 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm posting here to try to get some ideas before I lay out loads of money for biomechnical consultation.
Have just bought new boots, expertly fitted in Meribel (just posted eleswhere about that). This was to help correct difficulties that I have with turning right. When I bend ze knees my left knee cants in and we have adjusted the cant of my new boot to help to neutralise this and I had footbeds made to also help.
This has not solved the problem however as I am still experiencing problems turning right, being unable sometimes to get my left ski onto its inside edge and sometimes catching the outside edge and needing to recover from this. However I can roll the edges of both skis over and steer turns on low angle slopes. I have also noticed that I am sometimes standing on my toes on this left leg and also sometimes feel as if the hip joint sort of locks and prevents me from shifting my weight onto the new outside ski in a right turn.
So what next?
Have I got one leg longer than the other? Do I have some funny hip thing that needs chiropractic intervention? Do I need even more canting adjustment and maybe shimming inside the boot? Am I just a crap skier? I know that we all have a better side but almost every time I have a serious loss of control it involves this right turn and as I am going off piste more I cannot afford to lose it and fall down any more couloirs and it will start becoming dangerous not just for me but for the others in my party as well
How do I get answers to these questions - with McCannix etc charging over £100 for a consultation I want to know that If I lay that out it is really going to make a difference.
Over to you guys - I am so frustrated with this now and fed up with falling over for no apparent reason - off to La Thuile in three weeks so prepared to commit time to getting it sorted before then.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowcat, my initial impression was to suggest that you get some lessons, as it sounded like a technique problem, however you then go on to state that you ski off piste, and down couloirs which suggests that you are already a very accompished skier with good technique.
May I enquire how long you've been skiing for, and how much tuition that you've had?
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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?
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An initial consultation with a good sports physio will be able to diagnose any biomechanical issues first.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowcat,
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with McCannix etc charging over £100 for a consultation I want to know that If I lay that out it is really going to make a difference.
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I do a lot of work with Andi @ McCannix his SBS balance assesment and shims are £65 quite a lot less than £100 i'm sure you will agree.
for the many people i have seen go through his assessment the vast majority see a marked improvement in both comfort and performance
[many of the other bits on his web site are not updated and would be irrelevent to most]
it could be a combination of many thngs causing the problem
1 the footbed you have is not powerful enough
2 you have a biomechanical misalignment in the pelvis
3 one leg longer than the other
4 weakness in the ABductor muscles of the leg
without seeing your feet and boots it is as always difficult to say exactly what may be causing the problem, a pysio appointment could be useful, but make sure the physio is either a skier or knows about skiing biomechanics...... i can't recomend any one in particular in your area but i can think of one or two i would avoid
whatever route you go down it is really important to understand that it is not about making you look good on skis [many so called alignment gurus want to make you look perfect] it is about making your body strong so that power is transmitted evenly through your skis
hope that helps a little,
if you need more just ask 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Kramer,
Its an obvious question to ask. Skied two weeks about 10 years ago and had a two weeks of lessons. Then in the last 5 years skied between 5 and 8 weeks every year and have had a number of private one to one lessons. Most recently in Verbier just before xmas with Adrenalin. I had a whole day with an instructor which made a significant difference to my skiing - now seems so much easier and I'm not fighting my skis. His reccomendation at the end of the day was that my next coaching should be in off piste technique.
When we are away skiing we always spend time doing ski exercises and we often have beginners with us who we are teaching so we are alwasy revising and polishing technique.
I also ski telemark (badly!) and have the same a similar problem with my right turns.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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veeeight,
I am ringing my sports physio today. She is a biomechincal enthusiast and she is my climbing and running physio but does not know much about skiing. However she will be able to look at some basic issues as a starter. I'm also going to take it up with my chiropractor as well. Again she is not a ski expert but will be able to focus on pelvic alignment.
CEM,
Thanks for the very useful advice and I think that you are right and the problem is probably multifaceted. I absolutley agree that it is not about looking good. For me its about getting down the hill safely. With the ski experience that I have I should not be falling in the way that I sometimes do.
The footbeds in my new boots have reduced the inside cant of my knee but not entirely so I still think that there is more that I can do.
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snowcat, just to reiterate the good advice you've had from veeeight and CEM: the tracking of knees over toes is something I've looked at quite a lot as a dancer, Pilates instructor and now trainee sports massage therapist. There are quite a few useful exercises that can be done using a resistance band, and a local Pilates instructor should be able to help you there. A dancer I work with who has had consistent problems in this area (and associated knee pain as a result) was found to have a really tight ITB, and massage/stretching has really helped. This was not picked up by her physio at college 
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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.
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snowcat, it would be great for your climbing, for example.
http://www.bodycontrol.co.uk/map_cumbria.html for instructors in your area. Obviously, I don't know your lifestyle, but many instructors will teach privately as well as in class situations, which in some ways is better because you get 1-on-1 tailored precisely to your needs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snowcat, good news that you have an answer 
In answer to your question: matwork is essentially exercises delivered working on a mat, with potentially either small squeezy balls, resistance bands or Pilates rings (spring-loaded) to vary the workout.
The reformer is a machine that works on a system of pullies. See here for a pic: http://www.stretchnow.com.au/products/images/pilates/AFR%20Reformer.jpg
You would probably need to go to a specialist Pilates studio to find one, as they aren't the easiest pieces of kit to lug around, although they are superb. I wish I had access to one (I teach matwork classes). However, there are a number of exercises based on the reformer that you can actually adapt to use with the band.
It may be worth going to see an instructor to work on specifics for your particular condition, especially now you know what it is, and asking whether they can give you a programme to work on when you're away (although if it were me I'd want to see you for a few sessions first, before leaving you to your own devices, to check that the exercises are being done beneficially). I wouldn't recommend working from a book or DVD without first having had a "hands-on" session. Once your instructor is satisfied you are doing the exercises safely and correctly, you are probably alright to continue on your own. You could then join in with a gym session if you're a member somewhere that allows you to use their facilities anywhere in the country. A word of caution on that point: they might not be quite as vigilant about your "condition". I have come across several instructors in these places who only want to work with gym bunnies, and not do any "rehab", i.e. they treat Pilates just like a bums and tums session and do not tailor exercises to their individual clients.
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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.
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snowcat
i can speak very highly of SIDAS in grenoble.... they have podiatrists who specialise in skiing orthotics and alignment....
i have a footbed from them that solves many problems for me.....
can tell you how to find them if interested....
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You know it makes sense.
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i am no expert by any means but i have skied for a while
from what i can see your main problem is that you are overbalancing and have a slight problem within the strength of one of your legs. The key to turning is all about balance and weight transfering. I started by learning to do a technique which is called "side sliping" on both sides of your body. From what im reading you have been taught the basics which are putting weight on your lower leg and leaving your upper leg lose. What you want to do is to practise going across in a very flat position. When you turn put your weight on your downward ski and keep your body at an angle facing the slope slightly to keep your balance. Make sure your knees are bent, straight legs you end up on the floor. A good way to practise is to try and stop on the spot. do it on your weakest side to build up control and strength.
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FAQ
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
