 Poster: A snowHead
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Now, I'm hoping someone might have a handy hint to help me out with improving my stance.
I'd say I'm an advanced intermediate - I successfully handle red runs no problem at all, and have an incredible amount of fun doing so, but last year in Val Thorens I got a lesson by snowarea to try to improve my technique. Up til that point it had all been more or less self-taught so it was good to get a lesson toi pick up on my faults.
and boy, did I have some faults! The biggest one I feel was my stance. When I got a chance to see myself on a video, I was appalled at the very 'sitting' posture I seemed to have at times, and Claude kept asking me "Stuart, where is your chair?!" He really helped me improve, but I'm worried when I gte back into it this season I'll slip into my old habit.
So how can I improve? I noticed anotheer thread a useful thing to remember is 'Sh*g, not sh*t!' Which I'll bear in mind. Any other ideas?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One tip might be to over-compensate for the problem by skiing too far forward for a little while until it begins to feel a bit more comfortable skiing that way. That might help to bring you more centred on your skis. I think it's difficult to break a habit like skiing in the backseat just by focusing on a single mental image or trying to put in place a single helpful tip. If that stance has been ingrained up by 1,000s of turns you might need a fairly determined effort to change it.
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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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Oldmacdonald, I had (have?) the same problem. Years of holiday skiing with no tuition and tons of ingrained bad habits, including skiing in the back seat. I've been working hard to eliminate them by getting to Hemel fridge regularly and doing all day clinics with
http://www.insideoutskiing.com/
Highly recommended if you are within striking distance of Hemel Hempstead.
rob@rar who posted above is one of the Inside Out guys.
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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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Oldmacdonald, ^ ^ ^ +1
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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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something not too exercise like (so you can do it a lot more without concentrating too much) is to stand up a bit more (specifically straightening your knees more) and push your hands forward before starting each turn. Start the turn right and you'll be amazed how much easier the rest is.
Essentially, as your feet are encased in plastic the more you bend your knees the further back you'll end up, and the arm thing is a bit like a double pole plant (but less tricky) if your arms are forward so are your shoulders and head, that's most of your weight right there, never underestimate the importance of arm position, especially at your level.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
something not too exercise like (so you can do it a lot more without concentrating too much) is to stand up a bit more (specifically straightening your knees more) and push your hands forward before starting each turn. Start the turn right and you'll be amazed how much easier the rest is.
Essentially, as your feet are encased in plastic the more you bend your knees the further back you'll end up, and the arm thing is a bit like a double pole plant (but less tricky) if your arms are forward so are your shoulders and head, that's most of your weight right there, never underestimate the importance of arm position, especially at your level.
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Yep this is a good one, had/have the same problem at times, probably stems from plastic racing in an effort to get lower and more dynamic it's easy to "get back" and get away with it, but you can't get away with it so much when training on snow, it was strange being told to stand taller but standing taller and driving down & forward from the hips is definitely helping balance issues and helping keep up with the ski's.
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Spud9, I'm in Aberdeenshire, so not all that handy!
Thanks anyway! dulcamara, I'll be giving that a go as soon as there is enough snow up here!
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I heard about taping something small and hard on the inside of the liner behind your calf. Never tried it.
Arms forward, agree with that.
I also find that shouting to myself "get back in front, you lazy Fitzwilliam" helps.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| One tip might be to over-compensate for the problem by skiing too far forward for a little while until it begins to feel a bit more comfortable skiing that way. That might help to bring you more centred on your skis. I think it's difficult to break a habit like skiing in the backseat just by focusing on a single mental image or trying to put in place a single helpful tip. If that stance has been ingrained up by 1,000s of turns you might need a fairly determined effort to change it. |
I had to effectively break my 'technique' over a four week course, then build it back up again to beat it.
Using blades helped every now and then helped, as it's harder to get away with being way backseat.
Also concentrating on small turns, leaning way forwards with hands on knees, really focussing on working (and even watching [during the exercise, not all the time!]) the ski tips, showed me the feeling of driving the tips and using the shape of the ski that you should look for.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Using blades helped every now and then helped, as it's harder to get away with being way backseat. |
Not sure about that. I see many snowbladers with a complete absence of ankle flex charging down the hill with their centre of mass at or behind their heels. There might be a point at which being well behind your base of support simply dumps you on your butt, but most bladers I see are in the backseat.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob@rar, ah, ankle flex. Another lightbulb.
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Using blades helped every now and then helped, as it's harder to get away with being way backseat. |
Not sure about that. I see many snowbladers with a complete absence of ankle flex charging down the hill with their centre of mass at or behind their heels. There might be a point at which being well behind your base of support simply dumps you on your butt, but most bladers I see are in the backseat. |
Fair point - although I did it under the instruction of a Staatliche, and doing various exercises at the same time.
However I suspect that the majority of bladers skiing like that aren't really bothered about technique, just hooning down the slopes in the easiest possible way (turning wise). The only time I've used blades outside of a lesson (years ago, when I was in the backseat most of the itme) I found that every little bump was chucking me over backwards, and as even then I was trying to ski well, it made me think much more about my balance point. So I think if whilst using blades you are consciously thinking about skiing well, you'll get more feedback on stance and balance to guide you than with normal skis. It worked for me, at least.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| However I suspect that the majority of bladers skiing like that aren't really bothered about technique, just hooning down the slopes in the easiest possible way (turning wise). |
Agree. Perfectly possible to ski on blades well, but IME few people do. When you see a decent skier on blades they can be impressive piste skiers.
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You know it makes sense.
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I actually thought about recommending blades but figured moving your weight forward while skiing probably wasn't worth changing your sexuality over.. save your pride....
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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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Very excellent drill to get centred on skis for your level I learnt from the very excellent easiski is traverse on downhill ski, lift uphill ski and hold it forwards, then hold it backwards, then hold it up hill, then shake it all about. You might look like a stork trying to shake something whiffy off its leg while doing it but you won't be able to do it for any length of time properly unless centred on the supporting leg. Then do same but traversing on the uphill leg (so lifting and waving about the downhill leg). That's how I remember it anyway (hope I'm not misquoting you easiski).
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Poster: A snowHead
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| dulcamara wrote: |
| I actually thought about recommending blades but figured moving your weight forward while skiing probably wasn't worth changing your sexuality over.. save your pride.... |
 Good point, well made!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oldmacdonald, the single thing that has helped me get more forward is skiing with the two upper clips of my boots and the powder strap undone. Obviously you should take care at first until your balance point moves forward (it has to!). But then you can ski increasingly confidently. Then gradually tighten your boots up while retaining the same stance as you had with the boots unclipped.
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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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Hope I'm not talking rubish here but...
For me its about timing. If I don't get forward early in the turn I won't get forward at all. I try and get myself forward before the skis turn downhill otherwise they run away from me.
Would someone who knows what they are talking about (I don't) please comment as this is just how it feels to me and I feel much much better when I get forward early.
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