of foilers, many of which would be willimg to help me out. In fact, many already have, but I don’t want to ask too much of them. I also think a more formal arrangement would prove beneficial. For these reasons, I may end up going with the online option.
As for which foil discipline I want to learn, prone surfing and downwinding. I will use a Foil Drive as an assist.
You may be right, I could very well be overthinking it. Still, I want to learn more about deliberate practice and learning to foil happens to be currnt passion. According to Ericsson, co-author of Peak, deliberate practice, done correctly, can accelerate the learning process. Who wouldn’t want that?
As someone who has been in coach Casey club for awhile now. The huge benefit comes when you have footage of yourself each week for review. Posting the average sessions and the falls are what will help the most. Cherry picking the wins doesn’t really let you learn anything. Can’t coach it if it’s right.
If you don’t get video, well there is a huge resource of coaching modules and training plans that will give you specific drills and principles to follow. You also get to watch the best hour plus of foil content on the internet each week.
It’s pretty crazy that James has had two babies. Won a Hawaii race season. Competed and done well in another Hawaii race season. Run in person coaching weeks abroad, all while not missing the weekly coaching call. The guy gives everything to his students. That’s the lowest level of his coaching too. You can do individual plans too.
Where are you located? What is your water sports background? More importantly - Have you learned any new sports as an adult? Having previous experience conquering that vulnerability with another activity is honestly more important than the water sports aspect.
Another thing to add. If you’re just trying to learn for learnings sake, you’ll likely be among the group who learns and then stops completely within three years. When you plateau you’ll just move to another thing.
Learning with purpose may help learn quickly. But once you learn will you even want to do it anymore?
For me, when I approach a new sport it’s about visualization and focusing on the biomechanics of good form and power transfer. If you can dial in that process and move from beginner to good more quickly it really serves you well in life. I can pick up almost anything and be at a serviceable level almost immediately. It’s nice even if I’m just doing the thing for a day!
I’ve been plateaued at occasionally connecting the odd wave for a few years, and this past summer our family plan was to spend more time home where there are waves unlike our summer place. I was psyched to finally get the time in when I can where a 3/2. But then I tore my mcl in June and that plan went bye bye. I looked into getting lessons upon recovery but ended up getting a foil drive, which has been great for time on foil and time wave riding. If I travel this winter I’ll get lessons to make that time more helpful though.
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I have a couple of questions about Coach Casey that I couldn’t find on his website. Does the Basic Coach Casey Club membership include video analysis? I appears it doesn’t, but I’m a little unclear on this. If I can’t get face to face coaching, I at least want feedback on what I’m doing from my coach. I guess I’m asking what Coach Casey membership level includes video analysis? Appreciate your time.
I’m on the Big Island of Hawaii. I surf, SUP, paddle, but mostly surf. I guess you could say I’m a lifelong learner. Even my surfing began in earnest when I was 30y.o., I’m in mid-50s now.
Yes, that’s exactly what I aim to do. I need a mental representation of good biomechanics. I need a mental representation of good power transfer. I guess mental representation is like visualization, but there seems to be more to it than visualizing. This is a part of deliberate practice I’m not entirely clear on. Let’s assume for now the two are the same, that we are talking about visualizing biomechanics of good form and power transfer. Who would you look to as an example of these? And once I have a mental representation of these, I feel like a coach, or at the very least a video camera, could give me the analysis, the feedback, I need to refine my form to match that of the representation.
Sorry to hear about your torn MCL. I’m recovering from a neck-shoulder thingy. It’s made surfing near impossible. Foiling with a Foil Drive is allowing me to get back in the water. Has Foil Drive taken the place of lessons for you? The few sessions I’ve had on the FD I’ve managed to get up and motor around, but I feel coaching would help me progress faster and further.
It’s cold here in Maine now so progressing is out, just maintaining. Travel is hard to find time for so I’d like it to be efficient as far as progress so lessons. But first session in waves on fd I made more real turns on one wave than all previous prone sessions. So much practice exciting waves too.
Basic membership allows access to all his training plans. The private facebook page where everyone posts their questions and wins for the week. The weekly coaching call where he breaks down everyone’s video questions for the week. The call is meant to last an hour. It’s always longer than that because he’s generous with his time. Everyone learns as a group. If someone else’s video makes you think of a question ask about it then. If you miss the live call, watch the replay which has time stamps to let you get to your question quickly.
If you want your video reviewed. You just upload the clip/clips to the facebook page. Maybe 1-3 minutes of video per person and he’ll go through it. (John Madden style with a telestrator and replay/slow mo. Check back on his YouTube page to see examples of this) Could be anywhere from 5-15 questions each week.
He coaches all aspects of foiling. Prone, Wing, SUP, DW, FD. Occasionally you’ll even get a regular old standard SUP guy in there preparing for a race or something like that. I’ve even put in tow boogie footage of myself haha. Edo joined Casey Club prior to M2O a couple years ago. Edo won this year Coincidence?
Maine, I imagine it is cold up there this time of year. Do you get water year round? So…I wanted to ask you about your FD experience. I’m curious how many people actually use Foil Drive as an assist. I haven’t had much time on it, nor have I spent much time watching others use it, but it seems that the motor is going most of the time. It’s probably my lack of skill, but the minute I let up on the trigger, my board is touching down. Maybe I glide a little bit here and there, but not what I would have expected. Like I said, it’s likely my inexperience to blame. My goal is to use FD as an assist only.
Coincidence? 