Remote coaching from Andrew Dog Palfrey

Over recent years I have become more engaged in remote or online coaching. My primary motivation is helping people enjoy our sport. For many of us, part of that enjoyment comes from improvement.

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Whilst remote or virtual coaching it is a fancy-sounding phrase, the reality is that it’s always been around via chats on the phone, or even better, in the bar after racing. Even the very best sailors ask questions. With the boom in technology assisting people working from home during the pandemic, we can do so much more in a very effective way without incurring unnecessary costs, even from another corner of the world.

 

I regularly help individuals, teams, classes and clubs in many ways that include the following:

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• Debriefs - very effective de-briefs can be held, despite me not being on site. These work best with some form of media (go-pro footage, video from off the boat etc etc). You and your team will learn together, make solid conclusions on how to improve many facets of your individual and collective performance

• Open sessions - these often involve the reviewing of footage of the sailors or technical photos taken from off the boat by an observer.

• Sail trim - working together on sail trimming and helping develop the skills to best set up your sails for your boat

• Helming - helping you become a faster driver and extract the best possible performance from your boat

• Manoeuvres, boat handling and team work - we will work through any issue, be it tacking, gybing, sets, drops, mark rounding or communication

• Mast and sail set up - need a refresher on how your rig actually works? Want to know more about the effect of backstay, shrouds and headstay? This is the perfect session for you. 

• Starting -  I’ll help you address any weaknesses, giving you plenty of guidance on achieving consistency in this vitally important area of sail-boat racing.

• Strategy and tactics - We’ll work at building your skills and knowledge as a tactical sailor and review the key rules.

• Data analysis - this could be giving advice on what device is best for you to generate some simple GPS tracking and usage of some simple self-coaching tools. Or it could be high level advice following the analysis of high-end data files from a range of sensors.

• Photo Analysis - the scanning of sail and rig set-up pictures and discussion of scanned results

• Self-coaching - despite it sounding like I want to put myself out of work, this is a great topic on how to best set you and your team up with the tools and drills to get out there and maximise a training session or a race day and have the media, data and analysis platforms to hold your own high-level de-briefs. I actually employ these methods in my own racing. It is inexpensive, enjoyable and teaches you so much.

 

Whilst this service has been evolved to help people at all levels from all across the world, two earlier adopters are high profile sailors. Double-Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson needs no introduction. She has recently embarked on a double-handed sailing campaign with Dee Cafari and asked for some guidance on the set up of their Sunfast 3300 keelboat.

 

Whereas Paul Ward is is a J70 World Champion and is embarking on an Etchells campaign. He too has already seen the benefit of the remote coaching service.
 
Below are some quotes from the sailors about the experience -
 

• Paul Ward - "Great analysis. Andrew always explains in great detail, works incredibly hard on each session and makes all of the time we spend together useful and relevant. Huge amount of knowledge, great communicator. Coaching right at the top of our sport and always has time to help!"

• Shirley Robertson - “By far the best 100 bucks we've ever spent..... We could have gone through all season trying to find the best way forward on our own. Dog is unquestionably THE supercoach, one of the most sought after coaches at the very top end of the game. His help was clear and engaging, full of personal experience and anecdotes yet also really analytical in his approach. There was no 'waffle' and he left us with definitive next steps....we'll be back!!”

 
So, regardless of what level you are at, or where you need a boost, I am here to help. Pricing varies, but get in touch - I am sure you’ll find that I provide value for money.