T.E.P.P.

[bud heishman]

We are all trying to improve our skiing performance or we would not be reading the "Ski School" threads right?... If our goal is to realize our skiing potential and improve our performance we need to realize there are four basic areas that affect our performance potential which need to be visited and revisited in a continual journey to optimum skiing performance. Understanding cause and effect and how to drill down to find the true causes of our personal issues is key to moving forward in our quest for better performance.

The TEPP skier analysis model identifies these four primary areas which actually apply to any sport in which we may be involved. In the thread regarding "skiing the slow line fast", We are focused on the Psychological area of TEPP. Simply changing our psychological intent to turn can dramatically boost skiing performance. The other three areas include Technique/tactics, Equipment, and Physiological. By constantly visiting these four areas we can better identify our weaknesses, and by minimizing issues in each, we can improve on our performance.

Think about it.... Ligety, Vonn and all the top skiers in the world are constantly working on their techniques, physical agilities and fitness, equipment, and psychological preparedness. This holds true for the top athletes in any sport, motocross, golf, tennis, car racing...... They all must consider these four areas to optimize their performances. If they don't, they are at a disadvantage.

I know at my age and involvement my weakest area is my physio. I could choose to be more fit and strong and challenge my balance more, but I am too lazy. My equipment is pretty dialed (that's what I do), my technique isn't bad, and my psychological intent is good. If I want to get better than I am now I can continue to work on my technique/tactics, I can improve my fitness and agility, make small incremental tweaks to my equipment, and I can challenge my mind to remain more offensive in challenging situations.

What does your map look like?

 

[Monique]

My map needs help in three of the four. While my skis could stand to be tuned and my boots are a constant series of tweaks, I've seen so much good skiing on meh equipment that I'm pretty sure it's the other stuff for me*. Of them all, I think my biggest challenge is psychological - not braking so much in challenging terrain. But it all plays together - would I be more confident if I were more fit? Or if my technique were more solid? And wouldn't my technique be more solid - not break down - if I were more fit?

* I think it was in the TdF that I heard "your bike can't win you the race, but it can lose it for you." At the very top levels, equipment matters a lot."

 

[AmyPJ]

My map is just a big old mess! I need help with all of the above, although my skis are in good shape and are good for how and what I ski. My boots are an ongoing struggle thanks to a really short BSL and low-volume everything. Hoping to get that sorted out in the next week or so.

Physio has been good but was better at the end of biking season. I might have to break down and go to some spin classes at the gym...I hate going to the gym.

Psych is BY FAR my biggest issue, though.

 

[McEl]

Regarding TEPP as a way to organize one’s thoughts on this subject, are there any published articles available that explain this model in more detail; any Internet links? Or, if not, would you be willing to write a few draft installments, for this thread? We here at PUG could be your editors!

McEl

 

[bud heishman]

Yes, I have a more detailed explanation but it is many pages long. I have a powerpoint too. I will see what I can do when I have time!

 

[dean_spirito]

It is definitely an interesting way to think about my skiing. I'd have to say that my strongest areas are Physiological and Psychological. My Tactics are probably stronger than my Technique, but my Equipment is fairly weak (my boots, not my skis). I really, really need new boots.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Paging Weems. Sounds like the Sports Diamond (or in some people's cases, the Sports Triangle).

 

[Tricia]

Paging Weems. Sounds like the Sports Diamond (or in some people's cases, the Sports Triangle).

You can always @Weems Westfeldt .

 

[bud heishman]

Paging Weems. Sounds like the Sports Diamond (or in some people's cases, the Sports Triangle).

Not really, if you read and understand Weem's Sports Diamond and TEPP you will see they are different. I have shared my TEPP concept with Weems a few years ago. TEPP is an assessment tool.

 

[RNZ]

This really appeals to me.

My map would show my biggest weakness being physiological, like you Bud, I could do more.

Second weakest would probably be equipment, - I live in a city that is not near any skiing and has a single ski shop And I live in a country with a small population (4.5M) and a minuscule skier population, so importers don't bring in a full range of equipment and high performance women's gear is the first to be dropped as far as I can tell. Which all means that I don't have a local ski shop and am a transient ski shopper which automatically means you are tagged as a tourist (especially when overseas and you accent gives you away) so anything you say is discounted. Then there is the additional discount factor of being female with a child (that's the mom category - soft, comfy boots with fur anyone?). But, I don't like pink, purple, fur, skis that are the equivalent of a minivan. I like my boots to have a precise fit so I can feel my skis through my boots and have good energy transfer from boots to skis; and I like my skis with personality and attitude. All of that said, my current equipment doesn't hold me back and I should sort new skis in January.

Technique / tactics and psychological are okay. Technique is probably better than tactics due to being a transient skier, and not enough time on the snow. Psychological is okay, don't usually have a problem psyching myself out.

 

[Tricia]

@bud heishman I recall spending some time with you on this a few years ago. I think the thing most of my customers have a difficulty with is sorting out what is making the most impact on their plateau. Many think its technique when its physiology. Or they think its Equipment, when its technique. Or they think its Technique when its equipment.....or.....

The key is being keen enough to help the person sort out or merge the person's needs.

 

[markojp]

@bud heishman I recall spending some time with you on this a few years ago. I think the thing most of my customers have a difficulty with is sorting out what is making the most impact on their plateau. Many think its technique when its physiology. Or they think its Equipment, when its technique. Or they think its Technique when its equipment.....or.....

The key is being keen enough to help the person sort out or merge the person's needs.

Physio is big... just look at the feet of someone working full time on snow and a 10 day a year 'expert'. And we're not even talking about body fat, functional range of motion, etc... yet. A lot of skiers would see some fine improvements in their skiing simply by dropping 15-20 lbs and doing some core work before the snow flies.

 

[oldschoolskier]

For me its not anything specific, just the flavour of the moment. Regardless of what the day brings skiing, its about fun and enjoying it, I just try and ski perfect (not that I ever will, other than in my dreams) and do what it takes. No specific goal or area in mind, just adjust and fix what seems weakest at the moment and most importantly have fun doing it. It might be nothing one day to a whole bunch of things the next.

I'm lucky enough that to date on the Physio side, I don't have to do much to get in decent form (thank god for good genes) so generally I don't worry about this (age may change that but so far so good). Also lucky enough that I ski on good well tuned equipment (sort of a techie that way). Mentally its always about fun, so it always comes down to technique and tactics.

 

[cantunamunch]

Physio and tactics are my strongest - always have been.

Psych is by far the weakest - often I simply can't find the fun.

 

[tromano]

@cantunamunch are you still in the mid-Atlantic? The logistics hurdles to getting to the mountains from DC are such that it's hard to over come low-stoke-itis.

 

[cantunamunch]

I suppose there's a bit of that, but it's more that the buzz I used to get every day now comes one day a season - if that often.

 

[razie]

Up here, we use a similar model: EEPPTT Environment, Equipment, Psychological, Physical, Tactics and Technique.

... with the same idea, to be looking at all these areas when evaluating performance and then address them to fix the respective skiing.

cheers

 

[Fuller]

This sounds a lot like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints

When I was in manufacturing this book http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Constraints-Eliyahu-M-Goldratt/dp/0884271668 revolutionized my way of thinking about the shop floor. I later found it applicable to solving many of life's mysteries. Frankly, I hadn't connected it with my skiing but it always makes sense to work on the thing that is really inhibiting one's progress.

I've always been in good cardio shape and this year is better than ever thanks to an off season bike obsession. That's the easy part for me.

I'm not overly fearful.

I finally have all my equipment sorted out so now I'm afraid I must confront the fact that I am not a natural skier. I go fast and have fun all day but man am I disappointed to see any stills or video of me flailing down the slopes.

I can even visualize myself skiing like Josh Foster and can feel the movements that I need to make - but I can't make them happen on the snow.

 

[Josh Matta]

Fuller if you do the same thing everyday how can you expect to change how you look. Doing drills that are not able to be cheated over and over again is really the only real way to self improvement.

I will also go on to say that I could see hard core cardio with out proper strength/flexibility/body awareness component could actually being detrimental to skiing, it lead to this try harder mythos that could not be further from reality while skiing. You can only try harder when you know the proper way of doing things.

 

[Fuller]

Thanks for the input Josh - I agree with almost everything you say... I mentioned cardio but in addition to that I do a pretty well rounded regime of fitness training. Anyway my conditioning is not the problem; as you pointed out I don't yet have a real commitment to doing the proper drills, I keep wanting to have fun!

I get your point on the "try harder mythos", I've always been good at pushing myself on the bike, in the pool or wherever a pure physical challenge is present. There's kind of a Zen aspect of skiing that isn't accessed by trying harder although I did some tight groomers at a high rate of speed today and it felt like my form was better under stress for some reason.

As a Floridian I have to package my winter into one month a year which is more than some locals manage to get on the snow but it always seems too short. I took a lesson two days ago and today was a good day to work some drills into the mix. I felt like i was beginning to get a bit more upper / lower separation and my arms are more controlled instead of imitating a seagull.

Slow progress is better than none.