I have just been reading the other thread with a similar title to this one. You guys have given some great advice, so I am wondering if you would have a look at this video from the end of last season. There are a few of the guys in the vdeo, but I am the tall one with the Black helmet, brown jacket/pants, and a black/grey rucksack.
Any pointers would be much appreciated and more importantly any drills to fix my bad habits.
My first apperance is at 55 seconds, then 1.08, 1.21, 1.42 ( right hand skier), 2.01, 2.26, then skiing at camera at 5.25, and that is about it of me.
But I would also be interested in your thoughts on John in yellow at 7.48. He is by far the best skier in our group, but I would love to be able to give him a tip next year out of the blue just to see his face when I deliver my (yours) words of wisdom.
Cheers
Smag
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi @smagsmith, Til a pro comes along, here's my 2p: Quite tidy, bit back seat with zig-zag turns. For a drill, try 1-leg turns.
What are your aims? If you want to get better, you need to push yourself and invest in a week-long course ASAP.
John could give his short turns a rest and try long carved turns?
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?
tell John to spread his legs He is skiing very old skool with his knees and ankles clamped together....
from a very quick glance IMHO you need to work on standing on the outside ski earlier in the turn and commit to that. Your weight appears to be on the inside ski a few times which causes further issues.
this is something that takes time and good practise to address, I'd 2nd the recommendation for some quality lessons. Where do you live as some snowdome clinics would help.
Thanks guys
I am not really sure what my aims are. I guess to be more comfortable at speed and less skidding on the steeps. I can get down any piste, but would like to do it with less physical effort on reds and blacks.
I seem to hit a mental block at 25 mph whilst the rest of the guys plough on up to 40 mph. I feel like I am still in the back seat a lot.
Cheers
Smag
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Ok.. I just looked through Youtube and found this.
http://youtube.com/v/Y9rCio0_X2g
Which bits about 1 legged skiing should I be thinking about? He talks about inside and outside turns, but based on the above comments, should I just be focusing on the getting my weigth acrosss for the outside turn?
Are there any better vids I can watch to better understand what I need to do?
Lots of good stuff to work on though that will improve ski performance and speed control.
I'd look at preparing for this coming winter by improving your agility and balance, go mountain biking, play rugby, hill walking, run or anything to get your body moving more and testing your balance. You'l get a heap of short term gain by doing this and then when you do get on the hill you need a few tweaks here and there to get things on track.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@smagsmith, I didn't mean ski just on 1 ski coz, as you'll quickly discover, that's quite hard http://youtube.com/v/LatVt6F8whQ
Just stand on the outside ski before you turn by raising the inside ski for a bit; then back on 2 skis after the turn.
First thing I'd recommend is get out of the back seat. Stand straight up, relax and just flex your ankles (so your knees are ahead of your toes). Ski with your hands up n forward. Stay relaxed and see how that feels to ski. I have a bit of a mental block with speed too; it helped when I stopped staring 2 feet in front of my skis (which I think you're doing). Just look further ahead and you'll find (with practice) your balance at speed improves. Posture is critical, so you should get that right before anything else.
Best to get some lessons from a pro coz it's quite hard to explain by writing.
Until then, this is quite a good series of vids to give you ideas http://youtube.com/user/elatemedia/videos
G'luck and keep posting up vids of your improvement (or not )
After all it is free
After all it is free
@ALQ, that Bode clip is insane
Lots of great advice in your last post. Thanks a lot. Lots of comments that I can immediately associate with.
I like simple toughts that I can take onto the piste like "Stand straight up, relax and just flex your ankles (so your knees are ahead of your toes)" and "Just stand on the outside ski before you turn by raising the inside ski for a bit".
I can work with that easily. Nice and simple instruction that even I understand.
Much appreciated
Cheers
Smag
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.
But remember, enjoy the skiing first and foremost
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The better you become, the more you'll enjoy it
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@alq does speak from experience.
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.
Have to agree with ansta1, we can get caught up in the constant quest for improvement but first and foremost why do we ski? To have fun!! So go and have some more fun like you are in your video!
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
I always have fun, so no need to worry there. I love getting out on the slopes and improving is not that important, but if there are a few tips I can work on then great.
Cheers
Smag
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Excellent Smag!! You're absolutely right and one of the main things I have heard from Ski Instructors at the higher level over the years is lines like 'just go ski' which is a great piece of advice. Reading your OP, I understand your plateau and I've seen much written about that very thing and how to deal with it. Happens to us all!
ALQ's advice is brilliant and you have responded like many do to being explained stuff in simple terms with clear instruction and the rationale or the 'why' it will help you. I've seen too many instructors and indeed inherited many, many pupils who are confused with 'edge, pressure, rotation' used in language too. In my experience, people respond better to this and will enjoy learning experience far, far more. What I would add however is that some do like the complexities too but if you take the time to build a rapport and get to know them, you can identify them quite quickly.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ALQ wrote:
The better you become, the more you'll enjoy it
The older I get the better I was.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I have just re-read this as am hoping to get on a indoor fridge next weekend. The simply explained stuff really makes sence. Thanks, I will let you know how I get on.
