Drills and exercises, yuck!!!

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Drills and exercises, yuck!!!

Postby Harald » Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:05 pm

Personally, I don?t understand this distaste for thinking or concentrating on your movements while you are skiing. Thinking while skiing is not exclusive to having fun when skiing. I have for decades done drills and exercises for the purpose of developing proper sensations to create effective movements. I have also coached this approach to generations of ski racers.

I have used drills and exercises extensively with ski racers who have won gold medals, and world championships, both in racing and extreme skiing. Ask Chris Davenport where he developed the discipline in his skiing to ski the extreme conditions safely. He will tell you it came from the drills and gate training he received when he was a young racer. The same will be true for Erich Schlopy etc. but possibly not Bode. He might be the exception. It is still apparent in his skiing today.

After I have done these exercises, I keep the successful movements that I created while doing the exercises in my memory banks. When I ski, I call up the stored sensations from my memory banks and keep focused on them to produce the movements and skiing I want. I push the envelope and test the movements on the most difficult conditions and at high speed. I always challenge my turns and the quality of my turns when I ski. Having coached some of the best skiers that came out of the USA I know how these athletes conduct themselves. They work on drills and perfect movements at very slow speeds. The Austrians do the same. You can see them working on drills before training or racing. These are often very specific drills that are tedious for some, but invigorating for others.

The discussion that ensued after John M. went skiing and expected to ski with Rusty and BB was an example of unfilled expectations. John was getting on his skis after an intense three days of carver camp and wanted to feel the relationship of Harb Carvers to his skiing movements. He was also trying to feel a new pair of skis. After a few runs with drills, he probably just went out to make some turns.

I saw posts that said basically, ?John forget about all the technique and just go out and ski.? This is bad advice and doing or following that advice will never make you the skier you want to be. The bottom line is stick with what motivates you. John is highly motivated to become an expert skier. He will not achieve that level quickly unless he is very focused. He was doing the right thing beginning the way he did on that day, especially given the circumstances of the weekend and the new skis,

Rusty wanted to just ski. His motivation was mileage and runs, great, nothing wrong with that, but don?t put a guy down for wanting to get better. The world cup skiers do exactly what John was doing, but I don?t see any one attacking their approach to getting on their skis. Just because John has the knowledge to converse with the experienced PSIA instructor doesn?t mean he is over focused on technique or skiing movements. You will find that many PMTS regular recreational skiers know more about how to use successful movements in skiing than ski instructors. I reference the numerous posts almost all by PMTS recreational skiers on this forum. They have a clear understanding of skiing and what makes skiing work. The reactions to posts and in-depth knowledge demonstrated by the PMTS skiers often frustrate the TTS band of instructors. As the knowledge of skiing of the PMTS skiers, which is developed in such a short time, is in every respect equal to or more accurate than many of the professionals posting. I find it extremely interesting that recreational skiers can discuss the nuances ski technique based on two different systems (PSIA and PMTS) at the high level and make points that are accurate and based in facts and science. Many of the PSIA instructor posts are opinions, conjecture and fallacies. Since they argue from their point of view based in their PSIA training they always demonstrate a bias. PMTS mostly (except Jeff) have compared, evolved out and away from PSIA instruction. It is for this reason they have more credibility than the PSIA instructor who posts. I have training in many systems, Austrian, Canadian, USSA Coaches, PSIA and a movement based system called PMTS. I choose to use the movement based system because I have compared the systems, used the systems and taught the systems. I have asked for client feedback and I have compared results. If PSIA or the Austrian system were more effective wouldn?t I use them? I am after all an Austrian born American.

I know I get the responses that say I developed PMTS out of those systems. Before this happens I?ll save some posts and say no! You are wrong. I did not evolve PMTS from any other system. If anyone believes this they don?t know PMTS. In fact, most of the posters commenting on PMTS have no training in PMTS and have only partially read PMTS materials. I can make this comment because I see the lack of complete knowledge in the points put forward by PSIA instructors about PMTS techniques and results on this forum.

I don?t ever want to have my skiing deteriorate in my later years. I see my father skiing, he is 83. He skis like a fifty year old man. He is able to ski all terrain with excellent technique. He races in European Masters events and is competitive with the sixty year old age group. With the nutrition and training understanding we have today, a good skier who is fifty years old now should be able and still be excellent at ninety and that?s what I?m shooting for.

