Short Turn MA

[jepoupatout]

Here is a medium turn, and I've tried to not extend without a big success, so to start the new season what are your recommendation. I look static without a lot flexion. What should be the main focus at this point?
Thanks to let me know
?

[geoffda]

J--you do want to avoid extension during transition; i.e. don't push yourself onto new edges. However, after you are on your new edges, extension of the stance leg needs to happen. What you want to avoid is actively pushing off, or pushing yourself into angles, to get that extension. Instead, as your CM moves into the turn, allow your stance leg to lengthen in order to maintain contact with the snow. You should finish each turn with a long stance leg and a short free leg. As you flex the stance leg to release, try to match the level of flexion that the free leg already has. Then as you move into the new turn, the new stance leg should be allowed to lengthen accordingly.

What I would suggest would be to work on Power Release drills. Make sure you choose a steep enough slope and widen your stance enough so that you are forced to start with a flexed free leg. What you want to focus on is continuing to flex and tip the stance leg/foot throughout the arc to move your center of mass. If the center of mass moves inside, it will pull your stance leg long if you allow it. You are static because the tipping has stopped (a problem I'm well familiar with). Additionally, try to finish in a flexed position with an equal amount of flexion in both legs and the stance back to narrow. When you start linking Power Releases, you want the sensation of going from long leg to short leg on each leg depending on the direction of the turn. Your legs should feel like pistons.

The other drill that might be useful would be touch, tip and rise. At the end of the turn, touch your boots and stay in that position until you are on new edges. Once you are on new edges, gradually and gently rise. Your goal should be to be fully stood up by the fall line. At the bottom of the arc, touch the boots again, release, tip and repeat. What this drill will teach you is how to extend without disrupting your balance. While in very high energy turns, extension is generally passive, there are cases where you will need to be more active (such as bumps). Again, extension itself isn't something to be avoided provided you don't do it during transition and you don't use it to try to push yourself into the turn or otherwise out of balance.

[Max_501]

Two visuals of the power release. Watch the range of motion of the outside leg.

Student



Coach

[jepoupatout]

Geoffda, very good analysis as always, a lot of fun work in front of me to start the new season. In the past i didn't have a lot of success with Power Release Drill because i was catching up to much speed rapidely. I will try to get a video of that one early into the season.
For the other drill:
The other drill that might be useful would be touch, tip and rise.
Does it exist a video on internet of that one?
Thanks for your help

[geoffda]

For the other drill:
The other drill that might be useful would be touch, tip and rise.
Does it exist a video on internet of that one?
Thanks for your help

Hi J,
I don't recall seeing it in a short clip anywhere. It is in Essentials--in the flexing chapter, look for the Touch & Tip drill & then you'll find the section that talks about adding extension. It is also in the Flexing and Extending / Fore-Aft DVD if my memory serves.

[Kiwi]

I found lots of exaggerated flexing and deep flexing with tramsition on rollovers helped me to do the long leg short leg exercise better. The stance leg pressure from the inside leg flexing with tipping (and more tipping) rightup to release is what I want to create. When I can tip no more is a cue for me to release. The point of max tipping and flexing of the inside leg is the point when I release the stance leg. I work to build pressure by tipping a flexing continuously and progressively as much as I possibly can and then a wee bit more. It closes my turns automatically.

The cues from the power release drill are the same ones I try to use when I ski. For me the drill is very close to actual skiing cues.

Exaggeration of the essentials is my new normal. I am always exaggerating as much as a can when i ski now and the exaggeration becomes my new performance level. I never seem to get to the point were I have a friend say it was too much exaggeration of any essential.

[Kiwi]

Harald often has both legs at a 90 degree angle or less between thigh and lower leg in transition. Through the arc before and after transition opposite legs are fully flexed or extended. This degree of flexing through transition Is what the rollovers help attain. It's a weightless moment when fully flexed then the stance leg extends to reach the snow on the other side of the rollover, just like in a power release. I am trying to utilize this same full range of motion to build pressure through the arc, not by any pushing but only resisting the pressure that builds through the arc.

[Ken]

jepoupatout, try taking the drills, except the Power Release, to a slope so easy that you have nothing else to think about except the movement you're working on. Keep the outside leg near-straight until you decide to turn, then just relax it then tip it. Keep the inside leg lightly flexed and the foot tipped, maybe even raise only the tail of the ski off the snow a couple of cm for a drill. Tip more and more as the turn progresses and flex only the inside leg more and more as the turn progresses.

