Dear Roy, I usually have no problem remembering skydives if I’m in my A-slot but I find it much harder with slot switchers. I find I can’t really visualize it exactly in my head in the airplane, I have to rely on it being okay. Mostly it is but sometimes I lose it and brainlock. Do you have any tips? I have 1500 jumps and 500 of those were (more or less) with my current team, we are AAA and I am Point. Thank you, Marik
Train your brain
Hello Marik,
As a point or outside center, you will have lots of B slot jumps (for most continuity plans). This means that you have to visualize not only your A-slot, but also your B-slot just as much. What we want to accomplish is that there will be no difference any more whether you are flying in your A-slot or B-slot. Don’t think of it as A- or B-slot, we all just fly the front or the back piece. To make it easier in the beginning, study first your A-slot until it is really good and then do the same with your B-slot. The next step is to visualize the slot switchers. Once you manage this, you will become so much more confident and brainlock-proof, it will automatically boost your performance.
Take the time
When we start to learn it is important that we give ourselves time. This means when we creep a jump, we do it at a pace where we feel comfortable and see all the pictures. The same goes for the jumps in training. It is always better to go a bit slower, to have the time to learn and understand what we are doing, than to speed it up too soon and have insufficient control. I know that no-one likes to slow it down, but it is a small investment that will help the team a lot in the long run.
Visualize
In general we put so much focus on the technical part of flying that we forget that visualization is just as important as all the other skills we need to master. It takes time and practice to become good in it. The good thing is that this part doesn’t cost money. My advice is to do your homework regarding visualization, where you also can use videos as a training tool. With training, slow everything down until a speed where you are constantly in control and where you ‘see’ everything. This will take discipline from the whole team but it is the fastest way to get your gold medal!
More on this topic: Visualisation Article
Ask Rolls
Ask your burning 4-way question in the Comments box below for Roy: FS coaching Roy Janssen
