First off I cannot wait to get back on the snow, have been wishing the summer away (I know its bad)
So, one of my most visible ski technique problems is that I have have a very "static" upper body while I ski. One of my less charitable but more experienced friends described me as skiing "like a bus". I have seen myself on video-its not pretty and I hate it- how can I correct this?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
drink
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?
billybob, welcome to snowHeads.
A 'quiet' upper body is a good thing, but when you say "static" what do you mean?'
You should be aiming for a relatively static upper body! You don't want to be throwing your torso and shoulders around, it's your legs and skis that should be doing the work.
Thanks for response. Now that you say that perhaps I expressed myself poorly it's that I can't separate my upper and lower body so while I'm not throwing my upper body about my whole body turns at the same time! Hope that makes sense. I'm afraid I don't have a video. I understand the concept of upper body separation just can't seem to put it into practise! Any thoughts much appreciated.
billybob, Yes, that does make sense, and a lack of separation is a pretty common issue to deal with. Don't fall in to the trap that you need to have significant separation for every turn you make - long radius turns require much less separation, and too much can weaken your stance. Shorter radius turns benefit from much more separation.
Plenty of drills to help you be focused on separation, so I'm sure others will chip in but try this one: ski without poles and point your hands at a distant point down the slope; make rhythmical short radius turns down the fall line but keep your hands in the direction of your fixed point, perhaps as if you were pointing a gun at it. You'll want to keep your hands pointing at the distant point as much as possible, reducing how much they swing from side to side. Make sure that you "finish your turns" so your skis are completely across the slope before you start the next turn.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Another exercise you might try is "cowboy turns" - move your skis apart so that your inside edges are outside the width of your shoulders or hips, then try making parallel turns on a gentle slope with the skis at that width and no ploughing. Should force a lot a femur rotation with a "quiet" upper body. You can try it just standing on the floor in your shoes and turning your feet one way and the other to feel the effect at different stance widths.
After all it is free
After all it is free
no doubt there will be many who disagree with this, BUT many stance/upper body/ separation issues can be cause by poor equipment set up, mostly these don't show themselves until you get to a sensible level of skiing but some are blatant form the very first turns a skier makes
the body has a fine line between being in and out of balance, cross the line in the initial set up and you will be fighting to get back into balance every minute you are on skis...problems include but are certainly not limited to
boot to stiff
boot too soft
boot too big
too much / little forward lean
too much / little ramp angle
too much/ little binding delta
lack of flexibility
that's just the fore aft ones
footbed not good
no footbed
lack of flexibility
cuff alignment
muscle imbalance
true canting required
general boot fit
did i mention flexibility
etc etc etc
along with a hole load of technique issues mostly due to something in the above list
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CEM, Whilst equipment is very important, I believe that most postural/stance issues are created by subconscious fear, the brain trying to protect the body by moving it away from the "danger" ahead. Once the brain is convinced that being "centred" is a safe thing to do, problem over.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I remember, many moons ago, trying to teach a bloke to "do the Twist" (Chubby Checker stylee). He simply couldn't do it - couldn't do that separation bit at all and I guess, had he been a skier, he'd have had the same problem.
Can you do separation just in front of a mirror, nowhere near any boots, skis, snow or slopes. Can you stand with your upper body facing the mirror and jump (or just swivel) your feet and knees side to side (ie so you twist at the waist)?
If not, then you can practice that for nothing! A very painless way to get something of the same feeling and improve hip mobility is to lie on your bed (or on the floor) on your back and draw your feet in towards your backside, so your knees are pointing up. Then put your arms out sideways, flat, and keep both shoulders flat on the floor whilst dropping both knees to the floor each side - left right, left right. Maybe 30 times to each side. If your knees won't go down to the floor without lifting the opposite shoulder, it's worth working on.
Even better, put your hands in the "Hands Up!" position, with 90 degree angle at the elbows, keeping backs of both hands flat on the floor. If they won't go flat on the floor then you also have shoulder mobility issues which won't help.
Trying, whilst on a slippery fast moving platform, to do a movement which your body is not capable of doing in a relaxed and totally unthreatening situation, is probably a waste of time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
pam w,
Quote:
Maybe 30 times to each side.
I'd say that's too many reps, especially if one can't already do it easily!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Quote:
I'd say that's too many reps
yep, you're probably right. It's not hard work though - in fact a really relaxed, floppy, sort of movement is what you're aiming at (which is why a bed is good). These hip mobilisation exercises, plus pulling knees into chest (together and separately) and pulling the knee across to stretch the piriformis are in theory my morning routine. After the OH has bought me a cup of tea.
I don't manage to do it every morning, but probably about 4 times a week, and the knee hugging ones, in particular, are fantastic for lower backs.
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
pam w, indeed, very good exercises, all invariably part of my Pilates routine and never missed in class either. The knee dropping to each side isn't going to feel floppy, though, to someone with stiff hips and/or lower vertebrae, especially if done on the floor: damage could be done by forcing it.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Spyderman wrote:
CEM,I believe that most postural/stance issues are created by subconscious fear, the brain trying to protect the body by moving it away from the "danger" ahead. Once the brain is convinced that being "centred" is a safe thing to do, problem over.
seriously....you think that must be the way you are teaching or were taught
strangely there are a number of muscles, tendons, ligaments and a skeleton involved, along with the equipment holding you rather than you holding it
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
CEM, The thing that needs teaching is the brain, equipment is purely a tool. You can have the best tools in the world, but it's knowing how to use them that matters.
You post above puts far too much emphasis on equipment.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Always start the analysis at the feet answer to everything.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Cynic wrote:
Always start the analysis at the feet answer to everything.
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?
Spyderman wrote:
CEM, The thing that needs teaching is the brain, equipment is purely a tool. You can have the best tools in the world, but it's knowing how to use them that matters.
You post above puts far too much emphasis on equipment.
i didn't say equipment was the only thing, merely pointed out many of the equipment issues that can cause the stance problems, skiing is probably the only sport where the equipment holds you rather than you holding it, if this was not the case why do so many BASI trainers/ racers etc spend so much time and effort getting their kit set up properly
simply to give them the best stance and performance
Cynic, the feet may hold many answers but the pelvis holds even more
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I also don't think poor stance is always down to psychological factors (i.e. fear and anxiety) but rather incorrect equipment set up for an individual skier. Your brain might want to keep you nicely centred but because you've got so much binding delta and/or ramp the only way to be balanced is for your COM to be back. How can you be centred if the equipment doesn't allow you to be?
A 2mm toe lift brings my hips forward about 7cm. Weird but true. This is the difference between being in balance with my centre of mass over the ball of my feet and being in balace with it 7cm behind.
Of course I can remove the lifters and shove my weight forward - works to a point but it takes me out of balance and puts me in a weaker position to ski. You can alter your position on the skis but you can't kid your brain that you are in balance when you aren't.
That doesn't mean I think of my gear as compensating for good technique or for fear of the slope, I've just got it dialled in so that it drops me in the right stance. This isn't about having the best stuff or the gear being a crutch, it is just an appropriate set up.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
But since you can (and sometimes must!) rotate your feet when way out of "the right stance" e.g. in the bumps*, is this relevant to the OP's question?
Just asking
*Edit - obviously that's just my crap skiing, the rest of you gods keep perfectly centred all of the time.
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Poster: A snowHead
