 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hello everybody
I saw this blog today
http://www.maddogski.com/news-and-blogs/ski-better-stand-taller
He talks about inserting heel wedges in his boots, which moves your weight over the front of the boot.
When the going gets tough I often find myself on my heels. Are there any reasons why heel wedges would be a bad idea?
Cheers
PJ
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Stand on a flat surface in your bare feet.
Now get someone to force a wedge under one of your heels. The pressure under your heel has increased, not decreased.
It doesn't work. The secret to solving your problem is lots of foundation exercises to improve your dynamic balance. Any decent instructor can help you out with this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
yep agree with telford_mike. In some cases a wedge under the heels make you feel like you're toppling forward so you sit back even more to compensate, just what you are trying to prevent
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
eversolazy, What the guy wrote...
| Quote: |
At the start of this season I noticed that my boots (new last season) were slightly loose and I could lift my heels. So I bought some wedges to fit under my heels, and now the boots fit perfectly. But a side effect of the wedge is that a quarter inch movement in my heel translates into a body position that is six inches further forward. So when things are going well my weight is on the ball of my foot, and when I panic and lean back my weight is still nicely poised over the centre of my feet. Result is, when I have an “Oh! Sh*t!” moment, I stay in control, and instead of things going from bad to worse, the additional control increases my confidence and makes it easier to lean further forward, which gives me even more control.
So if you want to improve your skiing, don’t go out and buy those new skis with the go faster stripes, get yourself a pair of heel wedges! |
... is the biggest load of tosh I've ever heard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Wedges/lifts "inside" the boot I was under the impression opens the ankle! Anything outside the boot may be a different matter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DB, ok, that's an approved design.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| telford_mike wrote: |
Stand on a flat surface in your bare feet.
Now get someone to force a wedge under one of your heels. The pressure under your heel has increased, not decreased.
It doesn't work. The secret to solving your problem is lots of foundation exercises to improve your dynamic balance. Any decent instructor can help you out with this. |
This sounds right, last year I had a similar idea and put some cork wedges in my boots. Had to stop after 30mins due to heel pain, not bothered to try again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
When the going gets tough I often find myself on my heels.
|
that's probably true of a lot of us. It's taken me a long time and a lot of good lessons to get out of that very bad habit most of the time. Not all, sadly. Need to keep practising.
If you stand on your feet, on a hard floor (having taken the wedges suggested above out  ) you can feel what a very slight difference - usually just flexing the ankles so the hips come over the feet - is needed to shift your weight forward.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Remind me, which end of foot beds are thickest?
There is some logic in the mans argument though not quite as simplistic as it seems.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Thu 16-02-12 18:34; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Rishie, normally the end nearest the guy making them
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
eversolazy, sounds like you need to sort out your fore and aft balance not blame the tools. One drill I can suggest is on an easy and quiet slope try skiing a bit with your boots completely undone. In this way the boot gives no fore or aft support, thus you'll soon learn to centre correctly in the boot. Keep skiing like this for at least a few runs, you may start off feeling a tad wobbly but soon settle into it. Be careful with this drill as you will not have the normal control for a while, hence start on easy and quiet slope. I used to ski with too much forward lean, this drill helped to sort that out. Getting pushed back in bumps or steeper stuff could also be down to several reasons such as bad general stance, not committing down the hill enough, not driving the hands forward, swinging the upper body around too much, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
eversolazy, Do you ski in a Salomon SX90?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
eversolazy, the guy is saying a quarter of an inch lift "inside" his boot supposedly translates to making his body position 6 inches further forward, look at the lindsey vonn link above, her wedges are a little bigger than a quarter inch, so going on matey's calculations she should be flat on her face!
The reason she is not is because her ankles are compensating for the difference and opening, it would be the same if put "inside" the ski boot but obviously this is limited by space but 1/4" would just open her ankle not throw her 6" forward.
If the guy had put the 1/4 outside of his boot heel it would tilt the whole boot & cuff forwards so you would think this would force/move the whole body position forwards also, but it often has the reverse effect because the person can feel overly off balance forward so they have to compensate and drop the hips back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
eversolazy, there is a big difference in effect between having a "ramp angle" or Zeppa inside your boot with heel lifts and baseboards and having a Delta angle with the connection to your skis..
lots of terminology to digest , have a look at http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=31885 to understand the differences...
gatecrasher, is correct in that heel lifts inside the boot change the ankle position but have only a very small effect on your fore aft balance.
delta angle on the other hand can have a huge effect on fore aft and hip position....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I did own a pair of SX81s many years ago! Saw an old boy wearing SX71s the other week, I suspect his technique was better than mine. I've only recently discovered the difference that having my weight forward makes, what a revelation! Yes, practice practice practice.
PJ
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
skimottaret, well, that's no flippin' use: it says 'Delta Angle - TBD' 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
A BASI L4 friend of mine told me he removes the heel lifts from his boots, as they make him sit back to compensate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| beanie1 wrote: |
| A BASI L4 friend of mine told me he removes the heel lifts from his boots, as they make him sit back to compensate. |
Colin (CEM) told me exactly the same thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
beanie1, What is a BASI 4 doing with heel lifts as standard? does Colin know him as well?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Cynic, I believe the heel lifts come in the boot as standard, he removes them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is it beyond reasoning that a L4 couldn't possibly have flexibility issues 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| scooby_simon wrote: |
| beanie1 wrote: |
| A BASI L4 friend of mine told me he removes the heel lifts from his boots, as they make him sit back to compensate. |
Colin (CEM) told me exactly the same thing. |
And me, as did Andy McCann and a few other fitters I've talked to. Excessive raising of the heel will cause you to lean back, a small ammount just helps you flex the boot if you have issues with ankle flex.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| waynos wrote: |
| eversolazy, sounds like you need to sort out your fore and aft balance not blame the tools. One drill I can suggest is on an easy and quiet slope try skiing a bit with your boots completely undone. In this way the boot gives no fore or aft support, thus you'll soon learn to centre correctly in the boot. Keep skiing like this for at least a few runs, you may start off feeling a tad wobbly but soon settle into it. Be careful with this drill as you will not have the normal control for a while, hence start on easy and quiet slope. I used to ski with too much forward lean, this drill helped to sort that out. Getting pushed back in bumps or steeper stuff could also be down to several reasons such as bad general stance, not committing down the hill enough, not driving the hands forward, swinging the upper body around too much, etc. |
You can practice centred balance on the Skia sweetspot trainer - after a fair bit of practice I'm now pretty comfortable on the red blocks. The blacks are impossible!
If you're centred, you'll quickly adjust to skiing with or without a heel raise
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| mr brain cheat wrote: |
| waynos wrote: |
| eversolazy, sounds like you need to sort out your fore and aft balance not blame the tools. One drill I can suggest is on an easy and quiet slope try skiing a bit with your boots completely undone. In this way the boot gives no fore or aft support, thus you'll soon learn to centre correctly in the boot. Keep skiing like this for at least a few runs, you may start off feeling a tad wobbly but soon settle into it. Be careful with this drill as you will not have the normal control for a while, hence start on easy and quiet slope. I used to ski with too much forward lean, this drill helped to sort that out. Getting pushed back in bumps or steeper stuff could also be down to several reasons such as bad general stance, not committing down the hill enough, not driving the hands forward, swinging the upper body around too much, etc. |
You can practice centred balance on the Skia sweetspot trainer - after a fair bit of practice I'm now pretty comfortable on the red blocks. The blacks are impossible!
If you're centred, you'll quickly adjust to skiing with or without a heel raise |
mr brain cheat, how's it working for your skiing? Anyone else tried this...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Sure got some funny looks, but Hey!
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 21-02-12 22:31; edited 3 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
mr brain cheat, thanks for your views, it's the first I had heard of them!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
mr brain cheat would I be right in guessing you have some pecuniary interest in this product as 3 of your 5 posts are about it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
betterinblack, there doesn't appear to be any personal reviews about it, just sales pitch based, thing is there is a lot of mention about the alignment of the boot sole to ski being critical but it's very common for people to change the binding positions to suit them. I'm wondering how many have actually been sold.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I do think a ramp in heel helped me mainly from having tight calves and first few days on skis were always agony. Heel ramps meant I was leaning forward but not stretching my calves for 8 hours a day in the process. Never felt overly on my toes tho think body compensated and pain free is priceless 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
What @waynos said. This is on the workman, not the tools.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
