JR's MA Thread

[MonsterMan]

Thanks Leo,

that does help a lot. I think I am personally still too digital in my movements, I hope to make my movements more analogue, however, as you suggest, the higher the turn frequency, the quicker everything will need to happen. Sorry to hijack the thread if this stuff is not relevant to the original request.

Geoff

[Bolter]

Thank you (everyone) for your feedback. I will get back soon.

JR

[Ken]

Bolter, a couple of questions for you.

Are you light enough on the free (inside) ski? If that ski isn't light, it'll prevent the leg angles we want. Are you smoothly and progressively continuously lightening that ski more and more as the turn progresses?...deeper flex of the free leg as the turn progresses?

Are you continually, smoothly, strongly, progressively tipping the free foot more and more and more?

I'm with LB on the quick, deep release. When it's time to release, quickly pull both knees up to your chest then immediately tip, lighten, pull back your new free foot. Tip hard quickly, and tip more and more and more. Lighten and lighten more and more. The new stance (outside) leg isn't pushed out but allowed to extend--don't keep it bent much. Of course, we don't really pull our knees up to our chest, but it might feel that way. Give it a try as an exaggerated drill and add quick, smooth, strong tipping of the new inside foot. You'll feel yourself alternating periods of g-forces and weightlessness. You'll feel when it is smooth and powerful and working right.

[Bolter]

Hello Bolter,


A little change to your timing and some refinement of your moves will take you to another level.

From a critical perspective, what I see on most of the early turns is that you develop edge angles by pushing your feet out away from your body. . . . you are extending both legs before you have established edge angles.

Your leg extension is really a recovery mechanism for inclination.

Another approach. Think about tipping to the new edge angles while your feet are under your body and your legs are flexed. This addresses the timing issue. Angles first, then extension as required.

Another idea. Tip your feet and counter tip your hips. I think you'll find that if you focus on tipping from the bottom (i.e. with the ankles and feet) your hip counter will be a matter of necessity. On a turn to the right you will tip your left edges up and your right hip up.

One more idea. The time between the release and the fall line is all about lightness and tipping. . . . tip while maintaining a light, floating feeling . . . extend against a well tipped ski, not a flat one. . . . the tipping comes first.

I hope some of these ideas help.

- Leo

Leo and all,

Thank you for your help and time.

Your leg extension is really a recovery mechanism for inclination . . . This is so right.

I was aggressivly flexing to release but lost the float. Tipping and extending don't work together, I am proof.

I can fix this and have worked on my carvers to set this change in motion.

Waiting for SNOW!!

JR

[Bolter]

Bolter, a couple of questions for you.

Are you light enough on the free (inside) ski?
Are you smoothly and progressively continuously lightening that ski more and more as the turn progresses?...deeper flex of the free leg as the turn progresses?
Are you continually, smoothly, strongly, progressively tipping the free foot more and more and more?

.

I am sad to answer NO to all of the above. I can and in the past have done all of the above, I will focus on these, I need to.

I'm with LB on the quick, deep release. When it's time to release, quickly pull both knees up to your chest then immediately tip, lighten, pull back your new free foot. Tip hard quickly, and tip more and more and more. Lighten and lighten more and more. The new stance (outside) leg isn't pushed out but allowed to extend--don't keep it bent much. Of course, we don't really pull our knees up to our chest, but it might feel that way. Give it a try as an exaggerated drill and add quick, smooth, strong tipping of the new inside foot. You'll feel yourself alternating periods of g-forces and weightlessness. You'll feel when it is smooth and powerful and working right

I think the quick deep release is there but the tip hard quickly is not.

[Ken]

When it's time to release, quickly pull both knees up to your chest

This visualization works for me. It does not resonate with others. Find the visualization that works for you.

The speed and effort to tip depends on how quickly one wants to be on the other ski edges. For leisurely turns on an easy run, easy tipping works. For very quick turns on a steep run, quick, hard tipping gets things moving right now! Of course, the tipping isn't binary. We don't tip then hold it. Start tipping quickly, strongly, always smoothly and progressively more and more and more.