Plan for real improvement this season!

PMTS Forum

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby DougD » Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:31 am

Max_501 wrote:Let me give some context here... there are only three people that I've seen that have the touch-tilt drill mastered - HH, Diana, and Jay.

I'm actually aware that I'll never ski quite as masterfully as HH, Diana or Jay. :wink:

Fortunately, mastering a drill to their level is a goal, not a prerequisite. If it were, no PMTS student would ever advance. We'd all be stuck in ACBAES1, Chapter 1, trying to walk an S-line as masterfully as HH, Diana or Jay. :shock:

Max501 wrote:A new movement pattern as complex as the touch-tilt isn't easy for any developing skier I've ever met. However, I've coached many that say a movement (or drill) is easy when, in fact, they are doing something else based on their default and ingrained old patterns. Rewiring the neural pathways takes time, lots of time, and its never easy.

Absolutely correct, but what is a "developing skier". Which movements are new? Which neural pathways need retraining? As an experienced coach you know that each student's devil is in his/her particular details. So, as a case study and in no sense an argument, here are mine:

ONE-FOOTED BALANCE
This is the core element of the drill. Without it, the rest of the drill is impossible. In my case, balancing on the outside ski with an unweighted inside ski is not new. I began skiing that way in 1985. Harald (at Winter Park in 1995) and other WC racers and US National teamers (before and since) have commented on my tendency to ski with ~100:0 weight distribution. One-footed balance does indeed take time to develop and I've worked at it. This element was "easy" because I've been rehearsing those neural pathways for 30 years.

TOUCH
Another element of the drill is pressing the lifted free ski against the stance boot or leg. Like Geoffda, I've practiced standing this way for 30 years while brushing my teeth, putting on my socks, etc. As it happens, I'm also skinny with narrow hips. Pretty close to HH's model for a SL skier (probably too skinny, lol). This element was "easy" because I've rehearsed it and also because my physique makes it a natural movement.

TILT
I began replacing BTE dominance with LTE tipping in 2012. I've worked to ski exclusively with tipping since then but 3 years is indeed insufficient time to undo decades of other movements. Proof? The stemming I exhibited in SkiFastDDS's video taken early last season. I can offer all sorts of excuses (it was ski day #1, I was fighting a terrible cold, my boots had not yet been aligned by HHS, blah, blah) but the fact remains that before attempting the SPwTT I sometimes defaulted to a stem. Doing lots of SPwTT should help undo those old movements and train new ones. I worked toward the SPwTT all last season and will continue to do them.

As a refinement, Phantom Javelins will help assure that my tilting/tipping movements are trained in the correct direction: not 90 degrees sideways but ~45 degrees forward/sideways.

FLEXING
Replacing extension with flexion is newer, just one full season of working on that. I "think" I achieved that but it certainly needs more work and objective verification, as you, JBotti and Heluva all recommended.

CA, CB, NSPP
The upper body Essentials are just being explored, starting with Slantboard training. Their use on snow definitely needs good coaching eyes.

Camp will tell all... think snow!
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby Max_501 » Fri Oct 02, 2015 9:00 am

DougD wrote:Absolutely correct, but what is a "developing skier". Which movements are new? Which neural pathways need retraining?


When used on this forum, "developing skier" means anyone that is taking the PMTS journey to expert skiing. Most of the Essentials (and how they work together) will be new and if you've been skiing for decades then nearly all of the skiing related movement pathways will need retraining. Even if a couple of the movements were used in some way prior to starting PMTS, they were probably used differently from a PMTS point of view. For example, some skiers have used a lift, but typically without tipping and free foot management and often with an extension or step into the new turn. And if the skier lacked PMTS compatible boot work then there is a chance that they've developed movements to compensate for the lack of balance caused at the boot. This happened to me. Took me 3 years to get rid of the compensatory movement pattern. I could have avoided that problem by starting at HSS and getting alignment addressed on day 1.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby DougD » Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:20 pm

That's me. I've always skied with a light/lifted inside ski, but "without PMTS tipping and free foot management and often with an extension or step into the new turn". That's what Lito taught before HH gave him the "phantom carve". That's how I skied.

Like you I did my first two PMTS years solo. I knew from attending Harald's Winter Park clinic that I needed to visit HSS and do a camp, but life got in the way. Finally got to HSS last Feb. One small step with Diana, one giant leap for Doug. :roll:

I then half did Green/Blue camp by hanging around while my partner was attending. No direct coaching for me, but being immersed in the atmosphere encouraged me to spend the week on Granby's easy slopes doing drills. I watched the groups, tried to emulate the coaches, plus some other drills. Of course I got no objective feedback (other than a casual "nice turns" from HH) but it was better than horsing around in the bumps at Winter Park. That's what I'd planned on doing, but once we got there the experience was too valuable to leave. Playing with the drills challenged my balance and movements and exposed many gaps. I'm the sort that responds to that by trying to get better.

