4 Tips For Visualizing Tricks

A new year brings new opportunities for you to set goals and accomplish them. Where there tricks or skills you learned last year that you were stoked about? What tricks and skills do you want to master this year?

We recently gave you some Goal Setting Tips to get you thinking of the goals you want to achieve in 2018. Visualizing your goals will help you achieve them faster. That's where the following 4 Tips for Visualizing Tricks comes in:

1. Progressive Steps

You might like to write your own snowboard goal(s) down and follow along with this blog. Put your goals somewhere you'll see everyday so you stay on task. As an example snowboarding goal, we're going to Stomp a Backside 360 off a medium jump by April 1st!

It's important to take small and measurable steps towards your goal, so you can see the progressive steps you need to take. Writing goals down has been found to improve goal visualization and achievement.

Eg. Stomp a Backside 360 off a medium jump by April 1st

1. Watch "How to Backside 360" tutorials
2. Be able to land all four 180's on flat ground (front, back, switch front, switch back)
3. Traverse across a run and spin a Backside 360 on flat ground
4. Spin Backside 360's off side hits and rollers
5. Be able to land all four 180's off small park jumps (front, back, switch front, switch back)
6. Land all four 180's off medium park jumps (front, back, switch front, switch back)
7. Land clean Backside 360's on small park jumps, consistently.
8. Achieve your goal by landing a Backside 360 on a medium feature!

You Must See It Before It Actually Happens. Start Small.

2. What Does Your Snowboard Goal Look Like?

Studies show that the more you can see and feel something you want to happen, the more likely it will happen!

You should be able to visualize yourself going through the motions and mechanics of your snowboard goal, from your point of view (POV). Visualization holds the key to improved performance. We will use a Backside 360 off a park jump again for an example: 

1. Approach - Visualize the jump and your set up turns, as you approach the lip.
2. Take Off - Visualize your pre-wind, take off, then styling out your trick in the air
3. Landing - Visualize spotting, then stomping your landing
4. Ride Away - Visualize riding away clean, then throwing your hands in the air with a big smile on your face and your buddies hooting and hollering.

3. What Does Your Snowboard Goal Feel Like?

What do you feel when achieving your snowboard goal? What muscles are you using? What edges are you using to turn, take off or land with? It's very important to not only see, but feel what achieving your goal is like. Break it down, step by step. Let's use the Backside 360 again for an example:

When ready, take it to the next level.

1. Approach - Feel the wind and speed going into the jump. Feel your toe edge ripping through the snow as you approach feeling pumped! Heel side turn towards the middle of the jump, then time your slight toe edge turn as you pre-wind and load your spin.
2. Take Off - Feel yourself explode off the lip, feeling the torque your body has generated. Pull your knees up and grab your board. Feel that awesome weightlessness.
3. Landing - Turn your head during the last part of the rotation and spot your landing. Put your landing gears down and feel both feet evenly stomp the landing (bolts).
4. Ride Away - Feel STOKED!

4. Trouble Seeing It?

You have taken the progressive steps towards your goal and visualized it over and over, it seems so close you can taste it. However, when it comes to attempting your trick or skill, it may still feel unattainable. What else do you need to do?

In Classroom Training

Two main things to work on at home:

1. Start by watching "How To" tutorials as a way to get your head wrapped around your trick. As you are watching the tutorial, write down what you notice about different aspects of the trick and how it will help you stomp it.

2. Get a buddy to film you attempting your goal. Seeing your attempts will help show you the areas of the trick or skill you need to improve on and the areas you've got dialled. Once you know where you need to improve on, follow these steps again with that area in focus. 

Off Mountain Training

People sometimes forget that you can do sooooo much training off the mountain for snowboarding! It will make your time on the hill much more beneficial and less of a challenge.

If you need to get fitter, having a gym membership to get your body in shape to increase strength and endurance will not only help your riding, but reduce your chance of injuries. Invest in tools that will help you develop the right muscles that will make you a better snowboarder. Do you have training equipment to practice spins and flips on a trampoline? Do you have balance tools and a jib training setup? Working on your air awareness and jib game will help your freestyle riding, make it easier to visualize new tricks and build on your fundamental riding skills. 

Your daily and weekly actions don't need to be very big. They just need to be small steps that add up to the big picture. Plan your week/month/year out for success and write a plan into your calendar, so your goals become actionable:

• Workout at the gym (2 days) - Monday and Thursday
• Training Board (1 Tramp Day and 1 Jib Day) - Tuesday and Friday
• Rest day (1 day) - Wednesday
• On the slopes (2 days) - Saturday & Sunday

Once you have your S.M.A.R.T. Goal, take ACTION. 

On Mountain

Visualization will help your goal but it won't achieve it. There is nothing that can substitute hard work and persistence. Work on your goal every day is the only way to achieve your goal.

Make A New Years Shredsolution 

Make 2018 the year you chase the snow and go bigger! That doesn't mean you need to throw a quad cork (unless you are ready). It just means to improve your riding a little bit more every time you're on the slopes. Happy shredding and stay safe out there. 

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Jesse-Ray Townsend
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding