Teaching tracking

[JohnMitchell 14]

When I teach students to track, I teach the max track, hands at the sides, pushing hard, slight cup at the waist, same as I do. It may take them a few jumps to get okay at it, maybe 200-300 jumps to get great at it, but it's such an important skill that I want them to learn to do it very well.

Last weekend, after training an AFF student how to track, another AFF-I, competent instructor, came up and told me that he only trains them to track lightly, arms held in a T position, leaving some arch in the body. He says they don't go very fast but it's a lot easier when you're just beginning. I'm afraid people taught to track this way may never learn to do it efficiently.

Any ideas? What do you fine people teach?

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[g2gjump 0]

John,

Ask goobersnuffda (Burk) about the beachball track
It worked for me.

[peek 20]

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What do you fine people teach?

Something in-between. I start them out with a Delta position and tell them that they may need to leave a bit of arch into it to feel comfortable.

Then I tell them all about the "serious" tracking position and tell them that on their solo jumps in the middle of their progression, that they will want to start practicing that, along with making sure they are tracking straight.

[popsjumper 2]

John,
Here's how I go about it.

AFF student:
-First, basic forward movement focusing on heading.
-Then the "T" position for stability reasons. The focus is on the stability and heading...nice straight line.
-Then, a Delta with arms at a 45 degree sweep. Again focusing on stability and heading.

Cleared for self-supervision:
-After gaining a good line in the Delta, then we go for speed with the full track.
-Then, finally, I work them on distance with the flat track.

If you have suggestions for better training, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Remster 24]

Thats where coaching techniques and theory come in useful. I dont want to turn this into a debate over coaching tickets, and the USPA system, but when I went through the coaching/instructor system in Canada, we had classes focused on coaching techniques.

The 2 main techniques that apply well in skydiving are chaining and shaping. In chaining, you add individual components of a skill one at a time until that skill is perfected. In shaping, you teach the entire skill at once, but expect to work on all aspects of it at once.

Examples
Chaining: deployment sequence. Thats what we all do with practice pulls and bringing the hand in front of us. We teach to do that several times without actually pulling, and then add pulling.

Shaping: Turns. We tell the students how to do it, and then observe, and give them feedback on how to do it better, focusing on that 1 skill (yes, you can chain center turns by teaching knee turns, torso turns, and combining them into center turns too).

Typically, shaping works well on less complex tasks and skills while chaining works well on more complex skills that have many components. Thats why, personally, I prefer a chaining approach to tracking: Extend legs; bring arms back; de-arch; heading control; stopping.

That being said, if shaping works for you and your students, cool!

Remster

[parachutist 1]

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he only trains them to track lightly, arms held in a T position, leaving some arch in the body.

I was discussing this technique with an instructor last week... it's a new idea to me. My first impression of the T: We'd be teaching people something that they'll be unlearning in the near future, and that seems inefficient to me. The other instructor was completely sold on the idea, though.

I'm accustomed to teaching this method:
- maintain a box position with the arms while turning away from a formation
- extend legs to begin the track, leaving arms in box position
- after forward movement begins, pull elbows down so that hands are at shoulder level
----------end of class for AFF students----------------
- after graduating AFF, teaching to extend hands down to hip level and then to full track while cupping shoulders

[popsjumper 2]

No techniques debate but we do have differing takes on what chaining and shaping entails.

As you can see, I prefer, for tracking, to teach one skill at a time and add more as we go along. I've found it much more productive in the long run for students.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[JohnMitchell 14]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I may change my approach to teaching tracking. My fear is that I will teach them to delta, and the next instructor won't teach them to track. I see too much poor tracking already. I don't want to be the reason for more.

Much to ponder . . . .

[parabuteo 0]

another piece to this puzzle is teaching them to stop tracking before deployment. If a student deploys while in this T position, then its not a big deal. If they are full out tracking, the student will probably be slightly head low and potentially hauling ass, which we all know could cause a fatally hard opening.
I would prefer to teach them the right way, which is a all out track. But if a student gets caught up in it and forgets to stop briefly before deployment, has a hard opening and dies. Will people hold me responsible for that?????
I say show them and have them practice it on their own. Just be sure to emphasize the stopping before deployment. have them dirt dive it to build muscle memory.

Alot to think about...good question John

[JohnMitchell 14]

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But if a student gets caught up in it and forgets to stop briefly before deployment, has a hard opening and dies. Will people hold me responsible for that?????

