{"id":17860,"date":"2017-11-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=17860"},"modified":"2020-03-20T12:23:04","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T12:23:04","slug":"2017-11-30-dansmagic-15-block-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2017-11-30-dansmagic-15-block-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan’sMagic 15 – Block Training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The fifteenth chapter in Dan BC\u2019s 4-way manual\u2026<\/strong> Blocks in stage drills<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\"Understanding
Understanding how to use the midpoint picture will ensure you land every block<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With each block it is important to understand the technically perfect move. Understanding it is fairly simple. Executing it is another story. Even the best teams with thousands of jumps together don\u2019t do the blocks perfectly every time. But their blocks are still good even when they are executed less than 100% technically correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MIDPOINT PICTURES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Training so that even your worst blocks are still good is accomplished by having a midpoint picture in the block, which defines where the block is actually going to close and what you need to do to make it close there. By recognizing this mid-picture you are able to make any adjustments necessary to compensate for a less than perfect block execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All teams know the technically correct move. This information is readily available through many coaches and published works. All teams plan to, and usually think they do, the technically correct move every time. But one time they close the block, the next time they miss the close, and they don\u2019t know what they did differently. Few teams understand how to use the midpoint picture. They fly through this midpoint picture when they execute the block but they don\u2019t recognize it or use it to define the closing spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing this mid-picture, you make adjustments to compensate for less than perfect block execution”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Using the midpoint pictures will not necessarily make your best block times any faster. But it will absolutely make your worst blocks much better. You won\u2019t have bad blocks any more. A technically incorrect block will still be good and a technically correct one will be even better. But there won\u2019t be any that get away from you. Take for example 4-Way Block 21, ZigZag \u2013 Marquis. The technically correct move is basically to spin the pieces in place. The centers drive out, outside flyers drive in, spin the pieces and close them. That sounds good but if you are a foot off one way or the other you may go right past, land on top of, or slam head to head into each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There won\u2019t be any blocks that get away from you”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"By
By reading the midpoint, even if it’s not ideal, everyone knows where the block
is going to close<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The midpoint picture of Block 21 is when the outside flyers are crossing legs. The center point between them defines the spot where the pieces need to close. This holds true even if when they cross they are right on top of each other in a deep vertical or ten feet apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider these two situations caused by different technical errors. If when they cross the outside flyers are ten feet apart they will see the spot between them and they know that they both need to pull their pieces back five feet to meet at the closing spot. If they have a very deep vertical cross they will see that to meet at the closing spot they will need to pull the pieces away from each other. These two different technical errors could happen for a number of reasons, but either way the team is aware of the situation at the midpoint picture. They have it totally under control and there is never a doubt of whether the block is going to close. It will close because they have seen what they have to do to make it close. In the worst case scenario the block still completes at an acceptable speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By completely stopping at the midpoint picture we can take a good look at it”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The team comes to a dead stop at the midpoint picture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The best way to train most of the blocks is similar to the stop drills on randoms<\/a>. We do this by breaking the block into two stages. On the first stage we do the first half of the move aggressively and stop dead in our tracks at the midpoint picture. Stop long enough to take a mental photograph of it. See exactly where the block is going to close. Key it to start the second stage of the move and fly aggressively straight to the defined closing spot. Always start and stop both the stages with on-the-line power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"When
When the team can see the closing point they start to move aggressively to that point<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The correct time to start the second stage of the move is when we can see exactly where the block is going to close. By completely stopping at the midpoint picture we have the opportunity to take a good look at it. The more familiar we become with this picture the easier it is to identify it. Soon we are able to start the second stage sooner because we are able to recognize the closing spot sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The block closes perfectly even with an imperfect block move
because everyone flies to the closing point<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It won\u2019t take long before we are able to see the closing spot as we continue through that point and will no longer have to actually stop there. With enough repetition we are able to begin the second stage so early that it appears on video as one continuous movement even when we are still thinking of it in the two stages.<\/p>\n\n\n


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