MA request for deicreo

MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:52 pm

Hi everybody,

I have just finished my third season of skiing. Last year I spent 20 days skiing, this year 25 days.

I have never had a lesson. I could only speak to instructores who were about to help my wife to ski. That eventually did not happen so... I started to search the internet to get some knowledge about skiing. This is how I found this forum and Harald`s PMTS. On april 2010 I bought Essentials... watched them and after six months of waiting, at the end of december 2010 I have got a first chance to implement PMTS movements.

I would really appreciate any comments about my skiing. My eye is not well trained yet to distinguish improper moves. That is why I think your help is indispensable.
At the moment I have got a little idea what to do to go further.

I am 179 cm high (about 5,11 inches), 33 years old skier. I used to ski on Salomon Crossmax W12, 170 cm long (08/09).
On the video I am on the freshly bought Voelkl Racetiger SL, 170 cm. Boots: Dalbello Proton 11.
Quality of this videos is not of prime sort, sorry about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBrLaNSGq2g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7aJwu4vELo
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby arothafel » Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:39 pm

Hey deicreo

... I can't provide as accurate an MA as many of others on this forum, BUT... I thank you for posting your video. We're always asking for it and sometimes it takes a while to get any feedback.. especially toward the end of the season..

For what it's worth, I know plenty of guys who have 10 years of solid skiing under their belts who do NOT ski as well as you. You've definitely got some very good things happening already.

Others will chime in with more detailed MA.. but I at least wanted to acknowledge your participation and give you my 2 cents worth. Great job and thanks for posting!

I'm re-posting your video to make it easier for people to gain access without having to link over to YouTube.



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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby jepoupatout » Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:27 pm

Hi Deicreo, i noticed that you move your free foot forward in the high C which open your hip and put you out of balance. You can check the first video 0.21 to 0.23 sec, 2 thing you will notice: your free ski is far ahead and your shin are not parallel. I would suggest you to do the free foot pull back exercice in the high C and tip more you free ski. It should help.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby Skiasaurus Rex » Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:18 am

I'll take a stab at this.

Good skiing for a 3rd year skier.

What I see...very late tipping, you've kind of got the horse behind the cart (from a PMTS perspective) in that you're working on exaggerated CA, and some CB (which is good) before you've really mastered your tipping and releasing--and of course the concomitant flexing. As a result, your transition from one turn to the next has an ever-so-slight recovery move that is a little herky-jerky and messes with your speed control and general smoothness. Not a big problem on the slopes in your video, but one that is sure to be more pronounced as you move up the ski-terrain food chain.

Also, I think your stance is artificially too wide-which accounts for some of the problems in transition-release and tipping. Good foot separation comes from good inside leg flexing progressively through a turn, offset by dynamic counter balancing...things I struggle with and work on.

I'd say, Narrow the stance a bit, work on developing a really active 'flex-the stance leg to release' move and more progressive and earlier tipping. Then go one to really work the CB and CA.

All in all, you're well-ahead of the the long term intermediate who hasn't a clue that the ski edge is essential to skiing.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:43 am

Arothafel thank you for making me feel welcome here, on PMTS forum.
I am replaying late couse I have done a lot of travelling for Easter familly visiting.

What I have achieved up to this moment came fairly easy. Honestly speaking, I was concentrated mostly on doing stationary Tipping, CB and CA. Also done garlands. I also changed hands and poles set up to more wider. Before, my elbows were almost glued to the upper body.

As you wrote Jepoupatout: my shines are not parallel. I have got sometimes the outside leg knee leaned extremaly forward in the mid curve. Also, A frame is apearing. I was thinking if a boot set up might be a reason for some of my problems?

Skisaurus Rex, as you noticed my skiing level is just ok for these slopes. On the steeper terrain I am experiecing out of balance moments and lack of speed control. On these examples in spite of the fact that I am on slalom skis my turns look more like gs turns. Just at the end of the season I finally get to know that my transition takes "ages".