In a good track, you'll actually have a slower rate of descent than in regular freefall. Of course, your horizontal component will be higher. We train to waveoff before pull, which also brings an end to the tracking.

People have been seriously injured and killed by hard openings, but packing and equipment seem to be a bigger factor than body attitude, such as head low. A normal opening during a track might be uncomfortable, but I wouldn't expect injuries.

Unless I'm the packer, I better not ever get blamed for someone else's hard openings. I certainly wouldn't blame you.

[Butters 0]

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A normal opening during a track might be uncomfortable, but I wouldn't expect injuries.

It's not even uncomfortable. I'm an avid tracker and wingsuiter and am constantly pulling in full flight.

PS: You have much more experience than I do, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe pulling in full flight (tracking or wingsuiting) poses any greater risk of injury or death.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[wmw999 2,122]

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A normal opening during a track might be uncomfortable, but I wouldn't expect injuries.

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It's not even uncomfortable. I'm an avid tracker and wingsuiter and am constantly pulling in full flight.

that probably depends in part on how good the track is. For a student whose track direction is mostly "down" it might not be such a good idea.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Butters 0]

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For a student whose track direction is mostly "down" and unstable it might not be such a good idea.

Agree (and added another factor).

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[AFFI 0]

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AFF student:
-First, basic forward movement focusing on heading.
-Then the "T" position for stability reasons. The focus is on the stability and heading...nice straight line.
-Then, a Delta with arms at a 45 degree sweep. Again focusing on stability and heading.

Cleared for self-supervision:
-After gaining a good line in the Delta, then we go for speed with the full track.
-Then, finally, I work them on distance with the flat track.

Perfect...

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[AdD 1]

When I was working in New Zealand an AFF instructor told me he teaches tracking body position while actually docked on the student in a backslide. Saw his video and I think there's some benefit to that no matter what method you are teaching.

Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream

[parachutist 1]

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-Then the "T" position for stability reasons. The focus is on the stability and heading...nice straight line.

This is the part I'm not understanding. I'm thinking we teach them a box body position for stability from the beginning. It seems the arms in box position when student extends legs allow him/her to maintain stability and direction while moving forward.

Does the T add more stability and direction control than the box?

[popsjumper 2]

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-Then the "T" position for stability reasons. The focus is on the stability and heading...nice straight line.

This is the part I'm not understanding. I'm thinking we teach them a box body position for stability from the beginning. It seems the arms in box position when student extends legs allow him/her to maintain stability and direction while moving forward.

Does the T add more stability and direction control than the box?

Well, we're talking about tracking. We don't track with arms in a box position. What you are describing is simply forward movement (FM). FM, in the big scheme of things, can be considered the very first step in the tracking development process.

Tracking is an advanced maneuver learned later in the training process. The T is just the first step towards achieving the delta and then the max-track positions. It helps provide stability while learning to hold a heading in a position other than the box. And you have to admit that it's much more stable than a max-track position, right?

Is the "T" step necessary in the training process? Depends on the youngster. I've found that it's more productive in the long run to nail down the baby steps and then move to the more aggressive steps.

But to answer your question directly, yes, a wider "wheelbase" provides for more easily attainable stability control, IMHO.

It's funny in a way but there are those who can do forward movement faster than some of us can track.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Fast 0]

I don't have a ton of AFF/Coaching experience but something that I have noticed a lot on tracking jumps with students is that they tend to not fly straight. My own tracking technique is with arms tight legs together and going flat and fast, but I find it unrealistic for a student to maintain stability in that position.

A lot of the people I have seen go up and try tracking for the first time with a body position like that just go in circles and they don't learn much.

I give them a slightly more complicated skydive in terms of dive flow and break up the tracking into more stable components. Spending a whole skydive on tracking, they get 3-4 shots at it. The first attempt I teach them to just bring arms back to a "T" and with legs shoulder width apart. They do that for 5-10 seconds. The second attempt, so long as they felt comfortable with the first attempt and (at least in their minds thought they were going straight) they bring their arms back to a more of a 45 degree position. Legs still shoulder width apart. Both of these while still maintaining somewhat of an arch.

After that, for any remaining attempts, so long as they felt comfortable with what they were doing on the pervious ones, I tell them they can try and "go fast." Bring their arms closer in, legs closer together, dearch some, etc.

None of my students go away without knowing what I feel is the ideal flat tracking position. They are taught how to progress towards that and how to prevent going head low on the turn from the formation.

