by Carvlust » Wed Jan 21, 2004 7:55 am
From what I can gather Wig has it figured best and closest to what Mr. Harb is achieving with this exercise. I have read HH?s books and taken lessons from him. I am a life long skier, during which I have experienced many ski techniques offered over four decades.
I am surprised many the coaches on Epic (especially the ones who are often most critical) have not read Mr. Harb's books and yet they feel free to openly criticize PMTS and the methodology. That's like explaining why you don't like a certain ski without skiing on it. Their motives are rather suspicious.
About the exercise:
HH uses various, what may seem to many as established exercises, but he has his own way of introducing them, in an original way. He uses different and original mechanics. Even if the exercise looks like old technique, he has his own description and analysis of what an exercise is supposed to produce for modern skiing. At times he gets to your goals in what may seem like a round about way, but in the end his methods produce effective, long lasting changes. His methods definitely gave me access to skiing movements that incorporate shaped ski design.
When HH introduced the ?Two footed Release? exercise to me there was no mention of rotation or leg twisting. The cues I got were, flatten the lower ski, follow with the upper ski, keep tilting the lower ski until it is angled to the slope and follow with the upper ski (which becomes the outside ski). Pole and arm use are part of the exercise and help you to gain a sense of the lower body doing things differently from the upper body.
Two footed release, has become my warm up exercise, as it encompasses so many important elements I need to ski well. I was told to hold approximately four to six inches of space between my boots, so I could feel each ski and edge reacting to tipping. HH does this exercise without pivoting or skidding his skis. After practicing for a season, I can come close at times.
There are numerous ways to accomplish this turn, but HH is very specific and accurate about the proper movements. The benefits I realized were, learning patience in transition, balance and body control, foot use for releasing and edging, and initiating short turns without pushing my tails back up the slope. During my practice sessions, I learned that I was trying to push off at the end of my short turns. The exercise changed the way I release. I now try to flex my legs at the bottom of turns to begin the transition.
HH explains this very clearly. This exercise is to be done slowly with a premium on balance. It is my experience and understanding that many tenets of PMTS, like free foot release/tipping, and early balance transfer without twisting can be achieved with practice using the ?Two footed release?.