PMTS Mental Keys

[BigE]

Added another mental key last weekend for closing the ankle/getting the hips forward. Pulling the feet back is the result, yet for me, the single word that works is:

"Tilt"

Meaning tilt forwards at the ankle. This allows me to generate as much pressure on the inside edge of the stance ski in the Hi-C as desired, without locking up with tension as I react to the word "pull". That reduction in tension makes counterbalancing more effective.

[HeluvaSkier]

Added another mental key last weekend for closing the ankle/getting the hips forward. Pulling the feet back is the result, yet for me, the single word that works is:

"Tilt"

Meaning tilt forwards at the ankle. This allows me to generate as much pressure on the inside edge of the stance ski in the Hi-C ...

Why are you trying to generate pressure in the high-C?

[h.harb]

Skiers who think they need to close the ankle to ski are either are too far back with their overall stance or have the wrong boots. My boots already close my ankle more than I need. It's where your hips reside over your feet, not how closed the ankle is that makes High C arcs. You can close your ankle all day long and not be able to get your hips ahead of the skis.

Pressure is also totally misinterpreted. I never seek pressure in the High C, because that requires extension. Extending in the high C delays angles or pushes you out of balance. I look for angles, (Hey ever hear of tipping) not pressure, pressure comes later when you have your angles developed.

Even the TV skiing commentators Olympic or Universal Sports don't get it, including ex world cup racers describe it wrong, even Ted Ligety describes it wrong about his own skiing.
Read, study watch, PMTS, don't try to guess at these things or listen to what is bantered about by PSIA, CSIA or Epic forum. These people are just guessing, they don't know. They have been wrong for over 20 years, and still living in the dark ages and sending people down the wrong track.

[Max_501]

Added another mental key last weekend for closing the ankle/getting the hips forward. Pulling the feet back is the result, yet for me, the single word that works is:

"Tilt"

I'm having a very hard time understanding how closing the ankle can result in pulling the feet back which is mainly a hamstring contraction.

[geoffda]

Pressure is also totally misinterpreted. I never seek pressure in the High C, because that requires extension. Extending in the high C delays angles or pushes you out of balance. I look for angles, (Hey ever hear of tipping) not pressure, pressure comes later when you have your angles developed.

In case anyone wasn't paying attention, in these four sentences, Harald just handed out the secret to how world-class skiing really works. This is the magic that only truly elite skiers can demonstrate and almost nobody can explain (let alone understand). Yet even skiers of modest talents can experience skiing this way if they follow the roadmap laid out by PMTS. This is world class-coaching and Harald just gave it away to everyone for free. Be sure to thank him the next time you see him, because you certainly won't get this information anywhere else.

[h.harb]

Thanks Geoff!

[BigE]

Thank you for clearing up a misconception! I've seen posts here that described the movement of closing the ankle as almost making the list of primary movements. I believe that is also mentioned in the instructors manual.

[HeluvaSkier]

I shall delete the concept and stay with pulling the feet back.

What is one of the results of pulling the feet back as HH demonstrates it in many of the Essentials DVDs? Answer that and you have your answer.

[BigE]

This old quote helps me understand the purpose of the Hi-C:

If you get into the wrong movement spiral in a race course, it's hard to get out of it especially in a steep section or an off-set section. You have to go into it these parts of the course with inside foot tipping and pulled back on the first turn and not rush the release. I find some of the women are stepping too early, they haven't yet learned how to finish with that angle increase Schild can develop. Also, many coaches are still coaching early edge and early pressure and it's not about either. It's about developing early body angles before the falline. Early edge to most racers is get on the big toe edge. Early pressure is stomp on the big toe. Once the outside leg is extended and you can't hold you are lost. Everyone thinks it's about getting the outside leg long and your hip close to the snow. That's not it. The idea is to get the tipping set up in the high C, then the leg gets long by the falline. After that is when then real World Class skiing begins. The outside leg has to flex and then increase the ski edge angle, so that the arc can be tightened. This is done in the lower part of the C arc. Schild is one of the few women who can do this consistently. That is how she gets such a strong rebound.

Slowly but surely the mental model is coming into alignment.

Thank you.

