Are you critical?

[Rushski]

I am very crtitical - mostly self critical. If it's early and can see my firts tracks from the lift I'm usually a little easier on myself if they look like consistent turns.

When I play Vball I'm the same way, always cursing myself on a botched play.

 

[kingslug]

I'm an engineer as well but try not be one on the hill. I tend to analyze more on the bump runs because I'm always trying to improve in that area. True analyzation begins when I'm in a holy crap situation and fearing for my life. The woods at Solitude tend to do that to me every year.

 

[KevinF]

For the self-confessed "critical" types (and I admit I can be one as well)... What do you find yourself being critical of? i.e., are you thinking about your line selection? Or do you think more about technique, like where your weight is, if your feet were working together, etc?

 

[PA Ridge Racer]

For the self-confessed "critical" types (and I admit I can be one as well)... What do you find yourself being critical of? i.e., are you thinking about your line selection? Or do you think more about technique, like where your weight is, if your feet were working together, etc?

I think for me it's just about basics, pole plants, feet, hand positioning just overall form. It doesn't have to be perfect and I know it's probably far from that but it has to at least look respectable. In the bumps however, all bets are off. I just have to survive!

 

[mattchuck2]

Do you analyze your runs relentlessly on the chair or the ride home?

No.

In the grand scheme of things, who cares?

I mean, don't get me wrong, everyone is trying to get better. But really, is being critical of yourself going to make you a better skier? We are all good enough to know when we did something wrong and what we should have done instead. I don't see any reason to harp on something, just get up there and do it again.

And on the car ride home? Forget it. At that point I have definitely moved on. The point of skiing is to escape, not to consume yourself with a barrage of doubt about whether you skied that line well enough or not. Nobody else cares, why would you?

 

[2knees]

No.

In the grand scheme of things, who cares?

I mean, don't get me wrong, everyone is trying to get better. But really, is being critical of yourself going to make you a better skier? We are all good enough to know when we did something wrong and what we should have done instead. I don't see any reason to harp on something, just get up there and do it again.

And on the car ride home? Forget it. At that point I have definitely moved on. The point of skiing is to escape, not to consume yourself with a barrage of doubt about whether you skied that line well enough or not. Nobody else cares, why would you?

oh, you're right. what am i thinking. I should only care if someone else cares.

In the grand scheme of things, its summer and this is a skiing board. Its just a topic.

 

[mattchuck2]

oh, you're right. what am i thinking. I should only care if someone else cares.

In the grand scheme of things, its summer and this is a skiing board. Its just a topic.

Uhhhh ... yeah? And I was presenting the other side of the argument?

 

[millerm277]

I'm a bit critical while on the lifts, when I look down at the trails, I tend think that there was a better way to have skied it, but once I'm on the trail, I usually just go wherever the skis take me, I don't usually plan out the run unless there's some obstacle that I need to avoid (like exposed rock, bare patch...etc).

 

[2knees]

Uhhhh ... yeah? And I was presenting the other side of the argument?

what argument?

 

[Greg]

Do you analyze your runs relentlessly on the chair or the ride home? I yell at myself in the middle of a bump run if i feel like i'm getting backseat or lazy with my turns. Sometimes it seems like i'm never happy with the way a day turned out, technique wise.

Dont get me wrong, i still enjoy myself, but sometimes i think i take it too far.

Hypercritical at times. But usually it's during or just after the run. Once on the chair, it's like a clean slate and I focus on what I need to do the next run, not what I didn't do the last run. I never think about it on the ride home.

I'm a mogul skier. The answer is yes. :lol:

It's a disease of all serious mogul skiers, I think. We're always striving for perfection, so we are constantly critical. Even the top mogul skiers in the world are critical of their skiing, no matter how good a run was.

Right. In fact, I rarely am critical of my groomed trail skiing. I suppose I should be moreso as it will probably help in the bumps. Nailing a bump run T2B is so difficult and just adds to the appeal of bumps fo me.

 

[mattchuck2]

what argument?

The argument in the discussion that you wanted to foster in this thread?

That is the point, right? To ask a question that has a bunch of different answers and see how various people answer said question? You asked the question "are you critical of yourself?" and I answered "No." Then you seemed to get all defensive that I would answer your question in such a way.

I mean, aren't we supposed to have disagreements in a forum like this? Otherwise we'd have threads titled "Is Skiing Fun?", "Is The First Snow A Good Sign?" and "Do you like Powder days?" . . . You know, questions we can all agree on?

 

[Greg]

Then you seemed to get all defensive that I would answer your question in such a way.

That's the point. I think 2knees was just calling you out on your condescending tone... :roll:

 

[mattchuck2]

Oh . . .

Well, I didn't mean for it to come off as condescending.

I was just trying to generate debate.

 

[jarrodski]

never. on skis... that's all i really care about. Style, technique... it's all secondary, if it's there, whatever. Just let it out, who's competing?

 

[koreshot]

I think every skier that considers themselves advanced/expert is somewhat critical of themselves. There are very few people that can just ski for fun and pick up all the right technique, stance, line selection etc without even thinking about it. Most skiers need instruction, lessons, and/or repeated practice reinforcing proper technique until it becomes muscle memory. I am sure more than 50% of people on this forum that would consider themselves advanced/expert at some point or another mumbled to themselves as they skied down the hill - things like "hands foward" or "punch hands out on take off" or "finish the turn". I know I do.

What most people don't touch on is how they criticize others on the hill. There are two types of people here: those that criticize because of their own ego and those that criticize cause it helps them learn and not make the same mistakes.

I am probably the second type. While on the lift I routinely look at other skiers and criticize their technique. I mentally note what they are doing well or where their mistakes are so that I can keep drilling it into my head. I think observing other skiers can help big time - it is a poor man's version of video analysis and I have had a number of instructors who used other skiers to point out the proper and sometimes improper technique. It is not to make fun of others, it is to improve myself.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

Liftline trails are great 'cause you can constructively criticize those skiing underneath you from the safety and comfort of the chairlift.