 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning 
I was up late last night watching some of the instructional vids posted on here and have spent all night dreaming about carving, stance, flexing etc. Sad I know.
This has again highlighted what I already know. My ski stance is too straight. Mainly in the upper body, ie. from the hips. My ankle and knee flex is not too bad but could be better so I am working on the calfs. I have to really concentrate on keeping the upper body a little forwards ie. flexed from the hip. I can do it when I think about it, but revert to a more upright stance when challenged by terrain or just cruising along. My poles end up at the sides of me with me swinging the arm forward to plant rather than just the wrist. This reach forwards then taking my upper body with it when it should already be there.
Are there any drills/training I can do to help me maintain a fully flexed, athletic ski stance particularly from the hip area as I had a bit of a lightbulb moment and realised that this is why my thigh muscles are always knackered because I'm not centered and it's my legs doing the work.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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not at all.... 
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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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tea tray drill - hold your poles our in front of you like you are carrying a tray of drinks. gets you in the habit of keeping your hands forward.
tail raises - on an easy slope for you make wide turns with a long traverse across the slope. Whilst traversing try to hop up the tails of the skis keeping the tips of the skis on the slope and tracking forward in a straight line.
also, when skiing try to slowly alternate between a completely upright tall stance to sinking into a very low crouched stance with your hands forward at all times.
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It might sound trivial but I had a breakthrough when i got the position of my arms right (forwards), the Warren Smith Vids shows well the correct position. I only really got it when an instructor physically pulled them into the correct position, prior to that I was a bit of a gorilla. I think the benefit came from the shift of weight and therefore center of mass forwards. Also it changes the pole plant from an arm movement to more of a wrist movement.
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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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Personally, I think the key is the pelvis tilt...as it gets rid of that horrible scrunched up look when you try too hard to get forward.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think the key is the pelvis tilt
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yup. think shag not poo-poo.
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skimottaret,
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tail raises - on an easy slope for you make wide turns with a long traverse across the slope. Whilst traversing try to hop up the tails of the skis keeping the tips of the skis on the slope and tracking forward in a straight line.
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Is that as difficult as it sounds? A proper hop or more of a weight thrust? I'll give it a go at Chillfactore on Monday. The Tea tray drill is one I use often to refocus and find it really useful.
jbob,
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I think the benefit came from the shift of weight and therefore center of mass forwards. Also it changes the pole plant from an arm movement to more of a wrist movement.
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That is exactly what I want to achieve.
Thanks.
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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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a very dodgy ski instructor once said " make love to your skis" (by tilting your pelvis forward) I was most embarassed when he kept shouting this down the hill at full volume
At home I practise jumping side to side( but also forward) in the swimming pool from one end to the other and this seems to help not sure why, but if you dont get it quite right you end up falling over and almost drwoning.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Any tips as that is exactly how I feel - trying too hard to be forwards
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think about squeezing a 50 pound note between your bum cheeks...
Sorry i should have asked what standard of skier you are and how much experience you have.. also should have prefaced that to try this drill you should be at a point with your skiing that you can have the skis matched (parallel) between turns. If you are at a snowplough only stage that drill is too advanced.
On the tail hops drill the key is to be comfortably sliding across a slope that is easy for you. yes try to hop even just a little so the tails of the skis are off the ground. Perhaps as an intro drill just try to bunny hop up in the travers so that your feet come up off the slope....
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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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Explain further as a fellow female.
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Hmm. OK, you did ask. The wrong (backward tilted) pelvic position is the one you would adopt if you were standing on the edge of a cliff, with your backside to the drop, anxious not to fall over, but also aiming to drop the poo-poo into the pounding surf below, not on your feet. To get into the right position, think "shag". Standing up. Back to the wall. You're trying to help the poor guy. Your pelvis is now in the right position. Now stop thinking about shagging, start thinking about skiing. And stand forward onto the balls of your feet. It was the "balls of your feet" advice that did it for me, actually.....
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pam w,  Thanks for that detailed description.
