Public jumps and drops course

Martin, Tom, Chris and Mark joined me for my jumps and drops public session at the Herts skills area. I set about immediately installing the physical skill set that comprises the push technique that un weights the front wheel. i worked on the missing skills in all four riders before moving onto the drop technique. Here I used the 3 drops that are side by side and using the skill set each rider rode and landed perfectly in a short space of time. I began working with them on their mental approach to riding and their own mental skill set. Gradually all four of them rode all 3 drops comfortably. Things were coming along nicely! I then got them to ride the drops in pairs and also as a group to replicate being out on the trails with riders in your peripheral vision.
Next, I worked with them on linking drops into corners to once again replicate trail situations.
Jumping was next on the list, but before the table top I used the up slope on the coaching trail to first get the riders to get airborne without the worry of a transition to land on. Only after everyone was comfortable there did I move to the table top.
By controlling the riders speed it enables the riders to focus on the remaining physical skills required and also keeps them safe so that gradually as I sprinkle speed in everyone cleared the 6ft tabletop perfectly. Using the mental skills, the riders moved across to the gap section of the jump and once again , all landed perfectly. Chris asked how to tweak the bike in the air and style it so I explained how and he was off skyward with style! Once again, I used the trail above the jump to replicate trail riding conditions as I got the riders to all use their own speed judgment to clear whichever side of the jump they wanted to.




I then moved us all back to the drop technique and applied it to a small wooden ladder drop. They applied the push in this new context and all rode away strong and smooth. Finally, we moved onto a part of the wooden construction that required each rider to ride along a ladder that climbed gradually and then drop off the end.


This concluded our session and I called a halt as fatigue began to show but the smiles were beaming!
Thank you for being part of a great session!