Polish

[nuster100]

Have had a good few runs with my ROSPA observer now.

He has said that I have got all of the relevant techniques down, but just need to add a bit of polish.

This may sound thick, but how does one polish their driving, I'm assuming its the same thing as sparkle?

Jay

[jont]

I'd say not quite - I suspect what he's getting at is to practice more.

Needing polish to me suggests that all the basics are in place, but you don't always manage everything all the time - ie, things are occasionally a bit lumpy. It also may be a get out that your observer can feel there's something not quite right, but can't identify it well enough to tell you what you change. Perhaps a run out with a different observer would help here?

To my mind, sparkle is the next step after polish. ie where it *looks* like the driver isn't even trying and yet everything still hangs together and works perfectly.

enough waffling.

Jon
P.S. Have you tried asking your observer what they mean?

[SLine]

This was a favourite phrase of my observers too.

I took it to mean trying to get "most of the time" to be "every time" or "all the time", as in:
- is every gear change smooth,
- are you in the right position,
- did you see and react appropriately to every hazard.

And yes, I would say that sparkle is that something extra - I'm not sure I have it yet, but still working on it.

Just my interpretation.

[Susie]

Think "refining" or "finessing" your technique but also it's a matter of being in or close to a state of unconscious competency. In other words, your driving process doesn't outwardly show the joins... it's seamless

Does that make sense? If not, I'll expand further

Regards

Susie

[BigJim]

I was expecting this to be a thread about Polish Drivers!!

I'm on a silver at the moment and my trainer on my birthday session told me that the drive should "flow like silk"

I interpreted this as meaning a continuously smooth drive, with no ripples, doing all the little things so that the fullness of the drive is enjoyable and outwardly pleasant to watch.

[James]

If you polish something you shine it up to its best looking state. So if you can complete a great process of say, braking for a roundabout, taking a gear and merging, then try and do a fantastic one. Brake a little later, a little firmer, ease off the brakes as to keep it smooth, one look across, make your decision, stick with it (go or stop) balance it round the roundabout and accelerate as you have left the roundabout and your exit opens up...aboce all ENJOY IT, its just a free flowing, confident movement.

I believe if you genuinly enjoy what you are doing it will show.