To sum up, I would like to only write that any knowlegde that I have about skiing is derived from: Essentials...(book and dvd) and this forum.
So,thank you very much to all of you guys who share their knowledge here. For begginer like I am it is the primary source of information.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby geoffda » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:54 am

Hi deicreo,

Welcome to the forum. Posting video is an excellent way to get feedback and improve. The two things that stand out to me have already been mentioned, but they are worth repeating. First, get your alignment checked. To my untrained eye, your alignment looks soft (knock kneed). Put on a pair of shorts, get in your boots and have somebody take a picture of you from the waist down. Then send a PM to Max_501 and ask him if he would mind having a look. Max is a PMTS Blue level instructor and is trained in the Harb Alignment system. Do this immediately. If you have alignment problems, it will make learning how to correctly tip anywhere from difficult to impossible. As will having a rigid footbed.

Second, what you are doing isn't tipping. SkiasaurusRex nailed it. I know, it looks OK, feels good, and even works to an extent, but you are leading with your hips (pushing them across). If your outside leg was straight, you'd be hip dumping. Tipping is not synonymous with getting on edge; it is a very specific way of getting on edge that only the very best skiers actually use.

With true tipping, the feet lead everything throughout the entire turn (and--this is important--the new free foot must always lead the tipping). Feet first, then ankles, then knees, then hips move into the turn. You will know you have mastered tipping when the sensation is that of trying to touch the ankle belonging to the free foot to the snow. And when people quit telling you "nice GS turns you are making on those slalom skis!" :D

Start with the dry land exercises. I'm a big fan of the wall lean because it gives you concrete feedback on the tipping sequence. Stand parallel to a wall (about a foot away), and tip. You'll need to counterbalance as you move towards the wall. When you do this right, your thighs should hit the wall first (as opposed to your hips). Memorize that sensation because that is what tipping feels like.

Then take it to your skiing. Warm up with some tipping edge changes on a flat slope. Then move to a slope and try some static tipping in both directions. Just stand parallel and tip as far as you can. Then move to tipping garlands. In a gentle traverse, tip aggressively so your skis turn up the slope. Release to let your tips drop back down before you lose momentum and repeat until the slope runs out. Then change directions. Try to achieve the same level of tipping you were able to get when you were just doing the drill statically. The key when you are first trying to learn tipping is relaxation. You have to learn to eliminate the tension in your legs (that you will naturally have) that is going to work against your tipping.

Besides staying relaxed, make sure you have enough flexion to allow tipping (you can't tip with a straight leg or while you are actively extending). Also, make sure you keep your free foot held back (as an experiment, stand perpendicular to the slope, slide your uphill foot forward and see what that does to your tipping). Finally, narrow your stance. You are looking for a natural stance width where your feet are no wider than your femoral sockets. Too wide (as yours often are) and it makes tipping difficult to do and impossible to learn. Here's a good drill I got from HeluvaSkier that will help with this. Whenever you are stopped, prior to starting hop your skis off the ground. The stance width that you land with is probably what you want.

Tipping skills are the prerequisite for developing a release. One of the foundations of PMTS is to split the majority of the work between gravity and the ski. To do that, you have to learn to let go of your edges, which means you have to be able to tip your skis flat. Once you believe you are starting to develop tipping skills, start practicing one and two footed releases on a regular basis. For a two-footed release to be successful, you must lead the tipping with the old stance foot. Right now that is not happening.

As a final thought on tipping, I want to encourage you to work with the Super Phantom transition. Proficiency in tipping requires having the ability to balance entirely on the stance ski for the entire turn. There is a tendency for people who learn to ski "two footed" to never develop the crucial skill of skiing one-footed. Which is to say, they never learn how to properly stand in balance on a ski.

While conceptually this stuff is very straightforward, for most of us learning PMTS has represented a multi-season investment with a large percentage of time spent on easy terrain working on skiing. You will need to get uncomfortable and you should expect spending time feeling like you can't ski at all. Feeling uncomfortable is what tells you that you are making real changes to your skiing. Understand that up front and don't give up. Don't forget to note your progress--especially when you aren't happy with your skiing.

