James Creasy writes...
> in the (japanese) culture i was told
>that talent or aptitude is not valued, because it is persistence that
learns
>a complex skill. talent can help speed up the process, but no one
masters
>anything without hard work.
This is so true!
It used to mean something to me to be told I was "talented." Like just
that word alone was an actual achievement.
Talent doesn't mean SQUAT.
Or, in the words of an English professor I had, "Talent is 99% sweat."
Don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
Katie K.
-----Original Message-----
From: James Creasy [mailto:black94pgt@pacbell.net]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 12:13 PM
To: Kelly, Katie; Rich Urschel; Smokerbros@aol.com
Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: THE ACE REPORTER DRIVING LESSON
very nicely said about the habits. in an email discussion some time ago
i
got a message on 'how to improve your driving' and it listed a bunch of
things, but the one that has always stuck in my mind was "Break the ruts
of
your driving".
here's my little story about talent,
i was once told by a martial arts teacher of mine that that americans
over-value talent. what's the first thing americans do when they are
interested in something new? you find out if you have aptitude. and if
you
dont have this, whatever that means, then you really *shouldnt* be
wasting
your time trying to do this thing. in the (japanese) culture i was told
that talent or aptitude is not valued, because it is persistence that
learns
a complex skill. talent can help speed up the process, but no one
masters
anything without hard work.
-james c
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelly, Katie <kkelly@spss.com>
Subject: THE ACE REPORTER DRIVING LESSON
> I just want to elaborate a little bit for those who think that I'm
> saying just go out there and drive without thinking, letting it all
> happen while breathing deeply and chanting your mantra, as if this
will
> magically make you a better driver. Okay, that might help, but here is
> some reality, taught by all the worlds coaches, regardless of sport.
> This is especially for new drivers, or those feeling stuck.
>
> All of your current skills right now, whatever level you're at, are a
> "habit." The only way you can lose a bad habit is to replace it with a
> new one.
>
> The reason why one driver is faster than another ISN'T because of
> talent. Okay, maybe, but maybe you have it, too. Just tell yourself
that
> you do, and then face this fact: probably, he or she has better
HABITS.
> The good news is, you can get new habits, too.
>
> It's really much more simple than you thought. Because are we not all
> creatures of habit? So, if you're feeling stuck, don't attribute it
all
> to a lack of talent. Find out what it is that you're doing now, and
> rather than talking yourself out of success, talk yourself into it,
but
> do it honestly. Find what you can do differently, and train yourself
to
> acquire that NEW habit. Keep practicing, until you don't have to think
> about it anymore.
>
> This you know: we do habits do without thinking. So, even if you've
> consciously planned out this whole run you're going to do, you know
> exactly where the apexes are, braking points, accelaration points, the
> GRAVEL, all these details, they won't do you much good if you're
> fighting with all these other habits you may have developed over the
> years.
>
> I can think of a couple of people still struggling, people with years
> and years of experience, and gobs of talent, and they worry about
lines
> a LOT, and really, what's holding them back are their habits. Some
> people analyze courses because it's their HABIT. They feel comfortable
> doing that. Then they say it's because they're not as talented.
Charlie
> has been autocrossing for 27 years, and here is saying he's not
> talented. HORSE DOOKIE.
>
> To get a new habit, you have to do things that are slightly, or maybe
> really, uncomfortable. They HAVE to feel weird for a prolonged period
of
> time. That's when you know the changes are coming. The hard part is,
how
> do you know when you've replaced the habit, or just bounced back? You
> just keep practicing.
>
> There are things you should be doing right NOW, every day, when you
get
> into your car and drive anywhere, particularly if you're a novice.
>
> 1) Get your seat up into a more suitable position, i.e. arms at a
ninety
> degree angle, so that you're not in that really lame reclined position
> all the kids are doing nowadays. The reason why is because if you're
too
> far away from the wheel, you WILL get behind in your steering. You
just
> will. You want to steer using the muscles in your torso, versus your
> arms, believe it or not. You'll have more control.
>
> 2) Learn how to shuffle steer, or SOME method they talk about in those
> racing books. Get out of that habit, right now, of steering with your
> hand inside of the spoke. Forget the aforementioned hand-over-hand.
