Practicing Hard Will Not Make You A Good Shuffler.
Why would I say something like that??
Because it’s not enough to practice hard, you have to practice strategically also in order to get good.
I see a problem all the time in clients I work with. They've been learning and practicing on their own for sometimes years before they come to me because they feel like they just can't seem to get any better no matter how hard they're working at it.
Well, they all have the same issue - they lack strategy and clear goals.
Let me put it like this:
Would an athlete who wants to win a powerlifting medal show up to the gym and say "OK, I'll just do whatever feels good today" or do the same squat at the same weight and same reps for a year?
Obviously not.
You, my dear shuffler, are also an athlete, and you need to train like one if you want to get good.
You can't show up to shuffle practice, put on the same playlist, use the same combos, quit when you get bored and expect to actually get better.
You need to be like the powerlifter who does the extra exercises like lunges and calf raises to help get their squat stronger, has a program or a coach that makes sure they are continually pushing different weights and different rep numbers, and has a clear goal they are working toward.
BTW - that goal is NOT “It would be nice to get stronger.”
It’s usually more like "I need to hit a 340lb squat in order to beat my competition".
Athletes are intentional, analytical, and disciplined in their practice, and here’s how you can apply that to shuffling:
TO START: Analyze which areas you need to grow in and work backwards from that.
Step 1: Set a goal that’s as specific as possible - preferably something you can measure over time (like the BPM you feel comfortable at).
Step 2: Make a plan by splitting your big goal up into smaller bite-sized goals and assigning one of those goals to each practice session.
Step 3: Stay FOCUSED during your practice, reflecting and making incremental improvements with each rep.
Step 4: Keep track of your progress, be consistent, and watch the results start piling up.
EXAMPLE:
End Goal: "I want to feel fluid and in control of my technique when shuffling to hardstyle"
Smaller Goals:
Get confident first at 125 BPM, then 130, etc
Strengthen my pivots and running man (identify drills that will help me with this and add to daily assignments)
Learn how to control my upper body and use counter balance (again, incorporate drills)
Improve my stamina by incorporating HIIT methods into my practice. Can measure over time by checking heart rates or length of time I’m able to dance for
You should go into each practice session with a game plan, and take notes about how it went.
Watch your videos like a coach would watch her athlete’s footage. It’s critical to learn how to give yourself feedback if you do not plan to have a teacher or mentor help you. Good feedback is the difference between improving and stagnating over time.
And by the way, whatever big goal you set for yourself shouldn’t be something you can accomplish in the next 2 weeks, it should be something that has a timeline of 1-2 months.
ALSO THIS SHOULD NOT BE A SHOCK but if your goal will take you 1-2 months, your practice program should also take 1-2 months, not just 2 weeks.
There’s so much science behind the best/most efficient ways to practice - I’ll avoid diving too deep into that here because really what I want you to take away from this is:
Be deliberate, be focused, be strategic, and your results will shock people.
Most shufflers go into their practice sessions ready to “just vibe” or “go with the flow” and that low-quality practice is what keeps them from making progress.
High quality input = high quality output, so make a program for yourself and be disciplined about the effort you put in and the measurements you track over time.
I hope this helps you look at your seshing in a new way.
If you want to triple the speed of your progress, email me to get a customized program & weekly practice planner. I designed my planners based on science & research, and I’ve proven these methods through their successful implementation by hundreds of my students.
cisco@shuffleandshapes.com
Have fun, and happy shuffling everyone!
-Cisco <3