Blocking

A snowHead

Please could someone with a little spare time explain Blocking to me... with examples!!!.

Is it technical or a technical name for common sense?

A snowHead

I don't know although it seems to be a popular contemporaneous term. I'd say its a physical impingement (usually biomechanical but I guess equipment related would also be valid) which prevents a desired outcome (skis tracking in desired direction etc).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Or from skimottaret's glossary

BLOCKAGE - or Blocking - When the position of some of the body's joints effectively "block" or reduce the range of movement of other joints. To feel an example of this effect stand in your skiing "goal keeper's" position with all the joints flexed and your elbows slightly out as if you are holding poles. Now raise your elbows up as high as they will go and your neck/upper body will be blocked. Similarly, drop your elbows into your sides and your lower back will be blocked.

Which would suggest that it need be nothing about outcomes.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

so "when body bits get in the way of other body bits" or "the way joints don't move"

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Stand with your skis parallel across a slope and turn your upper body so that your shoulders are facing up the hill a bit.

Without moving your upper body (shoulders) try stepping your uphill ski out to form a half plough.

Now you know what blocking is (and why lots of beginner skiers struggle with even this most "basic" concept).

You'll need to Register first of course.

dulcamara, yes it is common sense and nothing magical but unless it is demonstrated it can be surprising to how big an extent small changes in body position can impact range of movement in other joints, try this next time you have skis on.

stand upright extended as tall as you can make yourself and then try to lift up the tail of one of your skis.... then try it with your knees just a little bit flexed.

then picture your self skiing through moguls very upright and then in the second position. wink

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Yoda, you beat me to it Toofy Grin

After all it is free

Yoda, Very good - so were I to get myself in that situtation I'd unblock by crouching down on my downhil leg ? wink

Ahh gotcha, cheers guys, will get used to ski words soon....i hope

so to take the example off the other thread that keeping your feet close together in a race turn results in blocking your ability to move your centre of mass across your skis..... ?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Not going to stick my neck out too far (I hope) but my concept of "blocking" is something which is internal to the body - i.e. the extent to which part or parts of the body hinder another part from doing something. In my simple example above you can "unblock" the hip by moving the shoulders to face down the hill instead of up. If an internal body part is preventing movement of the COM then yes, but I'm not sure that would be the case Puzzled