How to remember SJ courses?

[foxy1]

I'm really struggling with remembering SJ courses, especially nowadays when you go straight in to the jump off after the first round so it's 14/15 fences to remember
(yes I'm old!!)
Any tips or methods people use?

 

[Baywonder]

I only ever competed my old boy at local level, but I always:

1. Walked the course first of all.
2. Next, I would stand at a couple of different points in the arena and run through it in my head.
3. After leaving the arena, I would keep mentally running through the course, remembering the fence numbers and type of fence.
4. Finally, when it was in my head, I visualised the entire course without looking at the arena.

For the jump off, I just did the mental run-through over and over until it was my time to jump.

I am not really sure if this will help you, but it worked for me!

 

[Illtellyoulater]

I remember the turns not the fences: two fences turn left, one fence turn right etc, but once I get going I can remember, I just think I can’t when waiting to go

 

[neddy man]

The simple way is to take a video of the 1st rider on your phone and if you have time watch it 4 or 5 times to learn the course.

 

[J_sarahd]

I walk the course and pick out something unique from every fence and remember that. So for example, Eland has different countries flags as their fillers etc so I memorised the order of the countries. Or use the fillers so green to fishes to diggers to wall. And keep repeating it to yourself and visualising it as much as possible until your turn.

 

[Squeak]

I'm fairly similar to Baywonder. I walk the course and as I'm walking it I'll keep looking back at the fences I've already walked. At the end of the course I'll stand and look back at the course as a whole, then I'll visualise the course. When I can visualise the whole course I then look at it once more to re fresh it. Then just before I go in I visualise it again and then look at it again.

 

[foxy1]

Thank for tips everyone, will try them out ?

 

[SpotsandBays]

I find myself remembering the pattern around the arena rather than the jumps themselves. I walk the course and watch a few go around it too

 

[AFB]

I walk the course and pick out something unique from every fence and remember that. So for example, Eland has different countries flags as their fillers etc so I memorised the order of the countries. Or use the fillers so green to fishes to diggers to wall. And keep repeating it to yourself and visualising it as much as possible until your turn.

I'm similar - I always have something like 1, 2 flags, red fillers, 5, big oxer, double, planks, 9 going through my head...