You can?t do that unless you stay sharp every winter and keep pushing your limits. Skiing on blue terrain cruising around with a Jagermeister in your back pocket is fine and fun for some, but that is not my cup of tea. I?d rather have a Red Bull and tear up the A-Bowl and do it until I?m 90.
Harald
 

Postby BELSKISFAST » Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:09 pm

I find your post so close to my mind set I might have written it. Skiing is a soulful activity I view as a gift from God. I am never more alive or at peace than when I ski. If I ski well it is all the more. If I ski so, so, it is still spiritual for me. To work on skiing well makes me feel good and gives me the sense that I am respecting and honoring the sport I love and am so very grateful to be able to participate in. It has always been self fullfilling....to ski better is to have more fun...to be more capable opens the mountain to me...in all conditions...allows more skiing...more joy.
I respect and appreciate all who love to ski as I do and it matters not how they approach their skiing so long as they are true to themselves and their sport. I feel the same about snowboaders and could never understand the animosity toward them in the early days of boarding. Love of the mountains, winter, snow and ripping make us all Brothers and Sisters in the big picture.
I found PMTS 2 years ago. I know it has helped me become a better skier than ever. Maybe it doesn't help everyone...for whatever reason...so what. Harald has without doubt made a major, dare I say sea-changing contribution to teaching this wonderful sport. It has been said that to share your knoweledge gains you wisdom. Many here are wisdom bound.

I am 54 years old...I would like to meet you Harald, and all the rightous posters here in the Winter of 2050 to rip some immortal runs in waist deep Pow. I know as long as I can ski I will feel alive.

All of Tahoe is set to open this weekend....life is gooood!!!!!!!

Peace and first tracks to all ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BELSKISFAST
 

Tahoe

Postby Joe » Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:54 am

Belfastski,

Where you skiing this weekend? I'd like to hook up with a Bay area PMTS'r for some runs.
Joe
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2004 6:07 pm
Location: Northern Calif

Postby BELSKISFAST » Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:43 pm

Joe,

No I did not ski last weekend, and alas not this weekend either ...the, eairliest opening in the 65 year history of Sugarbowl. Home re-modeling hell....save me.... I ski Sugarbowl/Kirkwood on the dual pass. Second year for the SugarWood pass, perfect for me as I live equidistant from both resorts in the Gold Country near Coloma Ca. I will be skiing in Nov. for sure. email me @ belskisfast@msn.com would love to hook up with a PMTS'er. I will be breaking in my new boots, Head S12's....can't wait!!!

Happy turns to you~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BELSKISFAST
 

Postby Harald » Fri Oct 29, 2004 8:22 am

Hello Belskifast,
I have many friends in the Tahoe area especially at Sugar Bowl. I help Hermann and Finn coach the kids in the summer. The Sugar Bowl racers are using Harb Cavers for technical training to supplement their on snow skiing. Herman is one of the first coaches to really understand the cross over capabilities of the Harb Carvers. Chris Fellows a present Demo Team member also trains skiers with Harb Carvers working out of the Tahoe area. We do almost all the footbed and alignment work for the Sugar Bowl ski team.

I also hope to meet and ski with you. I hope we can get together for skiing somewhere near you, but I don?t have any plans for a trip your way until maybe the spring.

Many of the Tahoe Masters racers are coming to my race camp at Copper, Nov. 8, that?s just around the corner. We are getting snow now and the surface is already well covered by snow making.

I?m sure you will love your new Head S12 boots, we sold ten pair last week alone, every skier who has skied in them is raving about the improvement in edge power, skiing ease and comfort.
Harald
 

Postby BELSKISFAST » Fri Oct 29, 2004 8:58 am

Harald,
The Sugarbowl Academy is fantastic! I wish I were 12yrs. old again just to be able to go there. Not that I want to go through Puberty again....lol....but it would probably be worth it. I try and support them as much as I can with their fundraisers etc. The USST too. Having Daron Rahlves as Sugarbowls Ambassador doesn't hurt. I loved seeing the Sugarbowl banner in The Londoner after the 2003 Hahnenkamm. I have more ski team T-Shirts than I know what to do with....lol. The Harb Carvers appear to be making quite an impact, and I guess I'll have to get some soon. I am set to meet Maria Fermoile in Tahoe in Dec. for alignment, footbeds, and a days PMTS session.....I can hardly wait. And the Head S12's feel wonderful and powerful too...just clicking into my skis or doing the PMTS dryland drills. I recentlly received your book Ski Flex, and it is a worthy companion to your Anyone 1 and 2.
I would love to hook up with you in Tahoe sometime and Spring at the Bowl is so nice.
Your work is most excellent and obviously appreciated by many Skiers...much continued and deserved success to you.~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BELSKISFAST
 


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