It's my opinion that they will take longer to learn good tracking if too much is expected too quickly, but I don't want to leave it to someone else to hopefully teach them. My more complicated diveflow might be a bit harder to remember but I have noticed most of them are able to get it and there is a whole lot less tracking in circles going on.

No one becomes a master at something in the course of one skydive and I teach the "T" position and other positions like the concept of training wheels on a bike. Show yourself you can do it that way, then try something harder. It seems to work. I have even seen a few on their 3rd or 4th attempt go pretty damn fast.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[dninness 4]

I find that sometimes coach students get this idea that they need to get their hands back as quickly as possible, which usually leads to a fairly steep, non-flat track.

When starting out, I tend to work with them on heading control and distance. I prefer a straight track that's 25-50 feet versus a 100 ft track that looks like a comet and its tail (ie. a big gigantic circle around the coach) because they don't have good heading control before they added a bunch of other elements to it. Once they demonstrate they can track straight, we start talking about the modifications to their tracking (arms back, dearching, rolling the shoulders, etc).

I could be wrong (and frequently I am), but I tell them "Get your speed up with your toes first. Bring your hands back and in from the boxman position to about your shoulders, and eventually we'll start the transition to a more delta type position as you pick up speed going away.."

Once the student shows he or she can track straight, I suggest, demonstrate and then have them practice the move to the delta, with emphasis on gaining horizontal speed first before bringing the hands all the way back smoothly. Then we talk about rolling the shoulders, dearching slightly, pressing down with the palms of the hands, etc. But a student getting into a nice dearched delta is worthless if they can't stay straight. (this is, BTW, a great example of the aforementioned "chaining" in instruction).

I also tend to have my early coach students only turn 90 degrees and track when the whole jump is tracking. I emphasize that normally tracking is 180 degrees from the center, but for the purposes of instruction and for them to get the most out of the tracking practice, I'd prefer a shorter 90 degree turn before we progress to 180. Usually, they track about 30 ft the first time, turn 180, check altitude and realize (upon seeing my relative closeness) "Geez, I didn't track far at all!" and then track again (right past me) and its nearly always a LOT better and a LOT further. Then they turn 180 again and repeat. They're still making a 180 degree turn, but they're tracking past me so I can observe their body position, etc. Its a lot tougher to see how the student is doing when he's tracking away from you. (plus, if we've stayed on heading after exit, the student's track is perpendicular to jump run, not up and down it)

Later, as we move away from tracking skills into docking and such, the end of the skydive is *always* a 180-and-track. But by then I'm far more assured that they can make a solid 180 and that they can track straight.

YMMV, of course.

NIN
D-19617, AFF-I '19

[JohnMitchell 14]

Thanks for all the input. I also brought up the subject at our employees' meeting at the DZ this weekend. Seems the delta is the way to go, with straight, not fast being the goal. One of the instructors laughingly said 50% of the experienced jumpers "delta dive" at the ground on breakoff. I have to agree that's true.

Although I've had many students nail some great tracks after only one or two tries, I think I'll take the slower approach to it. I just want to insure they get instruction on how to do a really good track later. I feel it's just too important a skill to be glossed over.

John

[jumpwally 0]

Hence i was always taught that Flat Tracking was King ! ...Further,faster,smoother while everyone tumbles and meat missles below you..!!!

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[riggerrob 558]

" ... track lightly, arms held in a T position ..."

Iron Cross Track is used to cover horizontal distance with minimum altitude loss (e.g. you found yourself level with a formation, but a long way off to the side)

[riggerrob 558]

There are two ways to teach tracking - by "shaping" from earlier-learned techniques, beginning with delta or dead spider.

Most posters advocate shaping from delta.
Sadly, half of skydivers never learn beyond delta.

Dead spider is the other possible starting point. It starts with the first lessons on fall rate control. Then teach junior jumpers to track like "Craig Girard": grab air, turn away from the center of the formation and extend your legs so that you disappear from the camera image before most people have finished their turn.

[popsjumper 2]

I couldn't have said any better myself.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Most posters advocate shaping from delta.
Sadly, half of skydivers never learn beyond delta.

Absolutely. This is what I would wish to prevent.

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to track like "Craig Girard": grab air,

Vskydiver was on some jumps with him a few years back. She said watching him track away was more fun than anything. She said one time he flew off, spinning like a frisbee, still hauling ass.