PETER HART MASTERCLASS
104 JULY 2019
Windsurfing tuition is a long way from the high school classroom. You’ve
actively sought it out, so at least you start up for it and keen to improve. How-
ever, what you get out of it, depends on your basic understanding as to what
coaching is, your role in the affair, your preparation and your expectations.
The right coach (beware the guru!)
I know it’s meant as a compliment, but the label I mistrust is that of ‘guru.’ It
evokes an image of an untouchable, all-knowing figure, who descends from
a higher place and preaches in hushed tones before a group of flawed mortals
who know nothing. It’s a one way information street. As a young gymnast
I once attended a camp hosted by a ‘Grand Master’ from Japan. He was an
amazing and inspirational performer. But over the three days he never once
addressed me individually and knew nothing nothing of my personal weak-
nesses and fears – he didn’t even ask my name. The final impression was the
same you might get from one of today’s celebratory life coaches who in a
one hour show promises a vulnerable audience health, wealth and personal
enlightenment (and probably ripped abs), leaving them momentarily enter-
tained and yet strangely empty.
The relationship
Coaching is all about forming a relationship. Andy Murray’s breakthrough to
the very top of the tennis ladder was to a great part down to the unique bond
he had with his coach Ivan Lendl. They’re both what you might call ‘tricky’
characters, so Ivan could definitely empathise with Andy’s volcanic outbursts.
There was mutual respect and hence a power balance. It’s clear too that they
had the same dry sense of humour. In the end, whatever the prize, it’s sport,
not brain surgery. So if it isn’t fun, what’s the point? Being advised by some-
one who makes you smile, not stress, is key and opens the path for a two way
dialogue. And what was interesting in the above case was that they both knew
when enough was enough and when it was time for a new voice and a new
message. As you move up the levels, the coach’s job becomes less technical and
more psychological, providing strategies, quelling anxiety, instilling belief. He
or she can’t do that unless there’s a certain level of intimacy, trust and mutual
knowledge. You’re not going to open up to someone you don’t like or who is
haughty and distant.
Billy-Jean King, iconic tennis player and multi Grand Slam winner, quite
recently started coaching. She said of the first encounters with her charges:
“They would expect me to lay my hands on them and offer some life-chang-
ing tip – and all they got was a pile of questions. I told them, I can’t coach
you unless I know you.”
Harty offering
counselling in the
lagoon at Tobago- if Carlsberg did
coaching spots...
PHOTO Graham
White.
FEEDBACK – THE KEY INGREDIENT
Practice, feedback, tweak technique, practice, repeat – that’s the ideal
coaching sequence. Don’t just plug away blindly. So as the improver,
choose a spot where immediate feedback is possible – i.e. where the
wind blows all the way to the shore and where you can stop for a chat- and make sure you are part of the conversation.
A morning
simulator sess at
Neilson’s Vassiliki
centre – being
silent should not
be an option.
PHOTO Hart
Photography.THE HOLIDAY SITUATION
Your experience of coaching may well be on holiday, where a lot of
sessions involve a simulator. The jury is out over the true efficacy of the
good old sim as a teaching aid. However, these sessions, often during
the light wind mornings, are a good opportunity to form a relationship
with the instructor, share former experiences, strengths and weakness-
es, let them know what you don’t ‘get,’ and how you personally like to be
coached – i.e. ‘leave me alone’ or ‘push me relentlessly and be as cruel
as you like!’As Mark Twain famously said: “If we were supposed to talk more than we
listen we would have two mouths and one ear.” It’s a tip that applies more to
the coach than the student. If you can’t get a word in, you’re probably with
the wrong guy.“IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TALK MORE THAN
WE LISTEN WE WOULD HAVE TWO MOUTHS AND
ONE EAR.” MARK TWAIN
Someone like you
Back in 2016 I tackled the weighty topic of big men and the special challeng-
es they face on the water. My absolute favourite quote was from my chosen
model, 110 kg John Issit who in flowing prose decried the effort of his 50 kg,
19 year old instructor (planing with 4.7 in 15 knots) to empathise with and
resolve any of his issues. He said he got more out of a ten minute chat in the
bar with the similarly proportioned Dave White. If you have the choice, go
with the instructor/coach who sails in a way and with the sort of kit that you
can relate to.
An averagely proficient, nearly gybing freerider told me his overriding aim
was to get more comfortable in his stance, and above all, sail better upwind.
His endless walks of shame were doing him in. The reason became clear the
moment he rigged. He was of average build and about 75 kg but was using
fixed 32” lines – very long. It transpired on his last holiday he’d been set up
by a freestyler. Very long lines work on a freestyle setup because they offer
freedom for hooked in moves – and upwind they allow you to swing forward,
sail off the heel of the front foot and use the edge for resistance rather than the
tiny fin. But on a freeride setup where you’re using a big fin and sailing more
off the back foot to drive upwind, they drop your hips too low, to the point
where you’re driving the fin at the wrong angle.
Swapping the 32’s for some adjustables and shortening them to 28” for
upwind, cured the issue by allowing him to use his toes to trim the board level
(to maximise the lift and resistance of a big fin, the board must be level, not
windward edge down) and allowed him to stand taller over the fin to resist
the lift. I also swapped his waist harness for a seat harness. He said he used to
have a seat harness but the instructor told him no one uses them any more.
Well maybe not on the shores of ‘freestyle central’, but elsewhere they do -
and they’re a better option for anyone who has a high waist and values power
transfer over manoeuvrability. This is not a blame game. There was just a lack
of communication. Our friend had effectively gone to a plumber to get some
electrical work done. Having a fruitful coaching day/week takes preparation
on your part.