One of my problems that frequently I get told is that I lean into the mountain during a turn. I don't transfer my weight enough to the downhill ski during a turn. Whilst skiing I have been given a few exercises to get my weight on to my downhill ski.
With Hemel over an hour away, and the Alps even further, how do I go about practicing this at home? Is there some way to do this?
It would be good to overcome something I know have an issue with, rather than having more lessons with the same issue being raised.
Thanks,
R
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Not an at-home exercise but one thing suggested to me years ago when I was getting lazy with my angulation was to make sure the outside pole was always touching the ground through the turn...
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Warren Smith has what he calls "Hip and Rib", as demonstrated here
At home, if you stand a couple of feet from a wall (with cushioning for your hip)...and allow yourself to "Fall", hip first into the wall ie. Think of doing the "Hip and Rib" on the side not hitting the wall and your hip should be what hits the wall first (due to angulation).
Do it on both sides....and you will find one way is more uncomfortable than the other (so work on that side more). The secret is allowing yourself to fall into the wall, hip first, which mimics the action you do on snow, when YOU cross over the skis, with angulation.
This should help prevent your "Inclination", especially if you combine it with early weight transfer.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 3-05-17 23:27; edited 2 times in total
Find a grassy hillside with a nice rollout and repeatedly chuck yourself down it torso first. If this works my nieces are destined to become great skiers.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Learn to rollerblade then get comfortable doing it on one foot.
Not an instructor or mega skier but did used to do a lot of 1-legged and quick weight-switching activities. Sounds to me like you've got to comit to pressuring and being properly balanced on or over the outside ski, so anything that will increase your leg strength and balance and poise/stance, plus hip flexibility, might help. Single leg & pistol squats, properly done, swapping weight quickly from one leg to other (jumps maybe), 1-legged balancing, wobble/balance boards, ice or roller skates... That kind of idea.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Regarding doing balance work in the gym... I spent some time working on leg strength and general balance with physios and PTs (before I started skiing, so not skiing related exercise). They had me balance on one leg by moving my hips to the same side - e.g. stand on the left foot and move the hips to the left. This meant the body stayed more or less vertical and pressure is felt on the outside of the foot on the floor. After I started skiing I realised (eventually ) that this wasn't helpful for skiing, and that the reverse was needed - moving the hips away from the supporting foot and angulating the upper body in the opposite direction. e.g. stand on the left foot, move the hips to the right and the upper body to the left to compensate, meaning the pressure is on the inside of the left foot. Exactly the thing the PT had trained me not to do.
I'm not necessarily saying that the second is itself a good exercise to do (I'm not a PT and don't know if it carries any particular risks) - just that the first was unhelpful for me.
After all it is free
After all it is free
It might also be more helpful to think about inside and outside skis, rather than uphill and downhill, as you want your weight on the outside ski throughout the turn - even though the outside ski starts the turn uphill of the inside ski.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
rob@rar wrote:
Learn to rollerblade then get comfortable doing it on one foot.
lol, I was going to suggest standing on one leg
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
It's surely not a balance thing though, but a positional issue?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
It's a commitment issue which is why doing riskier things is good at training the brain.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
under a new name wrote:
It's surely not a balance thing though, but a positional issue?
Aren't those two entirely inter-related? If you ski on the outside ski, or roller blading on one foot, your body will naturally angulate to stay in balance. If you fail to angulate at some point you will fall because you are completely out of balance.
I shall be putting this theory to the test in the clinic I'm teaching on Saturday, looking at inclination and angulation
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
Learn to rollerblade then get comfortable doing it on one foot.
lol, I was going to suggest standing on one leg
Same solution although rollerblading has added fear factor
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@rob@rar,
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
rob@rar wrote:
I shall be putting this theory to the test in the clinic I'm teaching on Saturday, looking at inclination and angulation
Never mind committing to the new outside ski, committing to attending your clinics is enough to instil fear in this test dummy Should I bring roller blades as well?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
motyl wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
I shall be putting this theory to the test in the clinic I'm teaching on Saturday, looking at inclination and angulation
Never mind committing to the new outside ski, committing to attending your clinics is enough to instil fear in this test dummy Should I bring roller blades as well?
Yes, it would be fun to watch somebody try to rollerblade down the slope at Hemel
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Stand sideways on the stairs with feet on different steps then lift the uphill one.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
altis wrote:
Stand sideways on the stairs with feet on different steps then lift the uphill one.
It's surely not a balance thing though, but a positional issue?
Aren't those two entirely inter-related? If you ski on the outside ski, or roller blading on one foot, your body will naturally angulate to stay in balance. If you fail to angulate at some point you will fall because you are completely out of balance.
I shall be putting this theory to the test in the clinic I'm teaching on Saturday, looking at inclination and angulation
Entirely inter-related - but I see many skiers in poor general positions upright, but in balance (cos they're upright) whereas a correct position is difficult to get out of balance? or something like that, non?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@rossyl, I'd honestly say you'd be best booking onto one of @rob@rar, companies sessions at Hemel. A few focused sessions over the summer would make a bigger difference I would say for the sake of a few hours driving!
@rossyl, it takes me over an hour to get to Hemel but it's always worth it - the clinic runs from 10 - 5 and it does sound like this Saturday's would be ideal for you or there's one on a Monday too.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Check out H Harb's stuff, he's all over youtube and the web (its not obligatory to like the guy) he's got this tipping board thing he's made to get the feelings ingrained,
Maybe of use to you maybe not
After all it is free
After all it is free
altis wrote:
Stand sideways on the stairs with feet on different steps then lift the uphill one.
when I was a kid, I practiced on the stairs by slipping and turning from one to the next in my socks, must have been a nice slidey nylon based carpet.
Get the weight on the heel and I ended up in the hall directly. Weight had to be out from the stairs to get off the one I was on.
Not that I'd recommend it but I don't have the issues described in the OP. Plenty of others though...
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
While I'm reminiscing, I remember being in a group in Austria and there was this older Dutch kid, maybe 13 or 14, who couldn't/wouldn't get his weight on the downhill ski. Eventually the instructor lost patience with him and clattered back up the slope until he was about 2 yards downhill of the poor lad. The instructor thrust his poles at him and told him to hold onto the pointy end. Once the boy had a firm grip and they were both had their skis across the slope, the instructor gave a tug and the Dutch kid's skis shot out from under him and he fell flat on his backside. "GET UP!" ordered the instructor, and they repeated the drill with the same result. "GET UP" again and again, bang, straight on his backside. Poor lad was in bits by this stage but the instructor wasn't finished yet. He made them switch positions and told the Dutch boy to pull, weedy little tug, "NO PULL LIKE YOU WANT TO KILL ME!". Massive heave from the lad but the instructor leant towards him and side slipped gracefully down until they were nose to chest. Then the instructor turned to us triumphantly and said, "There, you see?". I didn't really see but I sure wasn't going to put any weight on the uphill/inside ski.
Ah the late seventies with no electronics to keep children out of harm's way and when the term, 'piste bully' meant something else entirely. It seems so far away now.
Apologies if you don't find the above terribly useful.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) that this wasn't helpful for skiing, and that the reverse was needed - moving the hips away from the supporting foot and angulating the upper body in the opposite direction. e.g. stand on the left foot, move the hips to the right and the upper body to the left to compensate, meaning the pressure is on the inside of the left foot. Exactly the thing the PT had trained me not to do.
Should I bring roller blades as well?