So, I've been told by more than one instructor that for short turns you should keep your upper body 'quiet' and facing down hill. My question is - why does this work? IE what is going on in a mechanical sense here?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It just means that you've less mass to turn so you'll use less energy doing it.
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?
It means much more than that. For instance, by turning your skis underneath your upper body you effectively check your speed down the flow line. If your shoulders follow the tips of your skis you will move forward in the direction your skis and shoulders are pointing i.e. round a wider arc than you want. With your shoulders facing down the flow line and your skis across it, it is easier to "unwind" and bring your skis round into the next turn. And much more...
If you're upper body is down the hill, and your skis pointing across, when you release the skis/make a turn, your legs will unwind like a spring, to naturally point down the hill. This helps make quicker turns.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks all - when I'm learning something, it always helps me to understand the idea behind what I'm supposed to be doing!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
High end Carved turns (dynamic short turns) as pictured need much more activity with the inside ski the turn initiated by it and conducted by a “twirp” as described by one of Ivica Kostelic technical coaches, a twist and pressurisation of the quads in direction of turn (earlier described like winding a spring). One could argue that the dynamic short turn exhibits knee angulation whereas everything else uses hip, but that’s another theory not kept by the Interski demo team using it in medium/long turns. So lets call it modern technique and can be used in any shape turn all you have to do is get the knack of the edge change and when it happens, then it all makes sense.
Great videos particularly of dynamic short turns
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
I've been told by more than one instructor that for short turns you should keep your upper body 'quiet' and facing down hill. My question is - why does this work?
Quote:
when I'm learning something, it always helps me to understand the idea behind what I'm supposed to be doing!
N10skier,
TBH, the best time to ask these questions is "during" your lessons, your instructor will be only too pleased to answer any question you may have, there's nothing better for an instructor than to get feedback, it shows you are listening and wanting to learn...
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.
gatecrasher, unless it's the classic "I really struggled trying that new drill.... do you think I should buy new skis?"
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
stevomcd, Almost definitely! Especially if the missis starts questioning your credit card bill!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Here is my take:
> Maintaining good rhythm is very important in short radius turns. If you have lots of movement in your upper body this will affect your ability to maintain a good rhythm (particularly if the upper body movement is not symmetrical).
> If you do not have a quiet upper body then sooner or later you will be thrown off balance in short radius turns. You can get away with this on a longer radius turn because you have more time to regain your balance before the next turn but this doesn’t mean that you should have lots of upper body movement in longer radius turns.
> You face down hill in short radius turns because that is the direction you are travelling. Your upper body does not have to rotate because the joints in your legs & hips have the correct range of motion to allow the skis to turn whilst keeping the upper body facing down the hill. (If we didn’t have a ball and socket hip joint then this would be rather difficult.)
Plus you place yourself in a better and more stable position to initiate the next turn, keep weight on the downhill ski, ski bumps and non-groomed terrain, turn the skis by pivoting the skis etc.
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.
DB, thx for the vids! Haven't seen a couple of those b4, will be good to help me explain things to people.
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
Elston, Imho rhythm is unnecessary. Good turn control makes this so.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Of course that's the theory, this is real life skiing .....
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sun 19-02-12 15:34; edited 1 time in total
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
A point I've not seen here yet is that maintaining a quiet upper body whilst steering your legs allows you to maintain pressure on your outside ski. If you turn your shoulders to the inside, you're going to lose outside ski pressure, and consequently speed control.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
DB, oh god my sides are killing after that. The double eject backflip is a classic.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Loads of good information everyone.
DB, good vids but the last one is awesome
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?
N10skier wrote:
So, I've been told by more than one instructor that for short turns you should keep your upper body 'quiet' and facing down hill. My question is - why does this work? IE what is going on in a mechanical sense here?
It creates something called anticipation at the end of the turn, with the upper body facing downhill while the lower body (skis, feet, legs) are facing across the hill. That creates a torque in the mid section of the body, that acts to quickly twist the skis downhill during the transition, as soon as the ski's edges disengage from the old turn. That twist of the skis is called a pivot. It happens because anticipation is a stressful position for the body to be in, and it wants to exit it by bringing the upper and lower body into directional orientation harmony.
If you want to become a habitual pivoter, always ski with your upper body facing down the falline, a strategy some instructors actually promote. If you want to learn to shed the pivot, and even make short turns pivot free, learn to unwind the anticipation as you go through the transition, and engage the new turn with an upper body that's more square to the skis, facing more across the slope.
Once you've learned how to shed the habitual pivot from your skiing, anticipation is a very efficient way to pivot, on those special occasions when a pivot is actually called for.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
under a new name, I just think it is yucky out dated technique (waits for the flames)... probably most suitable for the skis he is using as there is a distinct lack of any carve either into or out of the turn (waits for the inferno)....
[edit] mind you... always handy in a big mogul field! [/edit]
[edit2] I'd say a minority of the turns 'whip' round on the carve... but some do [/edit2]
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.
DB, quality.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
DB, The first compilation is hillarious
It's those short turns that I aspire to as well. At this moment in time if I could pop down the piste making a good job of those I think I'd be happy. I watch the videos I see 'how' it's done. I've watched loads of them and every time I end up thinking that they make it look soooo easy. I can see me in my minds eye doing it, but that seems the closest I can get to it
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