>
> 3) Work on heel-and-toe downshifting. You might not even ever have to
do
> it in an autocross, but it certainly builds confidence.
>
> 4) Brake in a straight line. In an autocross, maybe later on, you'll
> learn this thing they call trail braking, but right now, chances are
if
> you learned how to drive in this country, and you're a novice
> autocrosser, you probably brake in the turns. That's probably what
slows
> down most new autocrossers. They get in too hot, step on the brakes,
and
> spin out. Or they spend too much time deccelerating in the turns,
> wearing out their tires.
>
> Walking the course a million times won't help this situation.
>
> So, work on this on the road, keeping your speeds under control. On
> ramps are good practice. Every time you need to brake, keep it in a
> straight line, and then gently accelerate out of the turn, gently
enough
> so that you don't have to lift, ever, through the turn. That's such a
> basic thing, yet so HARD to learn on an autocross course, yet I can
> promise you, you'll make TONS of time if you get that one down.
>
> You're NOT going to learn it walking the course a million times, and
no
> matter how many times you're instructor tells you. You have to
practice
> it, over and over again.
>
> 5) Work on driving SMOOTHLY. This is the most important skill.
Challenge
> yourself every day. When you stop at traffic lights, stop so that your
> passengers' heads never bob forward. Drive like a chaffeur. You never
> want to feel the car lurch when you change gears, either.
>
> These are the basic skills you need, and you have to practice them,
> EVERY time that you drive.
>
> The next level would be lines, and these are a habit as well. Here's
the
> thing: chances are, if you're working on the above, lines will follow
> naturally. If you are absolutely insistent that you must analyse a
> course, set a limit. Say at the next five events (assuming you've
> mastered these finer basics), you will focus on lines, but that's it.
>
> Why? Because by now, lines are a habit. You just don't know that they
> are. You're not giving yourself enough credit. The FASTEST drivers
> already know this stuff without thinking, so they can focus on this
one
> thing: looking ahead. I bet some do it without even knowing it. Check
> out your latest NAP and look at the pictures of the National
Champions.
> Look how far they're twisting their necks. The Evolution Autocross
> School is sold out every year teaching this basic thing, churning out
> some one national trophy winner after another. WHY do you think this
is?
>
> Looking ahead, finding that exit of the turn, is really hard when
you're
> fighting your other habits. But if you've got the basics down,
> consciously looking ahead gives your brain something to do, without
ever
> giving it a chance to start that nasty analysis, which is so contrary
to
> learning.
>
> Autocross is a lot like learning a language. Some people learn
languages
> analytically, and they can't speak. I discovered in a German class
that
> I could spend hours and hours studying vocabulary, or about five
> minutes. Both gave the same results. It's the PRACTICE that gets you
> places, and yes, making mistakes. Now that I'm learning Russian, I
don't
> even bother with the vocabulary lists, which is probably synonomous
with
> a course walk. A course walk is merely a preview of the lesson. You're
> not really going to learn anything until you're actually driving, and
> again, the more homework you do, the more hands on stuff you do
outside
> of the autocross, the bigger your headstart.
>
> Now as far as decreasing apex turns go, and gravel, come on. Really,
> give yourself some credit. Are you really saying that you'll encounter
> this, and your brain just isn't going to know what to do? Yet, I bet
you
> know how to step over rocks on a side walk, don't you, even if maybe
> that rock wasn't there yesterday. Why, I bet driving to work today,
you
> encountered some dirt on the road, some slight variation, maybe the
> wind, maybe someone cut you off, and you had to brake quickly and
steer
> out of the way, and somehow, presto, you overcame it.
>
> Even if you have to consciously think about such details, seriously,
how
> long does it take to make yourself aware? Five minutes of intense
study,
> or maybe a split second?
>
> This is my biggest pet peeve in course walks: someone points out level
> changes, bumps, and GRAVEL, some really obvious stuff that the brain
can
> figure out without much advice, things that if you really take the
time
> to study they'll only detract from what's really important, like the
> FEEL of the car. It breaks my heart to see all these new students are
> actually paying attention and absorbing this stuff, stuff that has
> NOTHING to do with driving fast.
>
> Yet, my autocross students are always disappointed, because I DON'T
tell
> them that much. Yet, they always end up kicking ass, usually my own.
So,
> there you go.
>
> Katie K.
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