Mentally Prepare when racing- Get an edge on the competition
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Mental preparation and visualization are HUGE. As an Air Force instructor pilot, we teach the students how to "chair fly." One way of doing this is to simulate the environment as best they can and mentally fly the mission from engine start to engine shutdown. This means strapping the checklists on their legs, putting on flight gloves, grabbing a plunger (simulates stick), and go through EVERY detail (i.e, check airspeed, airspeed 150, gear clear, raise gear handle, gear handle is up lights are out etc, etc).
In our case, try getting in your racecar, strap in with all your safety gear (including helmet) and simulate the environment as close as you can. You have a limited number of passes (or amount of tax payers jet fuel) and you can maximize your performance if you have mentally gone through every motion already.
You can also break it down into smaller sections. For example, mentally backup after the burnout and go through every detail of staging the car until you can do everything smoothly without having to think about what is next. When you get in the car the next time you won't have to think about what is next; you just react because it is engrained in your mind (habit). You don't want to be so far behind the car that you are hanging onto the wheelie bars (or the tail as we say in pilot training).
I know I have to do some "chair flying" with my new promod VW because I will now be going faster, on the ground, than any Air force jet I have flown over the past 17 years.
So grab your helmet and practice tree and get into the garage! :educated:
In our case, try getting in your racecar, strap in with all your safety gear (including helmet) and simulate the environment as close as you can. You have a limited number of passes (or amount of tax payers jet fuel) and you can maximize your performance if you have mentally gone through every motion already.
You can also break it down into smaller sections. For example, mentally backup after the burnout and go through every detail of staging the car until you can do everything smoothly without having to think about what is next. When you get in the car the next time you won't have to think about what is next; you just react because it is engrained in your mind (habit). You don't want to be so far behind the car that you are hanging onto the wheelie bars (or the tail as we say in pilot training).
I know I have to do some "chair flying" with my new promod VW because I will now be going faster, on the ground, than any Air force jet I have flown over the past 17 years.
So grab your helmet and practice tree and get into the garage! :educated:
Attachments
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
