Winter Haven, Fl. February 16, 2005 Perfect Practice

One of the greatest joys I have is showing others how barefooting can be so much fun. Most people seem to think that you need to have a concussion to have had a good set, but that is definitely old school thinking.

Whether skiing myself or teaching others, my goal is always the perfect practice. What is the perfect practice? It is when you get to enjoy all the adrenalin rush that barefooting has to offer without any of the pain that comes from making a mistake. It is the ultimate rush and it should become your goal also.

Achieving the perfect ski set (skiing without falling while improving your performance) will not always happen, but it should be strived for. The good news is that it is possible if you take the time to plan properly.

Skiing the perfect set requires balancing several factors;

#1 Your current condition - are you in good barefooting shape or just starting out...Or maybe it has been a long time since your last set. Do you feel strong and healthy? Loose and flexible? Do you feel tight in your muscles and in a big rush because your mind is somewhere else? Are you coming off of an injury? Was your last barefooting experience a positive one or a crushing defeat that requires you to slowly build your confidence?

#2 Water conditions - great water definitely improves the chances of having the perfect set, but you can have a perfect set in horrible water as long as you choose wisely what you do during your set. Attempting your most difficult trick right off the bat... at a high rate of speed... and in rough water is the perfect formula for a 911 set!!!! This is the opposite of what we are aiming for in the perfect practice!

#3 Skill Level - This is one of the most common mistakes. If you do not know the right baby steps to take, you will train yourself into a rut and the quality of your practice as well as the enjoyment you get out of it will be diminished.

What does this mean, baby steps? Every sport and every discipline has an order that produces the best results when followed. Although I try to be somewhat flexible based on each individual's motivation, the order I have outlined in my 2 hour instructional video has proven to have the best results in the world...Guaranteed!

If you are not sure what to practice and need more help feel free to email me at lane@lanedawg.com and I will try to guide you for free!

Learning to balance these three considerations will bring you to the Nirvana of perfect Practice. To get their will also require learning to dry land practice to perfection as I explain in my Virtual Ski School

You will also need to learn the correct way to use shoe skis such as my Puppy Paws in order to progress to the ultimate perfect practice on your feet.

Do not get frustrated with this process as every barefooter regardless of level is always making adjustments to try to achieve this process. You will know you are getting the hang of it when you are falling dramatically less while learning dramatically more!

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