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Arm movements- good or bad?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
A friend of mine, a fairly decent skier(gold in the ski club standard), who I ski with occasionally, has the odd habit of swinging his arm in towards his body to intiate a turn in the direction of the arm movement, particularly during linked short radius turns. It's more subtle than shoulder turn as it's restricted to the arm, and it doesn't seem to produce any uncontrolled over-rotation.

I can see that it would add addititional weight to turn, perhaps weighting the ski earlier. Or I am reading the action incorrectly? Any thoughts?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Most people do this for two reasons: firstly because it's just a bad habit they've go t into, and secondly because they've been ski-ing long enough that they learnt to do it in the 70's (I think). I can definitely remember learning this movement - I think it was the early 70's, anyway it followed on from the marching one, and was before the palm forward one!

From what you say I think your friend must fall into this category, If he skis well it probably won't affact him too much, but the quiet arms with minimal movement at the wrist that we now use does not disturb the balance so much.
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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?
easiski, it could be. I never thought of it in terms of form rather than function! He was once described as having a 70's style racing action.

I know of the palms forward action, but not the marching one- sounds like an action that stiff telemarkers would use!
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easiski, I've never heard of the 'palm-forward' pole plant. What is it?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar.org.uk, The palm forward was when we had very short poles (about the time I took my Grade 3). To plant the pole you kept your elbow into the body, moved your lower arm out so the plam was facing forewards and planted your stick at a foreward angle vaguely towards the tips of your skis Shocked Shocked Many, many people tripped over their own sticks doing this - that's probably why they changed the technique.
Kit Wong, The marching one is what my Dad used to do: it comes from the Emile Alais style. You moved your feet forwards and backwards quite severely during the parallel turn (uphill foot forward of course) and your arms ditto, but on the opposite side. while moving the pole forwards you invariably stabbed everyone in your path Shocked In point of fact, it's quite elegant when done well. This was at the time when your poles were measured into your armpits. Very Happy
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easiski, thanks. I'm frequently amazed by the little ritual moves that seem to have been built into skiing over the years, making it more and more complex. It seems so much more straightforward now.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
rob@rar.org.uk, You've got it - it's one of the reasons I have no respect AT ALL NehNeh for instructors who stick with the "old school" methods - WHY? Everything is so much easier now. People can learn to ski pretty well (fun carving, off piste) in about 6 weeks now if they have regular lessons and apply themselves. In the old days "expert" took at least 20 weeks, and was really hard work too. Crying or Very sad
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
easiski, I have a video clip (approx 2MB) of the incriminating style- the arm movements are much in evidence! Note: I believe a Java enabled web browser is required to view the clip.

If you can see the clip ok, there are a couple more of me, and falling over me, (each 2MB)......skiing in a different style? I hope so: he learnt to ski in the 60's, and me a relative newbie, in the late 90's! The clips were taken in St Anton almost 3 years ago. Video is a good media to spot flaws in your technique, and even more so in slow-mo!

Thanks to Alex for hosting on his site snowHead
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Kit Wong, good clips. The arm swinger does it much more with his left arm. His right is almost still.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Kit Wong, I agree with Kuwait Ian. The left arm is a problem, but the skier also appears to rotate his whole left side a bit which probably exacerbates the appearance of the movement. The right arm is a bit wild but not too aweful. I enojoyed the clips (looking at work).

Let me know if you want some more serious comment on the two clips by PM. snowHead
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Kit Wong, as Physicsman says on the other thread, it's easy to be critical (I'll post a video of me later on tonight when I have time so you can return the compliment Little Angel ) but I'm afraid I cannot believe that your friend is a gold standard Ski Club skier. Sorry, but there it is Crying or Very sad
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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.
easiski, kuwait_ian, yes, left arm swinger - he could open the bowling attack for England!

Alan Craggs, Maybe not on that showing, but he is seriously gold off-piste!
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 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
As threatened here is a clip of me feeling very stiff and self-concious. It's not been chosen for anything, it's the only clip of me skiing that I have. Must get some more this year Shocked

I don't suppose any of you will manage to be more critical of me than I am myself so publish and be damned I say Laughing

As a matter of interest, we used to see "arm swingers" like that a good few years back, although it was usually both arms. The hypothesis was that they'd done a fair bit of old style slalom and were sub-conciously knocking poles out of the way. Don't know how much truth there could be in that.


Last edited by 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 on Thu 24-02-05 8:32; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Alan Craggs, absolutely nothing wrong with the technique - - - - - of the herring-boning at the end Wink
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Alan Craggs, Hannah's comment was something along the lines of she'd be happy to ski with you, whereas I'm still relegated to the statutory minimum 25m gap in case anyone thought we were related Sad
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Alan Craggs, Upper body seems a little stiff possibly but not hugely, nothing really wrong with that
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Well we won't mention the dropping of the inside hand then Little Angel and the, ahem, modicum of skidding . And as for stiff, well it was kin cold that morning (hence the hat) Madeye-Smiley

Shall we have a "spot the piste" competition?


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 10-11-04 20:21; edited 1 time in total
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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?
Tignes ?
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Yes, right resort. Which piste?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Carline.........ain't the internet wonderful ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Excellent - no prize though Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
bug - free lesson perhaps ? Wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
sorry, should have said 'bug - free lesson perhaps ?
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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.
Third time, 'bug - free lesson perhaps ?'
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Well I heard you the first time - bug free lesson NehNeh Quite possible in the winter months, can be a bit buggy in the summer Little Angel
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
So that's a free lesson - fantastic ! Cool Where ?
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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.
Alan Craggs, nothing bad to say apart from: look at all that untracked snow off-piste that you could have been skiing instead!

BTW: what software did you use to produce the clip? Best render I can get from Moviestar, for a decent quality clip, is 2MB for 10 secs.
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 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
easiski wrote:
I can definitely remember learning this movement - I think it was the early 70's.
Now hold on there easiski, I've seen pictures of you. You are definitely a young'un. In the early 70s you would have been about 5yrs old, so I think you are seriously wrong with your dates.
I too have noticed this common habit of quite good skiers waving their arms about, and have thought it just an affectation, rather in line with flamboyant movements when using a walking stick. But at least they are doing something positive with their poles. I'm sure if you videod me, I would look like I was gently poking the piste to check it was cooked properly.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Kit Wong, indeed indeed, but I thought we would have all week for videoing. After that first day we had 4 days of blizzards and high winds which essentially closed the high Tarentaise Crying or Very sad

I used Adobe Premiere 6.5 to create the clip from DV.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Jonpim, I don't know about being a good skier, but I do notice - especially when playing without sticks, that I DO wave my arms a bit before the first turn, which seems to help get a good rythm. I don't do it with stick, and I don't (I think), do it on snow......anyone else do similar ?
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