Progression Ski Racing

Humans are hardwired to be copy machines. Babies learn from copying parents and siblings. The same neurons that fire in someone’s brain when they do something will also fire in your own brain when you simply watch them do it! They’re called mirror neurons, and like many important scientific discoveries, they were discovered by accident. Monkeys in the lab of neurophysiologist Giacomo Rizzolatti were wired up so scientists could discover which parts of the brain were active when the monkey picked up a peanut. During a break, the monkey—still wired up—watched closely as a researcher picked up and ate one of the peanuts. Everyone was shocked when they saw the same neurons fire in the monkey’s brain as she merely watched the researcher pick up the peanut.

 
After further research, scientists discovered that we humans have another mirror neuron system that encodes not only the task, but how the task is done. Watch and learn. Mirror neurons are one reason why it’s crucial that you watch experts train and perform, because even simply watching them is training your brain. The more familiar you are with a task, the more of your own neurons fire when you watch someone else do it. When you watch, vary your focus as you watch: spend some time focused on the big, overall picture, and then slow it down and zoom in to scrutinize the finer details. Watch a top athletes in a race and then watch it again, slowing it down and focusing in on the best turns they make. Be selective, review only the best turns; World Cup champions make mistakes too. Then watch again and focus your attention on the specific parts of the turn that you are working on; for instance, working on the transition in GS. The next step is the most important part to duplicating the skill you are watching. Close your eyes and watch it in your head. Force your brain to fire that circuit in your head. Refine it and repeat it.