Drill Rick Schnellmann's DVDs and Drill cards

[marjoram_sage]

Based on the positive endorsement by @LiquidFeet and @TheArchitect, I got Rick Schnellmann's DVDs (https://www.yourskicoach.com) . I watched the basic edging and balance DVDs and I enjoyed the explanations and my skiing improved by putting those techniques in practice. I appreciate the amount of thought Rick has put into developing the videos and drills. The production quality is not great but the content is worthwhile. I have taken in person ski lessons and often received conflicting instruction. All my lessons have been at different locations with different instructors (Heavenly, Keystone, Beaver Creek) . Since there are no "lecture notes" given with the lessons, it's easy to forget what you were taught. I feel like Rick's instruction has changed my perception of ski lessons and I now doubt the effectiveness of taking a random lesson from a random instructor. I did that and it has helped me go from beginner to upper intermediate but I doubt that approach will help me get to advanced level. It makes sense to take a series of lessons in a program with consistent teaching techniques. I'm guessing multi day or weekend series offered by many resorts are more effective in improving skiing than a one off lesson.

I'm looking at Grand Targhee's Powder camp and Taos ski week to take my skiing to next level. Squaw Alpine also has a lesson series. I'm curious to know if this is the right way to proceed.

 

[VickieH]

Thanks for your feedback on the DVDs. I'm getting them myself to fix some foundational problems in my skiing.

I now doubt the effectiveness of taking a random lesson from a random instructor

I've been coming to this conclusion as well.

 

[graham418]

All my lessons have been at different locations with different instructors (Heavenly, Keystone, Beaver Creek) . Since there are no "lecture notes" given with the lessons, it's easy to forget what you were taught. I feel like Rick's instruction has changed my perception of ski lessons and I now doubt the effectiveness of taking a random lesson from a random instructor. I did that and it has helped me go from beginner to upper intermediate but I doubt that approach will help me get to advanced level. It makes sense to take a series of lessons in a program with consistent teaching techniques. I'm guessing multi day or weekend series offered by many resorts are more effective in improving skiing than a one off lesson.

Like doctors and auto mechanics, some are better than others. And others that are very good may not 'speak' to you in the sense that youre not picking up what they are trying to say.
When you find an instructor that teaches to you in the way that you learn, its a eureka moment, and you'll know right away. Keep taking the lessons . Multi-day is best, and I would even say that group lessons are good, provided the group is all at the same level, not too large, and the instructor can find common ground to teach, and give individual feedback. (I know someone will say that group lessons are no good, for those reasons)

 

[Steve]

Rick's DVDs are great, I like that he stresses steered turns before carving, very good way to develop all around skills.

There are however imo a bit too many drills and it's a bit overwhelming. I prefer more focused training on less things at once, so to get through even one DVD would take a lot of days on the hill.

So I look at the DVD's (and very cool associated laminated cards of the drills that he sells) more as an Encyclopedia of ski improvement drills, than as a developmental program, although if you had the time, focus and discipline to go through all of it, your skills would probably be pretty amazing at the end.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

I'm looking at Grand Targhee's Powder camp and Taos ski week to take my skiing to next level. Squaw Alpine also has a lesson series. I'm curious to know if this is the right way to proceed.

Any program that gives you multiple lessons with the same instructor is likely to help you the most. What Rick's DVD/cards don't give you is feedback from a trained eye.

Do you ski somewhere local to you? If so, check with the ski school there to see if they offer a multiple-day lesson program.

 

[TheArchitect]

I agree that there are a lot of drills but what I've found is that once you've done the full set you can hone in on a sub-set to practice for ongoing maintenance. I mentioned in the other thread that if a "main drill" has multiple components Rick isolates each so you can practice them individually before doing the main one. IOW, if a drill has 3 components (a+b+c = "main drill") he has a drill for each component before doing the main one. Once you've done a/b/c enough you can skip them and just do the "main drill". For the Basic Balancing DVD there is somewhere around 30 drills but after going through them I only do 6-8 for ongoing maintenance.

The content of the DVD's and cards have improved my skiing and have been worth the money. They may not work for everyone but they work for me. I've watched and learned from random YouTube videos, and advice from my fellow Pugs, but most of the improvement to this point is based on Rick's drills.

I agree that they aren't a substitute for lessons with a good instructor and getting feedback. They do have value overall, though.

 

[Steve]

That's great to hear @TheArchitect hopefully you've shared this with Rick. He has a facebook group under the name of skier village.

 

[marjoram_sage]

Any program that gives you multiple lessons with the same instructor is likely to help you the most. What Rick's DVD/cards don't give you is feedback from a trained eye.

Do you ski somewhere local to you? If so, check with the ski school there to see if they offer a multiple-day lesson program.

I haven't found a local mountain that I can visit consistently. I will do some research into Tahoe resorts that offer a lesson progression. The Epic pass places don't have a lesson progression.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Breck and Keystone are the only Vail resorts with season lesson plans, unfortunately.

 

[TheArchitect]

That's great to hear @TheArchitect hopefully you've shared this with Rick. He has a facebook group under the name of skier village.

Yeah, I probably should do that.

 

[dbostedo]

You might be interested in this thread :

https://www.pugski.com/threads/tell-us-about-your-taos-ski-week.14058/

 

[James]

Get thee to Taos!

 

[Kneale Brownson]

That's great to hear @TheArchitect hopefully you've shared this with Rick. He has a facebook group under the name of skier village.

Don't know if they're still using their website: http://www.skiervillage.com/forum.php

 

[VickieH]

I should soon be starting the Basic Balance and Basic Edging ... 3 hours and 3 minutes of video. I referred to it to Rick as the "3-hour tour". I fully expect it will deliver on that.

 

[Steve]

Don't know if they're still using their website: http://www.skiervillage.com/forum.php

I was one of the founders of that site and I'm surprised to see it's still online. As far as I know it's not active, at least not by Rick and some of the others that started it.

 

[MarkP]

I should soon be starting the Basic Balance and Basic Edging ... 3 hours and 3 minutes of video. I referred to it to Rick as the "3-hour tour". I fully expect it will deliver on that.

My recollection is the terrain of the original "3-hour tour" called for skis of a different sort.