I know Grattan has a pro school....but don't think its very cost effective due to the fact I'm in Atlanta. Looking to hone in on my skills.....or the lack there of. Any suggestions?
If you're in intermediate I say use the coaches more. They are ready and waiting and under utilized and the best part is it doesn't cost extra. Also if you got together with a coach for a session or two everyday you ride I think thru the course of the year you would improve a lot more than with just one pro school. Have fun
Yeah! Use us please. I can speak for all my fellow coaches that we will be happy to help you as much as you want.
But on occasion you may have to be patient. It seems like days normally run 1 of 2 ways. Either no one comes up and wants help or so many people request it that I physically can't work with everyone. Just a tip, it's always best to ask a session or so before you want help so things can be worked out in advance if there are specific things you want help with. Sometimes trying to do that on hot grid when the tracks getting ready to go hot can be a little hectic.
Understood Dave...and thanks for all the other feedback as well. I have used you guys (coaches) multiple times in the past.....But more frequantly...(different tracks) I utilized a coach(s) for specific lessons/ goal. Needless to say I wasn't very happy after those "learning" sessions. Let me explain a bit better.... #1 One coach ran out of gas during our 2nd lap (mistakes happen), and I had to find the coach after we came off track. That was difficult in itself due to the size of the park. And the feedback given to me seemed a bit made-up....seeing the fact the coach wasn't even on the track, and I don't think 2 laps (pretty much warm-up laps) could really attest to how a rider rides. ahhahahahaah #2 The very last time I asked to get some input, the coach literally left me. Let me elaborate..... We pull out from hot pit and the coach is following me. We are finishing lap 2, he comes around for me to follow him (as he indicates by tapping on his tail)...he passes by me..........annnnnddddddd he's gooooonnnnnneeeee...... I never caught back up to him (or he slow down) until the white flag. He literally was 2.5 - 3 turns ahead of me the entire time. I learned nothing. That's a lie....I learned he can go much faster than me. hahahahahahahah Then when I came off track, he was waiting for me (thank you for not making me find you in the mess of riders and coaches..)and gave me the best feed back ever. Kinda hard to swallow the ego build-up he was feeding me knowing he could have never seen me except the first 2 laps....which was the same scenario as the story above. (mind you these are different coaches) Guess that's why I was inquisitive about a race school. its alittle bit more personal, a better rider to coach ratio if you will. Don't get me wrong....I have used coaches other times in the past that helped me more in 3 laps than I could have ever managed "figuring" out after 3 track days by myself.....But I think that we both understood that the warm-up laps really don't count and they stayed with me for atleast half the session. The coach would lead...then let me lead...and back and forth until he was satisfied with the outcome. And once off track....would explain what happened before, during, and after....... When you get that kind of experience.....you walk away with a HUGE smile and a better rider.
Ive talked to 2 coaches or whatever there called. Mac at Road america (bigger guy I dont know if hes on this forum) and another at Blackhawk cant remember his name. Both were great and happy to help I should say this wasnt the pro school tho. I talked to mac a little he followed me and then I him after he followed me to where i was parked etc.. Everyones always cool and willing to help if they can in my experience just got to ask
Nope, he tapped his tail for me to follow. Again. ...I'm not bashing any coaches or staff. Every track day i have attended with STT has been a great experience. I plan on attending more this year than last. As we know, every teacher or instructor has thier own methods that work for them and thier "students". Mistakes happen (running out of gas) and maybe the other coach was somewhat new. Maybe he thought I was a much faster rider? Many reasons that we will never know. I certainly know that track days are not a sanctioned "school" but more of a "personal" school for self teaching with a little guidance when needed. Again, i just thought a pro/race school may help me a bit more since it's dedicated to a few riders for the whole day.
The reason for asking is not to point fingers at a particular coach or his style (there may have been a good reason), but rather to help us improve and make for a better experience for the customer. I think every coach for STT is committed to improving his skill at teaching...
Sorry for your poor experience. One reason you may have had to find him is because he most likely had to wait for the session to end and push his bike back to the pits... At least up north is an unwritten rule if you run out of gas your walking back!
I will add that at times it is much easier to follow someone than to lead depending on the day/rider skill/etc. Following you can always keep the customer in sight. When leading you obviously cannot always look back, you have to pick the times it's safe to do so. And there are times when suddenly you get caught by a wad of bikes, everyone gets intermingled and you lose track of the customer. You do your best not to but sometimes it becomes a safety issue to keep checking up, looking back, etc. When that happens it's best for everyone to catch up at the end of the session and regroup and try again next session. Sometimes that will involve making a plan that if you get separated again that both of you know to pit in so you can reconnect and head out together to give it another shot.
Ohio - Hitting the track with STT is never a "poor" experience for me......now my wallet is a different story. hahah I have yet to have a "Bad" track experience with STT, even after a "come off" from the bike. That day was a eye opener and learning experience as is every time I ride. Every session at every track day is hopefully better than the last. I think we all can concur with that. Dave - I would agree that leading is a bit harder than following. The "look back" can be difficult at times due to so many variables on track.... What I have noticed over all the times I have had an instructor help me, is that it is always the first 2 laps in which they are following, then they take the lead. I don't really think this gives the coach any real feedback because during this time, Because the rider is warming their tires up, warming their body up and getting back into the grove and back into their comfort zone. Now I understand that this is not always the case.....but has been for me. Just my thoughts, and hope it helps everyone....not just the coach and not just the rider.
I agree, first 2 laps isn't the best indicator of everything but it does give a good indication of a riders lines so sometimes moving ahead is done to show some possible line adjustments, I tend to use hand signals to emphasize the sections of the track where I see some adjustment could be beneficial. If I jump ahead like that I will stay in front for a lap or two and then wave them back by to observe again and see what adjustments if any they make.
I disagree. As awesome as the coaches are, the PRO school didn't just make me a better rider, it completely changed the way I view a racetrack. Seriously, PRO school is like nothing I have ever done. Literally, the whole day felt like it was dedicated to me. Every single lap on the track had a purpose, and it wasn't just finding lines or checking body position. You literally break down every single aspect of your riding, and then find your limits...and then push past them...often one turn at a time. When you are done, the racetrack won't be something to ride around, it will be something to conquer.