Cheers
Smag
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I would say you should work on keeping your central mass square/pointing downhill. This entails loading your downhill ski more, and opening up your chest to the hill, as you're quite staccato/ziz-zaggy. At present, it looks like you're on your uphill ski a lot (which is perfectly natural. Think about keeping your chest open - i.e. if you're turning left, you don't want your right shoulder to be forwards, so work to keep your weight more on your right ski, but left shoulder further forwards than your right. It's an unnatural movement - at first. However, it also improves your balance big time. This will certainly improve your fluency, and thus your speed should improve.
Also worth working on your flexion and extension. Extend legs whilst turning; flex to absorb pressure/increased speed whilst coming out of the turn/continuing until next turn.
Build your pole-planting into this process. At present, your plant isn't really giving you anything. If you're trunk is predominantly pointing downhill, then you'll be skiing down the fall-line. In my mind, the pole-plant is designed to take you from one edge, to the point at which your ski is flat, and quickly onto the opposite edge. So if you've been turning right, and are about to come around onto a left turn, extending you're arm/body to plant to your left is useful in bringing you back into a central position. The actual 'plant' isn't important. I often talk about 'pole reaching' instead.
All that being said, you look absolutely fine; just giving some pointers that work for me (although it's hard explaining them through words)/ and I'm sure someone far better qualified than myself will be along to correct me any minute.
Good luck though!
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?
Having not read this before, interesting to read about the challenges that others set themselves.
To my untrained eye it looks like you and your friends are all copying John to varying degrees of success who (again, untrained eye) seems to lead with his shoulders.
I am not really sure what my aims are. I guess to be more comfortable at speed and less skidding on the steeps. I can get down any piste, but would like to do it with less physical effort on reds and blacks.
Hi there. Everyone is skiing nicely and tidily. You don't NEED to do anything different but if you want to improve I can see how what you say above makes sense. None of you are really setting the skis at significant edge angles, i.e., you are not exploiting the full carving potential of the skis. To move your skiing on I think you need to experiment with getting much more angulation. If you watch the best skiers on the mountain you'll see more sepration between the legs and the upper body, hips futher inside the turn, skis set at higher angles. It probably FEELS as if you are doing this but be assured you can go much further
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@jedster, Any drills for getting more agulation?
So summarising I am hearing.... ( I like to keep things to a simple 3 thoughts to take with me)
More weight on the outside foot
Upper body facing down hill more
More angulation
Really appreciate all you guys taking the time to help me out
Cheers
Smag
@smagsmith, 'Lessons' should be top of that list IMHO.... Because you're worth it
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Hi @smagsmith,
Lots of good advice on the thread and I'd say the root cause of many of the issues comes back to having a solid stance to work from.
Therefore when you are practicing you should firstly concentrate on your stance and then after sorting out the stance you will be able to more naturally achieve things like turning the legs before upper body (counter-rotation).
I agree that you are balancing a little too much on the inside ski when you should be more balanced on the outside ski. Stance wise you should try to keep your skis hip-width apart because they are a little wide at times leading to you keeping weight over the inside ski instead of letting the weight flow more to the outside ski.
Next aim to get your shoulders roughly over your knees throughout the turn. You can achieve this by extending the knees and flexing the ankles. Hold your hands forward as well.
Lastly you need to angulate more. A great drill is simply to drag both poles always keeping them in contact with the snow, especially the outside pole at the end of the turn.
So to simplify things:
1. Feet hip-width apart
2. Shoulders over knees / hands forward
3. Drag both poles
Once your stance is solid any other issues will be way easier to sort out.
Have fun!
After all it is free
After all it is free
smagsmith wrote:
@jedster, Any drills for getting more angulation?
So summarising I am hearing.... ( I like to keep things to a simple 3 thoughts to take with me)
More weight on the outside foot
Upper body facing down hill more
More angulation
Really appreciate all you guys taking the time to help me out
Cheers
Smag
Firstly I agree with ALQ that a private or shared lesson with a buddy/s will seriously boost your performance & get you off of the "Intermediate plateau".
The above summary of 3 outcomes would benefit 99% of skiers, however the method by which you achieve these simple sounding changes is the tricky part.
A short session with an Instructor would help to structure these changes in the correct order, method and magnitude.
As you saw above with the 1 legged turns comment, misinterpretation is a minefield and can be counter productive or even dangerous.
More weight on the outside foot = achieved through long leg/short leg & angulation.
Upper body facing down hill more = dependant on radius of turn, achieved through rotary separation drills.
More angulation = dependant on dynamic balance on outside ski, achieved by dropping the hip into the hill whilst keeping the pelvis square to the skis.
These 3 are all interrelated and rely on each other to varying degrees, an Instructor will be able to at least dispel the confusion that I have just created
Good Luck
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.
@smagsmith, and here's a strange simple tip that may help : Rucksack. (there you go, I didn't even get you to click through to another site full of adverts)
Your dinky pack may not be helping your skiing. You are not using a waist or chest strap so it will be wanting to flap about on your back, causing your subconscious all sorts of off balance signals. Your shoulders will also be hunching to keep it in place as it moves about.
