JEM HALL

MOVE ON UP – WINDSURFING TECHNIQUE

HOW TO IMPROVE

As we looked at how best to learn and improve in our gybes last month I thought how do I actually get my ‘students’ and I to improve in all manner of moves. So this piece will look at how we can take action to actually improve our windsurfing skills.

Words  Jem Hall  //  Photos  Nicolas Jones, Dave White & Noah Garrett

www.jemhall.com

(This feature originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available.
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This is a reflection on how I went about it, what has been successful when coaching windies over the last 25 years and it also draws upon my involvement and mentoring of pro sailors. I will kick off with the fact that you have to actually WANT TO IMPROVE, and this is a different mindset entirely to just going sailing and getting that good old ‘time on the water.’ Improving is about ‘effective time on the water’ and to get that I will examine the skills we require in the three phases of pre-session, during your session and post-session.

PRE-SESSION.
This can be over a time period from months to days or even hours before you arrive at your sailing location. It is akin to planning your strategy and putting as much in place as possible so you can just work on targets, tuning and technique when at the beach. Let’s look at the different areas we can control and work on.

PSYCHOLOGY
It all starts with this! Your self-belief, your self-dialogue and your determination and focus are what get you to the next stages I examine of fitness and visualisation. Taking the time to realise you need a plan, actualising it and actually driving yourself to do fitness outside of windsurfing is what will make your sailing better. A positive self-dialogue is of paramount importance, think and internally say (sometimes externally can work too!) “I can, I shall, I will.” and apply it to the areas you are working on.