Thanks for your patience, Max, sorry if I hijacked your thread.
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby skijim13 » Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:24 am

Doug, I have found the more I learn about PMTS the more I realized how to look at things that seemed simple had a great deal more to it. A great example is the drills with the tipping board, I have been doing them in front of my large smart TV by streaming ytube. I have found the drills with the tipping to do them correctly difficult. I have made it my goal to have them all perfect before the start of this ski season.
skijim13
 
Posts: 528
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 9:17 am
Location: Nazareth PA USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby h.harb » Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:15 am

When you realize how difficult the Slant board exercises are to do properly, expertly, and begin to discern the differences between the right way and a sloppy way; you are making serious progress that will transfer to your snow skiing.
User avatar
h.harb
 
Posts: 7047
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: Dumont, Colorado

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby DougD » Wed Oct 07, 2015 10:58 am

Thanks, Jim and Harald for the encouragement and confirmation.

While I was able to hold the free ski in the touch/tilt position doing linked Super Phantoms last year, I have no idea or recollection of what upper body movements I used to do it. If I'm that oblivious to Essentials then I'm not a PMTS skier, so I decided this area needed immediate attention (pending coaching at camp of course).

Slantboard exercises are an approved way to dryland train CA, CB and tipping, so that's what I've been working on. I use a dumb TV with no-tube (aka, a large mirror) and fully agree they need repeated practice and careful, honest attention to do properly. I certainly don't find them simple or easy, far from it. Like you, Jim, I find the tipping/balancing drills on each of the four edges especially challenging.

I'm working to be as camp-ready as a slantboard can get me. Whether I'll have them all perfect however, remains doubtful!
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby skijim13 » Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:36 pm

Doug, there are many ways to watch the slantboard training live on a big TV, you can use a laptop and connect the HDMI output into the HDMI input of the TV. You can buy a Roku box which connects to your wifi and TV and you then have the ytube channel on the Roku box. With a smart TV or a Roku box you can then connect your cell phone by wifi and control the ytube, then search for slant board training drill on ytube. If you rather use the computer you can get them directly on the Harb Website. I then have a mirror to look at myself attempt to do the moves. Another great thing to build is the teeter board posted on the website and try the foot balance drills.
skijim13
 
Posts: 528
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 9:17 am
Location: Nazareth PA USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby DougD » Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:53 pm

Jim, I thought you meant you were using your laptop/TV to watch yourself.

With regard to watching HH, we're basically doing the same thing:
1. Watch HH do a slantboard exercise on my laptop or directly on my 55" smartTV (native YouTube app, no HDMI or Roku needed); then...
2. Watch myself attempting to imitate HH in a mirror; then...
3. Repeat step #1...

Teeter board is next, though a good single malt works pretty well for that too!
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby h.harb » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:59 am

With the slant board you can learn to activate muscles you aren't using.
User avatar
h.harb
 
Posts: 7047
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: Dumont, Colorado

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby skijim13 » Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:16 am

That is true, my back muscles feel like that got a great work out even thought I work them year round and stretch them.
skijim13
 
Posts: 528
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 9:17 am
Location: Nazareth PA USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby skijim13 » Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:15 am

Slantboard training done correctly is much harder than it appears. My wife and I work together on slantboard training, we both watch each other for exact movements using Harald as the model in the videos. We have both spent a great deal working on counteracting and discovered in the slantboard training that while our counteracting was good we removed the counterbalancing component once we counteracted. I am sure if we did it on the slantboard we were doing it on the slopes. Once we combined both moves together and used the stick as in the video with the tape in the center both components worked better together.
skijim13
 
Posts: 528
Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 9:17 am
Location: Nazareth PA USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby DougD » Fri Oct 16, 2015 6:13 am

+1
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby h.harb » Fri Oct 16, 2015 8:37 am

skijim, you just discovered the first step for improving skiing. Knowing what you need to add!!! The slant board is best ski instruction for free that you can find, that doesn't lie.
User avatar
h.harb
 
Posts: 7047
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: Dumont, Colorado

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby Robert0325 » Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:50 am

h.harb wrote:skijim, you just discovered the first step for improving skiing. Knowing what you need to add!!! The slant board is best ski instruction for free that you can find, that doesn't lie.

Harald – I think I’m right in saying the slant board is of little help for fore/aft improvement. I ask this as recently I’ve been frustrated that I can complete drills to the same level for both left and right turns on a slant board, but have struggled on snow more with left turns. I’ve been practicing 2 footed pull back drills on an indoor ski slope recently and this has improved my left turns and has also cured my problem of a full weighted release on the right LTE that I simply couldn’t do before realising I was in the back seat at initiation. Now my feet are pulled back initiation is much easier. I wondered if you had any recommendations for fore-aft dryland exercises. I don’t recall seeing any in your books? Apologies if I’ve missed something.
Robert0325
 
Posts: 139
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 7:45 am
Location: England, UK

Re: Plan for real improvement this season!

Postby h.harb » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:18 am

You are right that is the only thing you can't do in the slant board, is fore/aft or move your feet back. You can however hold the lifted releasing foot back. If you practice all the things you can do however, it eliminates those for when you do get on snow. Other than that suggestion keep your abs and hamstrings in good shape and do lots of Glute exercises. I just filmed a whole series on this subject, that will come out as soon as we get some editing time.
User avatar
h.harb
 
Posts: 7047
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:08 pm
Location: Dumont, Colorado

PreviousNext

Return to Primary Movements Teaching System

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 52 guests