I have skied with 3 different packs at different times, but I find I need to strap them down tight, but then I usually have a fair amount of gear on board.
You may be better off just putting things in your jacket pockets.
But keep skiing, keep asking questions about what you could do to advance technique. I have been skiing for 25 years, but over Christmas I shared some instructor time with my wife...and learned a couple of little things that made a noticeable difference. We never stop learning.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
@jedster, Any drills for getting more agulation?
Not great ones actually. What I did was find a nice wide, quiet blue run. Preferably a little soft, certainly not really hard. Aim to make one large, relatively quick turn (not mach 3 but a little pace), set your edges and progressive push your hips into the turn, while moving your shoulders out. Is your downhill leg straight? How tight a turn can you carve? how far can you exaggerate this until you fall on your hip? Keep seeing how far you can go with this. I think you'll be really surprised by the results.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
We have a new member to the gang going to Tignes in April and he is a qualified instructor, so I plan to get some time with him this year. It will be my first lesson since restarting skiing 6 years ago, ( I had lessons aged 12 on a school trip) then did not ski again for another 20 years. Everything I have achieved in the last 6 years has been self taught mainly from you tube videos.
Hopefully I have not ingrained my bad habits to deeply.
Cheers
Smag
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.
Is he qualified to teach in France? The natives are getting a bit twitchy about that.
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
adithorp wrote:
Is he qualified to teach in France? The natives are getting a bit twitchy about that.
Not sure I catch your drift. Surely a mate can give his mate some tips whilst both are on holiday?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Yes, he can. There won't be any problem with him doing that.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
smagsmith wrote:
@jedster, Any drills for getting more agulation?
Go fast and be well balanced on the outside ski. As a drill, pick up your inside ski when making carved turns (gentle terrain), so you are entirely balanced on the outside ski for as much of the turn as possible.
Angulation should be a balanced position that your body naturally finds because of the forces acting on it, rather than a contrived position that you create.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
smagsmith wrote:
Not sure I catch your drift. Surely a mate can give his mate some tips whilst both are on holiday?
But you said...
smagsmith wrote:
...It will be my first LESSON since restarting skiing 6 years ago...
Of course he can give you tips but I'd just be sure it looks like it's just a mate giving tips.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@smagsmith, to what level is he qualified ? I would suggest that you get some local ski school lessons...the last thing your mate wants is to be teaching when he can be skiing !
His ego may like to, but tbh, he will be there on holiday and a few tips here and there wont be anything like as valuable as a few hours with a paid professional who will give you much more than tips - hopefully a sequence of exercises as a progression to really pull your skiing forward.
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?
Some good tips above. My initial tip would relate to a bit more upper/lower body separation: try to keep your chest pointing downhill - not directly downhill, something like 30-45 degrees to the fall line.
For John in yellow: he leaves his downhill ski engaged until the very last second, which is why he does that slight step with his inside ski on every turn. One legged skiing is a great drill for people to learn how to flatten their skis and transfer to a new edge without lifting off the snow.
@lampbus, not sure what level. This is the first time he is joining the gang so not sure how much he will want to spend his time coaching me. I think local lessons may be the way forward.
As long as I have a couple of simple thoughts to take with me then I can work on them. I used to play golf to a decent standard and I always had one or two swing thoughts that I took out on the course with me. I never let it get over complicated and kept it to the things that would improve me the most with the littlest of effort (the low hanging fruit)
Cheers
Smag
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
I always had one or two swing thoughts that I took out on the course with me
don't play golf but it is rare when I'm skiing that I don't have one or two technical things I'm playing with. I've always been that way.
I agree with the backpack comment - get someone else to carry it
Also, maybe try not 'smearing' your skis around at the end on the turn: let them come around you on their edges. This will reduce over-rotation of the top half of your body and allow you a greater feeling when weight tranferring- leading to more edge control, and a faster controlled pace.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Just re-read this and noticed someone mentioned the pole dragging drill - a brilliantly effective drill to perfect your angulation.
If you do only one drill all holiday, do this. You can ski just as fast as normal, so they'll be no issues with holding the group up.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Yes, I like the sound of the pole drag drill. I can picture myself now dragging the uphill pole with my current technique, but getting the downhill pole will certainly angulate me much more. If I can do that while keeping the upper body pointing more down hill then I should makes some good strides forward with things
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.
@smagsmith, yes, dragging my inside pole is a massive warning to me that I am off balance and need to get it sorted pronto....even before the next turn.
So I can see why @born2ski suggested a double pole drag, to try and pull the body back down the fall line and generate some angulation. However I think care needs to taken that it doesn't lead into or reenforce back seat posture, or that terrible 'lazy teenage seasonaire' stance - upright with hands hanging straight down and poles dragging.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I often drag my inside pole, but barely making contact with the snow rather than leaning on it. Didn't realise that I did it until I started looking at video and photos of my skiing. Seems to be something I do subconsciously, perhaps it gives me just a little bit of extra info about where I am in relation to the snow?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
He is skiing very old skool with his knees and ankles clamped together....
)
