Tipping without flexing doesn't get you too far

[skijim13]

My wife and I were introduced to PMTS last November, by a friend who gave use his essentials DVDS since he was not going to ski much anymore. After watching them I purchased the essentials book and started to use concepts, starting with the tipping. Both of us being part time ski instructors thought our skiing looked good and our co-workers also supported this false idea. Since then I have purchased expert I and II and the expert II DVD, I have put in many hours putting the information to memory and have supported the studying with roller blade training, balance training and slant board training. We purchased a new small Sony video recorder for this season, and I was looking at my old video camera when I found a video of us skiing last winter using PMTS, the video showed that our tipping looked good along with the counteracting, and counterbalancing. However, we were both deficient in flexing the inside leg and never achieved good angles. I know where to start this season, tip at the start of the turn, flex the inside leg and keep tipping and flexing throughout the turn. I discovered that tipping without flexing doesn’t get you too far except to rail the skis, I realized that flexing is a more difficult essential to learn without video feedback or a good partner (like my wife) to give you feedback. The more I learn about PMTS the better I can look at myself critically and decide what to work on.

[h.harb]

The biggest difference you can make to your skiing is flexing to release, (most skiers and instructors use extension so you have to learn to reverse your movements) so that tipping can be actually used. If you build yourself a slant board and train on it before the season, you will see huge rewards. The slant board lessons are on you tube (My Tube) and they are free. Take advantage of this fantastic resource and you will be rewarded when it comes time to perform on snow.

[skijim13]

I agree, I believe we have the flexing to release working since I have not seen an up movement in our videos. We have been using the slant board training year round training for these moves. What we forget to do is to keep flexing and tipping once the turn starts to develop, which limits the angles we develop in the turn. One drill we will be working on is the power releasing progression this winter. Being in the Northeast limits your progress on the steeper slopes, since when you are making turns while the majority of the people are straight lining the run you risk getting hit.

[geoffda]

Being on any groomed run in North America limits your progress on the steeper slopes, since when you are making turns while the majority of the people are straight lining the run you risk getting hit.

Fixed it for you

[Max_501]

We purchased a new small Sony video recorder for this season, and I was looking at my old video camera when I found a video of us skiing last winter using PMTS, the video showed that our tipping looked good along with the counteracting, and counterbalancing. However, we were both deficient in flexing the inside leg and never achieved good angles.

Are you sure that flexing the inside leg is your SMIM (single most important movement)? Decent angles can be achieved with only a small amount of inside leg flex as shown by the skier in blue/grey here:

[skijim13]

This is the progression that I believe you should follow: Tip on the little toe edge while flexing your inside leg , continue to tip your inside ski to enable your body to move closer to the inside of the turn. Keep muscle tension on the outside leg to keep yourself in the turn by resisting the forces and bending the ski, do not use it to push yourself into the turn with the outside leg. Maintain the correct counteracting and counterbalancing throughtout the turn. Please provide feedback if I have something wrong.

[Max_501]

1 - Flex the outside leg to end the turn (this flexing may be lifting the ski)
HOLD THE FLEX, no popping up here
2 - Tip the foot of the the flexed outside leg to the LTE (outside leg become inside leg here)
HOLD THE FLEX, no popping up here
3 - Keep on tipping and flexing the inside leg as the outside leg passively lengthens to maintain snow contact.

[h.harb]

Comparing the two skiers, interesting to note that the skier in red just has his suspension lowered a few more inches. The top two frames are almost identical.

[h.harb]

Most TTS instructors viewing this comparison will tell the skier in grey, to widen his stance. We know that doesn't work because I didn't widen my stance to get those angles. I flexed and bent my inside leg further. Of course if you use the other tips from TTS, before this part of the turn, they would tell you to use inclination and steering, so with those instructions, you'll have to widen your stance or fall over.