How could I use Proper Learning to learn to do a kickflip on a skateboard or something that involves arial competence?

Review the section in the manual on training and know-how, for acquiring new skills. Alternate between mental and real time practice of the skill you are trying to learn. Mental training means training the brain by visualizing yourself performing the skill.

Remember, with anything new you want to learn how to "do," one part of your brain needs to learn to do it by building the neural pathways, while the other part of your brain has to learn to coordinate the specific muscles that you'll use.

Keep in mind that a few short sessions, switching back and forth between real time and mental rehearsal, is more effective than one long session.

If I were to try and do a kicklip in slow motion mentally, i'd have to use my hands or something to hold it up... Doesn't this make a difference in the construction?

Doing it slow motion mentally is like watching a slow motion replay so while playing it our in your minds eye you're doing an action exactly as you would do it in reality. The action in the mind will take say 10 seconds to play out in your minds eye and when you go our and do it, it really only takes 2 seconds.

You could also grab some videos of people doing the tricks and visualise yourself in their place... play it in slow motion too.

Alex

I'm sorry, that wasent what I was trying to ask but it does answer my question about why visualizin happens so fast for me... I meant to say that doing it in reality I would have to use my hands to get it in the air in order for slow motion... Does that make a difference in the reconstruction?

[This message has been edited by gelvecron (edited September 26, 2003).]

Mental rehearsal is great because you do everything exactly as you need and when you need in your minds eye, feeling, seeing, hearing and doing everything you would normally do in actual physical reality and getting it right over and over again.

Your mind takes these images and sensations and when you do them in reality it makes the adjustments to help you get the end result you want.

So if at some point in excuting a back flip you need to grab the board (you know this from observing others do it) you'll see, feel, hear and do it in your mental rehearsal too.

Mentally you replay successful attemps whether your own or someone elses, from the point of view that you are doing it. The more often you rehearse the easier it becomes to feel it as an experience. When you go out an actually do it you'll pull in the successful parts and keep adjusting until the timing of all your actions is right. That's why it's best to alternate between mental rehearsal and really doing it. Really doing it makes your mental rehearsals more real and your mental rehearsals train you to take the right action in the right order at the right time to get the end result you visualise.

Alex

thnx Alexk!!!

also one thing that I have found useful in physical/aerial learning:

If you always tend to make the same mistake at one point (overkill, not far enough, too much/too little pressure), try making the opposite mistake a few times so as to stop reinforcing the wrong synaptic pathway, and create new ones that take you in the right direction by going too far. you may find it easier to find a happy middle.

I have applied this in
-juggling (i suck, but I can juggle three objects)
-acrobatics (very effective for handstands, less effective for flips and more dangerous manouvers, because I didn't trust my coach to catch me)
-trampoline

I wish to apply this and other learning techniques to:
-Rollerskating
-Skateboarding

It already started snowing though, last week, so now I will have to wait until may or june

Thnx kosmik, i'm going to do that.

Hey guys, quick question... whats tha average time for each learning unit? I usually spend between 10 and 15 minutes... is that enuff?

That's been written up as being enough time for many subjects. See what works. Mental focus becomes harder to maintain much longer than that. Going as long as you feel absorbed should be fine.

Alex