How does cuff pressure come into play?

[Max_501]

Then why does Atomic bother making a 170 flex?

Because of the 3-4Gs seen in WC racing.

[geoffda]

IMO, detecting cuff pressure and it's timing is a necessary feedback. It won't tell you if you are doing the movements right, but can help discover that you are doing them wrong -- eg rear cuff pressure entering the fall-line (back seated)

Internal cues work best when they remain internal. Which is to say that if thinking about cuff pressure helps *you* maintain optimum fore-aft balance throughout the turn (and you've verified that you are handling fore-aft correctly), then great. But just because that cue works for you doesn't mean it will be ideal for somebody else. In my perception of my own skiing, there are times that I feel like I'm "crushing the cuff" or I'm "over the top" of the cuff, but just because I feel that way doesn't mean it is true nor does it mean such sensations (even if they could be objectively verified) would apply to your skiing. Our bodies are completely different and that will be reflected both in the movements we make and the feedback we receive from them. My internal cues work for me and me alone. It is possible that you might develop similar cues, but they need to come from you, not from me, if they are going to help your skiing.

That is why we focus on external cues. We can teach somebody a movement and give them some objective standard by which to judge whether they have executed the movement correctly, but that is the limit of what we can do. The student still has to take that information and then figure out how to reproduce the movement on demand and integrate it into their skiing. Much of that process involves the student developing their own internal cues. Moreover, the process is iterative. As your movements get better, your internal cues may evolve with your understanding. While focusing on your shins may be what you need to do today, you may find that next season you are more attuned to feedback from the soles of your feet. Or not.

The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts (beyond what PMTS provides) to skier development. We all have to do the work. Repeated perfect practice of the movements is the only way to advance to advance our knowledge of the sport. We can't talk our way to enlightenment. If you want to know more, then improve your skiing. You already know how to do that.

[BigE]

Thanks Geoff! That totally sums it up -- the cues are mine and may or may not transfer to others. It is true that an internal cue does not guarantee correctness.

Max,

Do you know if there is a relationship between boot flex and maximum force? I've heard that WC downhill boots are actually softer and they pull more G's. I was told that the softness makes them more forgiving of rough terrain -- the stiffest boots are SL and GS as you want instant response.

[Max_501]

I've heard that WC downhill boots are actually softer and they pull more G's.

Are you sure about that? It's rare to see a DH racer put his hip on the snow combined with a very forward position like you see in GS.

I don't know which discipline pulls the most G's nor does it matter. Soft is relative and even a soft DH boot is going be stiff enough to support the racers fore/aft needs.

[BigE]

I saw it on tv : Daron Rahlves pulling 6 G's on a red-bull sponsored video.

[NoCleverName]

About the soft DH boots ... I have no firsthand knowledge, but when you consider the aerodynamic drag, I wonder how much forward you could get.

[Max_501]

I saw it on tv : Daron Rahlves pulling 6 G's on a red-bull sponsored video.

6Gs is huge. The highest I've read about is 4.

About the soft DH boots ... I have no firsthand knowledge, but when you consider the aerodynamic drag, I wonder how much forward you could get.

What movements are used to get forward?

[HeluvaSkier]

6Gs is huge. The highest I've read about is 4.

Most humans will risk passing out at ~5g's in the vertical axis.

[BigE]

6 did seem like a lot to me, but it's not like it's there for long like pulling 5 g's in an air plane.

[h.harb]

Most Head skiers who ski Head boots in Downhill, are using a RD 150. Some may incorporate more rivets, DH boots are no softer. Soft boots will keep you wanting to become a good skier. Head leads (men and women) the world cup in every event, except men's slalom. It's close in Women SL. Every other event overall, for individual points and season accumulations, Head products are donating. Amazing when I joined Head 16 years ago, they had no racers, who would have thought this would happen.

[h.harb]

Thanks, this is a new photo of the best speed skier in the world right now, that is technically. She is not bad in GS either. And results with also. How often do I have to say the same thing?????????? It is not about cuff pressure, it's about where you hip is over or relative to your boots (fore/aft), here in this photo, there is almost no forward cuff pressure. However her hips are even with her boots, not behind her boots or lower than her knees.


Look at the bend in the tip of the ski and the then on the whole ski, and guess what she's not doing, driving her shin into the cuff of the boot, that would be PSIA and USSA coaching tech, not World Tech. PMTS is the only access to World Tech.

[h.harb]

I wish there were more post like this.

Internal cues work best when they remain internal. Which is to say that if thinking about cuff pressure helps *you* maintain optimum fore-aft balance throughout the turn (and you've verified that you are handling fore-aft correctly), then great. But just because that cue works for you doesn't mean it will be ideal for somebody else. In my perception of my own skiing, there are times that I feel like I'm "crushing the cuff" or I'm "over the top" of the cuff, but just because I feel that way doesn't mean it is true nor does it mean such sensations (even if they could be objectively verified) would apply to your skiing. Our bodies are completely different and that will be reflected both in the movements we make and the feedback we receive from them. My internal cues work for me and me alone. It is possible that you might develop similar cues, but they need to come from you, not from me, if they are going to help your skiing.

That is why we focus on external cues. We can teach somebody a movement and give them some objective standard by which to judge whether they have executed the movement correctly, but that is the limit of what we can do. The student still has to take that information and then figure out how to reproduce the movement on demand and integrate it into their skiing. Much of that process involves the student developing their own internal cues. Moreover, the process is iterative. As your movements get better, your internal cues may evolve with your understanding. While focusing on your shins may be what you need to do today, you may find that next season you are more attuned to feedback from the soles of your feet. Or not.

The bottom line is that there are no shortcuts (beyond what PMTS provides) to skier development. We all have to do the work. Repeated perfect practice of the movements is the only way to advance to advance our knowledge of the sport. We can't talk our way to enlightenment. If you want to know more, then improve your skiing. You already know how to do that.

Especially " You can't talk your way to enlightenment".

But, however, let me think, yes you can, Epic Forum does it all the time.

[BigE]

After resetting my boots to harald's tightening method it is clear that cuff pressure is irrelevant. The boots perform better and u have a better sense of control.

This change was extremely important. Certainly more so than cuff pressure concerns.

[HighAngles]

Yep, Harald's boot video is great, but it was the section in the Essentials Flexing DVD that changed how I wear my boots forever. I leave the top buckle loose, but tighten the strap (Double Power Booster with the Raptor shells). It was a critical change in my journey of learning to ski from my feet instead of my legs.

[h.harb]

Highangles, on this topic, I just straightened my Raptor B2, 150s, again today, because they felt too far forward for me. A skier needs to be able to get heel pressure without dropping the butt, in Expert skiing. If the boots have too much forward lean, the tendency is to drop the butt. I hate that feeling. Obviously not needed, as shown by the Fenninger photo. BTW, As someone else mentioned, she is gorgeous and has a great butt, also.