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You know it makes sense.
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I had real trouble with getting the right position. I would get myself into a good stance and start off well but by the time I'd done a few turns I was definately more sh*t than shag.
I started trying to work out when everything went wrong and found that as I initiate my turn I start to sit back. After that Easiski sorted it out, she told me to imagine I was diving into a pool and, for me, this worked a treat 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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minx, I am concerned that you think you need to go forward 'from the hips'. I can't say in your case, but most skiers need to get their hips forward too. Try to feel you're standing up from the knees - maybe this will help, but it's very difficult to diagnose without seeing you ski.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maybe we need to raise the tone of this thread by lowering the focus!
Awareness of the sensations within your boots can be helpful. Where do your feel the pressure on the sole of your foot when skiing; heel, ball, center or moving about? How about the the cuff of the boot, is your boot pressing on the shin or calf?
One drill that helped me, but not suitable for beginners, and even advanced skiers should only do it under the supervision of an instructor, is to ski with your boots totally undone, this will force you into a better posture.
Don't forget to do them up again for the chairlift.
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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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skimottaret, Both your posts are quite a good way of describing things. The mist lifted for a moment then  Some of these things I do unconsciously but because of this I tend not to do them all the time so don't ski consistently which I find frustrating (of course terrain varies evey time out as well which doen't help
When I improve should I work down to a 5 pence piece from the note ?!?!?
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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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Yes a little bit of mist lifting for me too.
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Easiski sorted it out, she told me to imagine I was diving into a pool and, for me, this worked a treat
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think about squeezing a 50 pound note between your bum cheeks
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Really really helpful.
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I would get myself into a good stance and start off well but by the time I'd done a few turns I was definately more sh*t than shag.
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Is where I'm at, but I think a light has gone on, will practice on monday with the butt squeeze and helping out against a wall position!!!
easiski,
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I am concerned that you think you need to go forward 'from the hips'. I can't say in your case, but most skiers need to get their hips forward too. Try to feel you're standing up from the knees
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I think that's spot on, I need to get the hips forward.
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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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don't know if this helps but I find "rounding my shoulders forward" as opposed to leaning forward from the waist with shoulders back is really important. It feels like you are making a minor change but the impact seems disproportionate
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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minx, your spot on re moving more onto the balls of your feet, and a gentle pressure on the shins is fine, but just being more aware of these sensations will help a lot. I am a big fan of ankle flex (rather than bend ze knees) but it can be overdone, and its something that someone else looking at you will be better able to see, or look at some video. One thing to remember is that your upper body needs to be parallel to your lower leg, again a bit of video might help.
One word of caution, when you do start to change your posture to a more "correct" one, things often get worse before they get better as you have to get used to your new balance.
As for a bit of steming when things get steeper your in good company there.
I think posture is the most difficult thing to get right, good luck.
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jbob, I am having a couple of lessons at Sunshine when we get to Banff, with video analysis. So that will be useful. I do think it's the pelvic tilt I need to focus on.
I have been doing Pilates since April so sticking my bum out now feels very alien so I'm hoping this will help my skiing stance.
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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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| Jo225 wrote: |
I've found this thread really helpful, thanks everyone :sH: I also suffer from stick-out-bottom-when-in-doubt syndrome...
Thanks especially to pam w - I may have had a lightbulb moment when you mentioned putting pressure on the balls of the feet :D
I've also instructed MrJo to shout "Shag not poo-poo!" down the slope at me if necessary... if nothing else, it'll make me ski a bit faster to escape the spectators :-D |
Push the bush, not the tush
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Jo225, Yes I'll be looking for Bode Millers sacks on the tele
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minx, gently, gently, I am informed they frighten easily!
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You know it makes sense.
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comprex, I'm just back from the dry slope and am sorry to report that the potatoes are now in therapy, last seen crouched in corner, quivering, rocking gently back and forth
muttering something about a mad scotswoman.  I think they've had their chips......
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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ickabodblue,
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FAQ
Thanks 