When is the last time you hit the water with a single goal in mind for your set? It is crucial to have a plan of attack when you hit the water. By going out there with a set plan it allows you to be productive every time. There are lots of great keys you can focus on but let's go over three simple things that are sure to improve your sets!
Speed Maintenance
Maintaining the same speed from your gate pullout throughout the entire course is an absolute must. By keeping the speed throughout the pass you allow yourself to move up the boat with freedom and ease. Carrying speed through the turn is tough but not as hard as people make it. By continually moving outbound off the second wake you are able to effectively prevent yourself from standing stagnant and unbalanced on your ski. Anytime you are riding flat on your ski it causes you to lose the rope and fall inside, losing speed in the process. Work on moving away into the turn all the way to the point where you turn back in on the bouy.
Balance
If you are riding your ski in an unbalanced position it is extremely hard to make progression in the course. It is also hard to establish a connected position in the middle of a pass. Before you pull out for the gates makes sure you are riding your ski in an in-line position. Being in-line requires that you are balanced with your shoulders over your hips and your hips over your feet. Starting from this spot allows everything to move together in the same position at the same time. By moving together at the same time you are more effective on your ski. This also helps you move with fluidity during your pass, maximizing balance.
Line Tension
Skiing with a tight line is critical especially as the rope gets shorter. With a tight line it is possible to move through the turn with speed. Without a tight line you are forced to wait at the bouy for the line to get tight before moving through the turn. To maintain line tension you must be aware of the direction you are taking at all times. Similar to speed maintenance you don't want to lose direction off the second wake. After you make a balanced move away from the boat be aware of what your hands are doing. If your hands stop moving away they are more than likely going back towards the boat. Work on effectively keeping two hands on the handle longer. This will keep you more balanced on your ski as well as keep you moving away from the boat with a tight rope. When your free hand comes off, move it away from your body while simultaneously moving your handle hand constantly away from the boat until it's time to turn. When turning, reconnect your hands with your core while carrying speed cross course to optimize tight line skiing.
Focusing on simple keys like the ones above during your set allows you to zero in a specific point in your skiing and perfect it. When taking sets with such a specific goal in mind it is important to judge your set on how well you completed your goal as opposed to how many bouys you ran. It is still important to have sets in which you run up the rope and maximize your bouy count but having sets in which you focus on important keys allows your skiing to reach full its potential.