The Learning Curve
Dominator

Remember in any learning curve, you have great improvement at first and then the improvement starts to level off and your improvement isn’t as dramatic. You might also find some drop in ability. What will happen is that the all of a sudden your improvement will get back to where it was and then some, so don’t fret!

think of a child first learning to talk, the words comeout like running water and the smiles on your kid’s face as they speak is exciting for them and for you. Then it slows down a bit. The same with learning a skill like Dice Control. This drop in improvement is the point where many say that I just can’t get better, or worse, it was just coincidence that it worked the first time.

So just keep practicing and you will see the improvement grow again.

I would be interested in hearing what has happened to the learning curve of some of our recent students

Dominator

Alex responds

Great advice Dominator. I noticed when I was playing golf that after a few lesons I had dramatic improvement then I leveled off and actually backslid. However, I just kept working on my form and I am now better than I have ever been. I still stink but not as badly!

Double Down Dave responds

In the early stages of any new activity the results are often dramatic because you are starting nowhere and getting somewhere. But as you practice and get better it takes more and more effort to increase in little increments. I used to lift weights and I found that in the beginning I made incredible leaps in what I could lift but as time went on and I got stronger, my leaps were less because the weight was much more.

DJ responds

Thanks Dom, great stuff.

What is frustrating and sometimes discouraging is that you practice and practice, but the same mistakes or results keep coming.

When this happens, I think I’m using the right technique. But then I’ll see another post, or reread part of Sharpshooter’s book, and realize that I need to adjust this or that.
That’s usually when the breakthrough’s come, and I’ll have an especially good practice.

But then, poor results crop up again, and I have to re-evaluate again, or read or research.

Also, after a bad practice session it "gets into my head" and my next session can be flawed.

I sound like a real nut-bag here, but trying to clear one’s mind, while paying attention to the detail of technique can be a big challenge.

Regards again,
DJ

Double Down Dave responds

I have the exact same thing. Frank calls dice control a performance activity and he’s right. Like any performer or athlete, you are not always on top of your game. You just have to hope that you iron most of the kinks out during practice instead of seeing them appear in the games.

Dominator responds

The problem with any athletic endeavor, and IMHO dice control and throwing is an athletic endeavor, is that if you are off a little your throw will not be right. That is why I say that the art of throwing the dice is 20 technical and 80% mental. Having an empty mind is what you have to strive for during your practice and real shooting
Dominator

Pit Boss responds

Hi Guys:

I started playing Ice hockey 15 years ago. I was 27 at the time and never had any kind of formal coaching. I started to attend adult coaching sessions, open stick times, seminars anything I could get into. I got into a level 4 team (second lowest from the bottom) and played there for a few years, then moved up to level 3. Played there for a few years but always felt uncomfortable because of all of the other players, who also were my age, but had had formal coaching and training in their younger years. I could keep up with them with my skating ability, but I lacked the necessary hand skills that formal coaching brings out. So I quit playing, hired a skating coach and became a referee.

Now I’m a decent skater, but the people that used to play with me on my level 4 team, still skate in level 4. Their skills have not improved at all. As a matter of fact, their skill is slowly diminishing because of age. Concurrently, I also referee kids games. The kids that play all have coaches and consistently get better and better with age and experience. They move up a level every couple of years, and most of them meet up to the challenge of higher level of play. Some of the kids eventually move up to play juniors, minor or even in rare cases pro. But all the good players always have one thing in common (beside great skills,) they all have great coaches and are always being coached at every level.

The reason I bring up this analogy is because, we are all bound together here on GTC because we were all coached by the able instructors here, as well as the reading and practice that we all put in. I think some of the problems occur after we leave the safety of the coaches and start to develop some bad habits on our own, hence the reason of our tribulations. I think we must all be occasionally observed by a keen eye that can tell us of a small variance in the grip or toss or whatever.

I’m proposing that Dom and Frank put their heads together and come up with a method of continuing classes, kind of like a university extension class, to keep upgrading our mental game, motor skills and betting strategies. This method of continuing classes will give all of us a chance to exponentially improve our game in a shorter amount of time, with less frustration.

I look forward to your comments.

Pit Boss

NoFieldFive responds

Pit Boss,

You are exactly right! It is funny because like you, learned Ice Hockey at a late age. I was was 31 when I learned to skate. I took some hockey skating lessons and took the same road as you. I made the most improvement in my game when I played on a team with much stronger players than myself. Why, because it pushed me to be the best I could. I had to give 120% every game. When we would schedule a practice I was the first one there hoping to gain a new piece of knowledge to help me move to the next level. I could have played in the "B" league and been an average player and never stepped up my game. But I have always wanted to improve myself in any endeavor. I can’t be happy with mediocre.

I began to Officiate the game after playing a couple of years. I strive to be the best official I can be. I worked hard on my skating and took every opportunity offered to me to improve my game. I am one of the instructors for our local association and we, like GTC, push our members to follow proper technique and push their ability to the edge to achieve improvement in mechanics and judgement. Our annual certification seminars allow us to spot the problems in someone’s skating technique or positioning errors so we can correct the problem and make them a better official.

The same would apply here in GTC. Some type of continuing class would be beneficial.

Daryl "NofieldFive"

Dominator responds

Great idea Pit Boss, and this coming from one of our former No Sevens Contest winner! [Pit Boss is now a full instructor!]

We are working on a couple of things, one is The Captain’s Method, and the other is to be able to correct yourself during the heat of battle.

Dominator

fscobe responds

I like the idea. We’d have to figure how to schedule it in; maybe before or after a regular weekend we’d have a couple of days where GTC shooters can come and be critiqued and helped.

Pit Boss responds

Scobe:

Or you can have an instructor go to a central location where the GTC members live. For example, this weekend I will be having some people over my house for a practice session. We will talk about betting strategies, getting in the zone, and critiquing each others’ tosses.

I’m sure the people coming would not mind pitching in some $$ to have a GTC certified coach there. It would make the learning session more meaningful.

Pit Boss

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