Try skiing straight across some gentle bumps. As Kiwi said, exaggerate flexing very deeply as your skis go up one bump, extend fully as they go down the other side, flex deeply--knees almost to your chest (and it'll feel like you're doing more than you're actually achieving)--as you go up the next gentle bump. After flexing and extending straight across several gentle bumps, when both legs are flexed, tip the downhill foot & pull it back, allow the uphill leg to extend and become the outside leg in a turn.

Challenge yourself on either technique or terrain, but not both. Add the essentials one at a time. Get the most basic essential locked into your movements before you advance. Tipping. Tipping & flexing. Tipping & flexing & pulling the inside leg back. Tipping & flexing & pulling the inside leg back & counter balance. Tipping & flexing & pulling the inside leg back & counter balance & counteracting. Tipping & flexing & pulling the inside leg back & counter balance & counteracting then relax & tip & pull back the old stance leg and allow the new stance leg to extend ...on terrain where you can think about the movement, not think about the terrain. Don't rush your progression. It takes several thousand repetitions to change a habitual movement and make it the new habit. You will like the result.

[Max_501]

Geoffda, very good analysis as always, a lot of fun work in front of me to start the new season. In the past i didn't have a lot of success with Power Release Drill because i was catching up to much speed rapidely.

My guess is that you are letting go of the turn too early. Keep the outside leg long and strong until you are headed directly across the slope.

[jepoupatout]

Question?
When is the best time to release the turn?
How long should i keep the stance leg long before releasing?
To long i will slow down too short i will get speed.

[Max_501]

For the power release drill don't start the release until the skis are perpendicular to the fall line.

[geoffda]

Question?
When is the best time to release the turn?
How long should i keep the stance leg long before releasing?
To long i will slow down too short i will get speed.

The goal is to be able to release so your skis travel across the fall line as Max_501 said. If you keep flexing and tipping throughout the turn, you should have plenty of energy as the skis cut across the fall line to do this. If you can develop the turn so that you have energy to release heading across the slope, then that is a pretty good indication that you got speed control from the high-C. Once you can do that, you can experiment with releasing earlier. For short, snappy turns, releasing earlier can be desirable.

The stance leg stays long until you are ready to release*. When you feel the pressure on the ski, stand on it. The idea is this: Balance in the top of the arc to get set up (balance, not angles), then relax the free leg and continuously increase the flexion and tipping. This is a really tough idea to describe--because it requires both active movement and intentional relaxation simultaneously. You'll have to figure it out, but when you do, there will be no doubt in your mind that you got it. The skis will just whip around and the pressure won't come until the angles are huge. Jay calls this "the Whoosh." If you are supporting yourself at all on your inside ski, you won't be able to get this so check your counterbalance if things aren't working. The other thing that is critical is that you must be forward when you start tipping. You have to get both feet back before you cut loose with the tipping. If the feet aren't back, the tips won't bite hard enough and you will just accelerate.

Once you figure out how to do this take it back to your brushed carves and prepare to have your mind blown.

*You can also tighten the arc by relaxing just prior to release. Harald calls this a "preflex" and he combines it with his release. Not many can do this. I certainly can't.

[Kiwi]

Well said Geoffda

When I release with pressure across the fall line my body upon release, across the skis, but the skis continue arcing across the fall line for a moment of time, until they engage "themselves" as a result of only my tipping. It appears to me that the skis actually close the arc of the turn a fraction more after the release. I think this is important for the lead in to the high C part of the next turn and speed control. It would be lost with any attempt to steer the skis.

There is no quick way to the perfect turn, other than doing the drills, as Max says, but something J said along time ago comes to mind "flex to flatten", this must be the first move of the release and no pivot or steering of the skis.

It's uncanny how PMTS develops the ultimate turn dynamics but so brilliant when you analysis the essentials scientifically.

[jepoupatout]

Goeffda, just to make sure i understand your comment and the order to do the movement:

The other thing that is critical is that you must be forward when you start tipping. You have to get both feet back before you cut loose with the tipping. If the feet aren't back, the tips won't bite hard enough and you will just accelerate.

From the stance leg (long leg) at the end of the turn with a CA position , I flex, pull back my both skis to be forward and start to Tip .
When i pull back my skis i am in transition, also it means my CA will switch side at that moment, is it the good timing?

[geoffda]

Goeffda, just to make sure i understand your comment and the order to do the movement:
From the stance leg (long leg) at the end of the turn with a CA position , I flex, pull back my both skis to be forward and start to Tip .
When i pull back my skis i am in transition, also it means my CA will switch side at that moment, is it the good timing?

Make sure you hold your CA until you are on your new edges. If you CA while your skis are flat or neutral, you may cause them to pivot.