Is your gate an asset or a liability?

As we all know, BMX is a game of inches and the first 1-2-3 pedals can be where the race is won or lost.

Have you ever been in the situation of flying to the other side of the world having invested time and money training to get there, turning up with a gate start as a liability? That literally is like rolling the dice and hoping for the best isn’t it? Complete madness!! If this sounds familiar and you're saying 'YES!' then please keep reading...

Everyone should have the bullet and pressure proof gate start, it’s a basic of the sport! Trust me, the confidence rolling onto the gate knowing your gate is an asset is worth every bit of your time perfecting it and that starts here:

Understanding what your trying to achieve! I see and talk to so many riders that don’t know what they’re actually trying to do or what the perfect gate even looks like, this comes down to:

1. POOR coaching or lack of coaching.
2. Not having enough awareness to know what your body is doing, you have to FEEL!
3. Not investing your training time wisely.
4. Not doing your homework or caring enough to know, you don’t need to be a technique master but you should care and know how to do the basics in fine detail even at the early years of competing.
5. Not having the mental tools to handle pressure.  

I really could write endless pages about the gate and BMX technique’s but I’ve listed some key points to help get you going:

Start with a routine: Start small, visualise yourself, a few small technique ques and a physical switch on, no more.

Set up: If your tense and not relaxed I can almost guarantee your consistency won’t be there. Know where and how to stand effectively. Eliminate habits like lifting your heals up, moving around to much during the call, hips not centred over the bike etc.

Movement: How does your movement start? Does your gate start lead with the head and overall look to flow like water? If its efficient it should.

Pedal connection: Are you stomping the first pedal (giving 100%) causing a short pause and less than maximal power for your second and third pedal? Hmmm sounds backwards to me! Yet, I still see even pro’s rushing like mad on the first pedal in desperation for the result they want so bad but it gets ugly or even gently ugly and most importantly NOT applying their maximal power to the most important pedals because they’re not in a body position to do so (second and third).

Sprint technique: Often overlooked and where your potentially bulletproof gate can be undone! Often the upper body takes over, the head drops compromising your most optimal sprint position and leaving you potentially not prepared for the first jump.

If your gate is a liability and you want it to be an asset then your training program and weekly time for training should reflect that, does yours?

If you don't have access to World Class coaching then let me help you! I offer online technique reviewing (unlimited video reviewing for the time of your purchase, sold in 4 week blocks).

Let me help get you the gate you need and roll onto the gate with confidence and belief!

KP,