To really maximize your success in learning PMTS, do your best to ski with a qualified PMTS instructor whether at camp or in a private. Failing that (or in addition to that), continue to post video on the forum. You don't want to head down the wrong path of thinking you have something right and then having to unlearn it later. So do what you can to get feedback early and often. And keep coming back to the forum for advice as you work through this stuff. Many of us have been exactly where you are right now.

Good luck and stick with it. This stuff truly works. If you want to ski like Harald, it is well within your reach.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:52 pm

Hi Geoffda,

I am truly greatful for your post. Thank you for the time that you spent to ilustrate to me where I am in therms of PMTS experience.
Almost every beginner has to get through the moment of overconfidence, when he thinks he knows something. I was thinking, I scrutinized Haralds Essentials... well enough
for constant improvement. Now, I know I was wrong. There is plenty of work ahead of me in every field. I asked for the help and undoubtely I have got it. :D

Unfortunately, as I live in Europe and I can only apply to the Hintertux Camp, which is for me the seasons end. I am almost sure I will go next year.
By the way, you have probably noticed that my movies were just taken where the Haralds European Camp takes place. I just regret that I did not speak to Haralds people that I saw in Hintertux. These red uniforms are easy to recognize :wink:
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:23 am

Although this season was not very intensive for me I think I have progressed with my skiing.
Here are new videos. Hope some of you will find time to get through this and make a comment.
Your previous inputs were very helpful.


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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby jclayton » Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:14 pm

Not at all bad , unlike many/most of us you don't have a lot of old style stuff to get rid of .

Essentials is fantastic but I would get the first books , start from the beginning and work on the Phantom move and as said before concentrate on the edging . The explanations of the basics in these books are unparalleled .
skinut ,among other things
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:36 am

not much of the old style in my skiing... but still a lot to learn of the old school: lift and tip, narrower stance
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby BigE » Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:55 am

The skiing is a bit static, ie, you tend to adopt the stance and ride the ski.

I suggest that the inside leg should be flexed, and flexion should continue throughout the turn.

The inside ski should be tipped, and tipping continued through the turn.

Counterbalance and counteraction should increase throughout the turn.

The feet should be pulled back and continue to be pulled back through the turn.

As you learn to do these things, you will learn more about control of speed and control of turn shape.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby Max_501 » Wed Apr 11, 2012 10:08 am

Start with Book 1. Once you have it mastered move to Book 2. Essentials can be read for extra drills and instruction in conjunction with or after reading Book 2.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:15 am

Thanks for suggestions. I will definitely buy ACBAES 1 & 2 once they become available for customers (or I look for it on amazon).

During this ski trip I think I have first started flexing to release. At least, that is my perception. This flexing is often occurring not in the right moment and is insufficient.

Whats bugging me is:
1. Why are my legs in wedge at the end of the turn and why this outside leg does not come close to the inside leg?
2. In the transition, it looks like I am not popping up but my hips often goes up pushing my torso forward. It does not allow me to utilize properly the energy that comes from the ski. Am I on the right path to make a proper release?
3. CA. It looks to me that at the beginning of the turn my CA is ok. But as the turn develops my outside arm is too much in the back and my hips seems to be too much countered. I have little idea what to do about this. This overCA must be cousing late release.
4. From my perception CB is ok.
5. My right turn (left leg outside) is weaker and diffrent. The stance is wider. The portion of the turn in the high C is smaller. Inside leg often too much forward.

This is my own perception of my skiing. Corrections and further suggestions will be hugely appreciated.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby BigE » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:00 pm

No one can say without video.
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Re: MA request for deicreo

Postby deicreo » Thu Apr 12, 2012 1:33 pm

BigE, my previous post includes my own thoughts with regards to my skiing.
My analisys adressed skiing that you have already seen in the above video.
I shared with you with my thoughts, so it was clear what is my level of understanding PMTS.
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