[cheesehead]

Thank you for clearing up a misconception! I've seen posts here that described the movement of closing the ankle as almost making the list of primary movements. I believe that is also mentioned in the instructors manual.

h.harb said: "Skiers who think they need to close the ankle to ski are either are too far back with their overall stance or have the wrong boots. My boots already close my ankle more than I need. It's where your hips reside over your feet, not how closed the ankle is that makes High C arcs. You can close your ankle all day long and not be able to get your hips ahead of the skis. "

As you can see it wouldn't have been HH who recommended closing the ankle. (I don't have the Intructor's Manual so I don't know what you read there)

[gaku]

If you get into the wrong movement spiral in a race course, it's hard to get out of it especially in a steep section or an off-set section. You have to go into it these parts of the course with inside foot tipping and pulled back on the first turn and not rush the release. I find some of the women are stepping too early, they haven't yet learned how to finish with that angle increase Schild can develop. Also, many coaches are still coaching early edge and early pressure and it's not about either. It's about developing early body angles before the falline. Early edge to most racers is get on the big toe edge. Early pressure is stomp on the big toe. Once the outside leg is extended and you can't hold you are lost. Everyone thinks it's about getting the outside leg long and your hip close to the snow. That's not it. The idea is to get the tipping set up in the high C, then the leg gets long by the falline. After that is when then real World Class skiing begins. The outside leg has to flex and then increase the ski edge angle, so that the arc can be tightened. This is done in the lower part of the C arc. Schild is one of the few women who can do this consistently. That is how she gets such a strong rebound.

In its essence, is it a demonstration of mastery of continuous, progressive tipping and release [ inside/outside leg flexion and weight distribution], taking advantage of the pent-up energy of a bent ski, or am I completely off the mark here? By flexing the outside leg one brings the upper body towards the outside stance leg, allows further body angles, and the radius tightens.

Is it easier to manipulate turn radius in GS than Slalom, due to the little amount of time spent on edges in SL relative to GS, and the difference in vertical separation?

In the video, can anyone pinpoint where in Neureuther's' turns this occurs, and what to look for besides outside leg flexion/edge angle? Looking solely for that, I'm not sure I'm seeing it.

"Fig.4, The outside leg bends slightly to bring the upper body toward the outside ski side, this allows the skis to finish with a tightening arc."
- http://harbskisysems.blogspot.no/2012/0 ... ow.html%20

[Max_501]

"Fig.4, The outside leg bends slightly to bring the upper body toward the outside ski side, this allows the skis to finish with a tightening arc."
- http://harbskisysems.blogspot.no/2012/0 ... -snow.html

A few old posts that explain the advanced movement HH mentions on his blog.

From what I can gather, this topic about flexing in the arc, that is being discussed was one I introduced that talking about using relaxing of the stance leg before the end of the arc, to increase tipping angles so that you could ski into increased counter balance. This gives you more edge grip and energy to releasing momentum. The relaxing or flexing in the arc, doesn’t release the edges in this case it's not the purpose. It's intended to actually increases ski angles by the ski momentarily being less pressured and therefore allows for more foot tipping. With this leg relaxing, flexing (I am talking about only a micro amount, and fraction of a second) foot tipping can increase ski angle, due to reduction of resistance and pressure, allowing CG also to move toward the skis, slightly.

This is a very specialized movement and can only be performed if the skier is in perfect balance and carving the skis. It is best used on ice or hard snow..

Flexing the inside leg and tipping it further can be done independently of the stance ski relaxing movement. inside leg flexing does little to enhance what I’m talking about with the stance leg relaxation, the inside leg movements ( flexing and tipping) serve to drop the hip closer to the snow.

For anyone that has Essentials handy take a look at:

Page 114 of Essentials, When Do We Flex Without Releasing

Keep in mind that this is an advanced technique. When you release from this move you use an intentional flexing of the outside leg which is going to create a very strong release.

This happens frequently in WC skiing and in advanced Carving. In racing it happens just under the gate.

[l2ski]

I viewed the video frame by frame; it seems to me that Neureuther is often in the back seat in transition, yet
he can still pressure the front of the skis and pull off the tight arcs. Is this possible because of the energy that
he has from the release and speed at which he is skiing?

[Max_501]

I viewed the video frame by frame; it seems to me that Neureuther is often in the back seat in transition...

What makes you think he's in the back seat?

[blackthorn]

Have a look also at Max's avatar. Is he in the back seat? My response is similar to Max - "what do you mean by back seat?"