Students often struggle during a private lesson. Whether to back off and take a 30-second mental break or encourage them to power through is a judgment call.

For example, I taught a client Flow Drill 9 (changing hands) yesterday. He caught on to it quickly. “Let’s do 20 reps of this drill,” I told him.

Off we go. Around the 9th rep, he started to falter, and his form deteriorated. More importantly, his brain was overloaded.

In this situation, I would often say, “Okay, let’s take a 30-second break and regroup.”

It’s amazing how a 15- to 30-second break helps. It works 99% of the time, particularly for those learning new material!

When we resume, I often insist we slow down to ensure the student has retained the new material.

However, it works differently for semi-advanced and advanced students.

Often, they already know the technique or drill. They just lose focus or let their minds wander. They often catch themselves, and I’ll say, “Just keep going and correct yourself.” More often than not, they’re able to get back on track. Sometimes, it’s a sign for me to change gears and move on to other material.

What do you think? Let’s hear your feedback!

Oh yes, one more thing: I’ve added the option for readers to “like” comments made on my posts.