MA for Idahorob

[jclayton]

I see a lot of the same in the short turns , just not so obvious . The skis diverge a lot and check out the head movements etc .

Art should have some ideas on posture !!

[jclayton]

Re-reading your reply to Leo , a reason for losing the edges in the stationary tipping drill is a lack of commitment in this move . It is not easy . CB has to be instant .

Alignment , of course , could be a major factor . There is no way around having this sorted , if only to take it out of the equation . Ankle flexibility is also a possibility , one side is normally better than the other .

What boots and footbeds do you have ?

[cheesehead]

Far from an expert, but in your second clip I frankly see ZERO tipping. Your skis are flat on the snow virtually the entire time. If there is no tipping, it doesn't really matter what else you are doing, it is not right.

[jclayton]

To be fair it is cattrack skiing ,though it is a good time to practice riding the edges and clean edge changes . Tipping is there , a bit late and not the very active variety .

[MonsterMan]

Far from an expert, but in your second clip I frankly see ZERO tipping. Your skis are flat on the snow virtually the entire time. If there is no tipping, it doesn't really matter what else you are doing, it is not right.

Am I watching the same video? On the Cat Track? I see some great tipping there.

[idahorob]

Am I watching the same video? On the Cat Track? I see some great tipping there.

Perceptions often differ. I put this clip in my video editing software so I can go frame-by-frame and it looks like tipping to me. On cat track drills like this my tracks usually show pretty deep edge cuts also. But, the point is well made - I need better tipping! I'm starting to be convinced my boots/alignment is a factor that MUST be eliminated. I tip on the tipping board every week. I tip on flat snow. I do tipped arcs. I do TFRs. If I'm standing in line at the store I practice tipping. All that stuff and I still have this problem, so I need to sort out if it's all me or if it's at least partly the equipment.

I have to face it -- I need professional help!

Now, I have another question. In the PMTS section of the forum there's a thread "Jbotti busts out." He mentions the relationship of femur length to tibia length and I wonder how this affects skiing and equipment selection. I've stood next to Max-501 in street clothes and we are close to the same height. However, the difference between femurs and tibias is really different. Subtract tibia length from femur length and my difference is over an inch more. Shorter tibias compared to femurs. Does this mean anything?

[milesb]

It really looks like an alignment issue to me. Look at :12 of your second video. The inside ski is tipped higher than the outside ski, yet the outside knee is pointed inwards. Get to the shop in Dumont. I drove over 12 hours from LA for it, you can too!

[carver_hk]

Thanks for sharing your short turns. It is now very clear to me that you are swinging to turn. This is very difficult to cut off. Maybe start with Phantom Javelin, which is almost the first exercise in book2? To my impression PJ forces you to ski with your stance leg and use tipping to turn.

later,

martin

[idahorob]

Thanks for sharing your short turns. It is now very clear to me that you are swinging to turn.

Martin, could you clarify what "swinging to turn"means? That's not a phrase I know. Thanks.

And thanks again for this invaluable feedback. I went to the mountain today and stayed on the green and blue runs. Started off with probably more than 300 TFRs. 45 minutes with stops between each one, then whole runs linking them. Went to lunch to rest my brain and then spent the afternoon transforming the linked TFRs into phantom moves, with all the pulling back of the free foot I could do. I have very tired hamstrings tonight! But this seemed to help with the tip lead.

I had three discoveries that I thought were important, so please, somebody, check me on this:
1. A clear balance transfer is important. And I don't have to wait until that is complete to begin the new free foot pull back and tip.
2. I found an ancient habit of using my poles to lean on in the lower C, especially my right turns. Not necessary, since I'm capable of balancing on the stance leg. Leaning on the pole blocked my CB and seemed to lead to weighting the inside ski. Not to mention totally screwing up my hand and arm position and timing. I was much better off keeping my pole tips off the snow as a drill.
3. My tip lead was not so much a compensation for inability to balance on the stance leg, as it was a protection for my knee. At first when I kept the free foot pulled back I would get a sharp twinge in my left knee, which I don't have with the inside ski more forward. This patellar pain and tendency to tendinitis has been around for 30 years and I probably have all sorts of ways to protect it. I decided there might be a way to have foot pull-back and balance clearly enough to avoid this pain and after many of those TFRs seemed to find it. Better skeletal alignment seemed to be the key. Very few twinges for the rest of the day.

One more thing -- this process of expert feedback from video observation is so helpful I decided I have GOT to go to a camp next season. Any recommendations about which one would be most appropriate for me?

[carver_hk]

Your decision to go to a camp is great news for both yourself and a great encouragement for the PMTS pros.

could you clarify what "swinging to turn"means? That's not a phrase I know. Thanks.

Sorry for using a non-standard term. By 'swinging to turn' I mean you were using your upper body to help with the transition. I glad to see that you are now working working with tfr. Why not post you tfr and let us see how it looks like.

later,

Martin

[jclayton]

Bob ,
I would reccomend the blue A - Basin camp . there is a good cross section of skiers , nice and quiet on the slopes and good terrain for cutting lose . Realistically any camp is worthwhile the Solvista one looks very controlled and technical , excellent for revamping the basics .

[ToddW]

Bob,

Either of the blue/dark blue camps (A-basin or Solvista) would be fine for you. I've been to both.

A-basin is in December of this year and is a great way to start your ski season. I'm already pre-enrolled for next season. In a year when the season starts slowly, the base may be limited. For example, this past season 4 trails were open on man-made and delicate grooming: sundance, high noon, and ramrod at the bottom and dercum's gulch up top. Solvista is in February of next year and has some very mellow, flat trails on the east hill to force you to work on balance and slow transitions and a few steeper trails on the west hill. Monday - Thursday Solvista will be deserted except for campers so you can lower your defensive screen and focus on your skiing. If you're running low on 2010 vacation days or you are interested in the balance challenge of rebuilding your skiing on the flats, then choose Solvista. Otherwise, select A-basin.

The A-basin camps are early season camps, so they fill up quickly. If you don't register in time, this may make your decision for you. Camp schedules and registration info are usually released in April shortly before the Hintertux camp.

Todd

[h.harb]

Some short comments from what I've read and seen. The first thing I notice is the exaggerated body bending, that means low hips and bent forward torso. This is mostly a boot issue. Lowering the ramp in this case looks like a solution. If you can, before you come to a camp, get some lift under your toe piece, say 3 or 4 mm test it. This should help you stand straighter. Good pick up Jeremy. Also the slight "A" frame on the cat track is totally an alignment issue. So you have great gains to be made just by getting aligned. The skiing technique looks in range, nice going.

[idahorob]

get some lift under your toe piece, say 3 or 4 mm

I hate appear ignorant again, but it's the truth. How do I get lift under my toe piece? What is the lift? Where exactly does it go? If I went to a ski shop with this would they know what I need?

And, Harald, thanks for taking the time to respond.

[HeluvaSkier]

get some lift under your toe piece, say 3 or 4 mm

I hate appear ignorant again, but it's the truth. How do I get lift under my toe piece? What is the lift? Where exactly does it go? If I went to a ski shop with this would they know what I need?

And, Harald, thanks for taking the time to respond.

What bindings are you using? Most companies (Tyrolia, Marker, Look/Rossi, etc) make shims that you can put between the binding toe piece and the ski/plate to adjust your binding delta in ~1mm increments. Note, this may require longer screws. The 3-4mm that Harald suggests will likely change your binding delta by 1 degree or more depending on your boot size [decrease forward lean]. Both fore/aft and lateral alignment are extremely important to allow your skiing to progress.