Second, the responses I am receiving here seem as close minded and dogmatic as those from the greatest antogonists over at Epic.
Si, I?m sorry you feel that way, but I don?t see where you pick up the idea that PMTS skiers are dogmatic and uncooperative. You are very late to a party in which the fat boy has taken the wall flower home hours ago. It doesn?t mean PMTS supporters or users are dogmatic or unfriendly, they are just sick of this topic. Maybe they didn?t like the way you introduced it. Maybe you have to be a little less leading in you questioning.
My experience in the last twelve years since being involved with ski instruction and training of ski instructors, has given me a complete education. I personally teach more than two hundred skiers a season, all levels from world class racers to beginners. I skied with Erich Schlopy three weeks ago and last week I skied with a skier, an intermediate, who hasn?t skied in ten years.
Two days after reviewing video with Erich, he placed sixth at the Beaver Creek World Cup, in the GS. He had a top five time in the upper section of the super G. We strategized about his turn entry movements, his alignment and his boot set up. At no time was there any discussion about using or increasing, rotary movements of any kind. There was no mention of knee driving or angulation in relation to leg, foot or femur steering. We tried to access a set-up that would stack (at an extreme angle) his boot, foot, knee and ski under his hip and upper body. This was done over a period of two weeks via cell phone and personal interaction.
The really top skiers use no steering or concepts of steering (when I use the word steering it encompasses and includes, leg rotary, foot steering and femur rotation). The only skiers using concepts that involve steering are the ones taught with PSIA and the PSIA instructors themselves.
In PMTS methodology we use no steering. If we see steering demonstrated or hear about it, we try to avoid it like the plague, as that is exactly what it is. Don?t be mislead we know steering and we have experimented with it. It serves only to reduce your skiing performance.
I do not respond to idiotic comments about how or where steering is invaluable, because it is worthless to try to discuss this topic with someone that brainwashed. These people, who believe in steering to ski, show their convoluted understanding, in their own skiing. We see the results and emphasis of rotary movements, in the low quality movements and in the skiing of almost every PSIA instructor, at any level, from the Associate instructor (Level 1), to the Demo Team.
The ones that ski well don?t use steering. There are some demo teams members that I respect. They have to play the game and use the words of PSIA to keep the faith, that?s what you have to do to remain in the organization. The reality is when the good skiers in PSIA really ski, they don?t use rotary movements in their skiing. When I see the struggling PSIA instructor skiing down a mountain, I know exactly how they could improve, immediately. To me watching this skiing and identifying the problems is so obvious it?s like a bill board.
There is a big difference between the way the very best skiers ski and the way PSIA skiers evolve. The best use different movements, they use a combination of lateral foot, ankle and passive (following) leg movements. These movements are accomplished with co-contraction of the antagonistic muscle groups around the key joints and a phenomenon called loose adoption before co-contraction is established. Loose adoption is a form of relaxation. It happens at the joints and the mid body to assist in developing alignment of the body to the ski edges. This action creates angles, alignment of the joints and of the body, to resist forces developed in the critical part of the turn.
This type of skiing is not available to those who begin or assist turns with rotary movements. Those good skiers that say they are using rotary movements are kidding themselves. Skis that are flat to the surface or on only slight angles at the being of turns are highly vulnerable to disengaging or pivoting. Any application or combination or foot, leg or hip steering either counter or rotational movements disengages the skis.
I observe this every day and have observed it every day for the past twelve years from the entire group of skiers I mentioned earlier. What I don?t understand is how the PSIA instructor can not see how detrimental these movements are to the skiers they are trying to teach. (I spoke to soon, I do know why) The PSIA analyzes movements to suit what they teach.
Almost all skiers are too quick to initiate rotary movements that push the ski tails back up hill to begin turns, which begins the downward spiral of poor turns. I know the response from the PSIA group already to this statement, so don?t give me your BS. I know the results of your teaching. I deal with it daily and the people I teach, deal with it daily. They are, in most cases very angry when they learn they have to undo what their PSIA teachers taught them.
How can you blame the regular PSIA instructor? I don?t and you can?t. When their model for skiing is what I saw on the famous, previously posted video on this forum of their best, how can you blame the regular instructor?
The gross over pivoting you see in intermediate skiers is a direct result of PSIA?s system. It becomes acceptable to regular instructors when they see a refined version of it from their elite, the demo team and most of your examiners. It isn?t acceptable here on the forum or in PMTS.
Diana spent years going to PSIA training before I met her. She was working toward becoming a trainer. She was always told the same. ?You are not using enough steering.? ?You are not a gifted skier, you aren?t a natural athlete, you are an engineer.?
Her skiing became worst every year she belonged to that organization. She had to do what they trained her to do because she wanted to move up in the organization and ski school, it ruined her skiing.
Now she out skis and out teaches every one of her former PSIA trainers, examiners and the demo team. Do you think I taught her steering the right way? Do you think I was able to communicate to her how to steer in a way the PSIA couldn?t? Do you think I coached her to use rotary movements better than they could? You know the answer. I had to re-train her and redo her skiing. Fortunately, Diana is very intelligent, dedicated and was able to reverse the poor information quickly.
We re-designed her skiing around balance and lateral movements, starting at the foot. We also aligned her boots and designed footbeds. Years of PSIA training couldn?t achieve the skiing she strived for; we accomplished it in a few months.
She has now taken her new ability and PMTS technique and turned her skiing around. She is skiing with movements that any skier would die for. I think that if she had time to train and truly devote herself to racing (even at age thirty seven), she could qualify to ski for one of the best NCAA teams in the nation.
Those that say PMTS skiing is limited have not skied PMTS. They are making excuses for their inadequacies. If I skied that poorly, I would seek out new methods and approaches, not stick to the same failing methodologies. I guess some are so brainwashed they can even justify their poor skiing. It isn?t that hard to conceive of, as they have many others in the same boat to commiserate with.