Robbie Blog 2

Winning the Session!

Something that has always fascinated me is what makes people good at whatever they choose to do. When we see amazing artists, musicians and athletes doing what it is that they do best, how is it that they came to be in this state? I’ve been immersing myself in literature recently in an attempt to find out more. As someone who is always on the lookout for anything that will give me (and my pupils) an added boost in performance on the wall, this area of understanding is of much interest to me.

My good friend and faithful photographer, Will Carroll and I were sitting down to lunch the other day discussing our next photo-shoot when he suggested a new book for me to check out. The book is called “The Talent Code” and is written by Daniel Coyle. I searched on google and came up with the authors website and blog. Intrigued to see what words of wisdom this guy may have imparted, i began to read. Not long into the blog I came across a video of an American football coach discussing his thoughts during a day of coaching with his team whilst in the gym. He says that amongst the team there on the day where a multitude of different levels, at different stages of the athletic ladder i.e. kids in their early teens to those in their early 20′s. Now everyone in the group was a good athlete, but some would fall by the wayside whilst other achieved their potential in the sport, but why is this? Many turn to science and quote superior genetics as a major factor, however the coach (Vern Gambetta) stated that the players whose focus was on the session and not elsewhere got the best out of each days training and improved the quickest.

This is something I am very familiar with now having read a number of interesting books about this particular notion of “focussed” practice makes perfect. I am also very aware of this as a coach who coaches kids and adults across a wide range of abilities and personalities.

Gambetta states that there were three main levels of focus you can have towards a training session.

Level 1: Ticking the Box

You basically do the minimum necessary by showing up, doing as your told on your training program and ticking every box as it comes along. A climbing example could be completing 20 problems but choosing only those problems that you either had totally wired or knew you could do with the least amount of effort.

Level 2: Looking for Weaknesses

You show up and do the session but actively look for areas of weakness. You structure your training to better improve these areas in future sessions. A climbing example could be doing the above but actively looking for problems in your circuit that challenge you rather than ones that you find easy.

Level 3: Winning the Session

This is again the next step up in which you do all of the above except give every performance your utmost attention, concentration and effort. You critique everything you do, analysing in depth every performance during your session to get the most out of it. You treat every session as if your goals and ambitions will be fruitless without total dedication to every facet of it. A climbing example would be to route read every route/boulder you climb, attempt each one with the white hot intensity of Adam Ondra’s tantrums until you top or fall, analyse every detail of your performance and learn from it as if its teaching you the most important lesson you’ll ever learn.

Like Daniel Coyle wrote in his blog, I really like Gambetta’s style here. He has listed the type of sessions we have into distinct levels which I can clearly identify with. I’d like to say that I am at level 3 every time, but that just isn’t true, however if we can reach this level 70-90% of the time then I think we are on for a winner.

It also highlights the one thing that I tell all my clients, the only way to get better is by “focussed” practice. Without this key “focus” any amount of practice will not make the big differences. Like Gambetta says in his video, anything you do will make you better, however its the way in which you do it that makes you the best!

Check out the video here of Mr Gambetta (Legend!)