First MA Request

First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:09 pm

I've been an avid reader on the board for a long time, but always felt I had to post some skiing first to get more involved. I have finally had a friend shoot some video and put together a clip this week and am looking for feedback. This is a short run (as all of ours are here in SE Michigan) where I'm just trying to lay down some nice, easy turns. My older video camera failed me just before this(hence I ended up wearing it on this run), so I had to resort to my backup, which results in more shake and less clarity. Regardless, I'm sure the fine eyes here will find some things going wrong, and maybe some things going right:



Here's some things that I am looking at and would like further clarity:

At 0:11 and 0:17 it appears my skis diverge during the transition. I worked on this earlier in the year, and found that adding in a longer float helped reduce this, but I'm not purposefully holding the float here, and the divergence is back.

At 0:17 it looks like I am on both big toe edges resulting in an A-frame

Not holding any or much counter acting through the turns

It seems like my left turns have less counterbalancing than my right turns; maybe it's the camera angle, but it seems like I'm not getting much weight over the outer ski, especially later in the run. Having the camera hanging off that side may not have helped.

I've been trying to retract and remove any extension through the transition, and am not sure I succeeded on that, and would like feed back

Open to any feedback, positive or negative, based on what you see.


We have one more weekend of skiing left here this coming weekend; my hopes are to get one more video of shorter, faster, higher energy turns, and post that. I tend to be a "plodder" when it comes to my skiing, and have been trying to add more energy into it, but that was not the intent of this run.

Thanks, looking forward to your honest assessment and feedback.

Jerry
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Re: First MA Request

Postby milesb » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:16 am

Look at what happens just before transition in most of your turns. You stop doing all the good stuff that you were doing in the middle of the turn. That makes the bad stuff happen.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby HighAngles » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:44 am

JerryS - you didn't say where you're from. Can you get yourself to a PMTS coach to get aligned. I'm seeing some issues there with a weak alignment on both legs.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby MonsterMan » Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:48 pm

My amateur MA.


Does the release start by flexing the outside leg? YES mostly could be more.
Does LTE tipping lead engagement to the new turn? NO
Are the feet pulled back at transition? YES
Is the inside foot held back throughout the turn? YES
Is there enough CB and CA and is the timing right? YES, for now
Strong inside arm? YES
Is the pelvis included in the CB/CA movement? YES
Is the inside leg flexed as the turn progresses? NO
Does the outside leg extend naturally (no pushing) as the turn progresses? NO, the stem at the start creates an early extension
Does LTE tipping continue throughout the turn? NO, the edge angles achieved are nice, but you get there early and then just ride the rails. Turns with a decreasing radius are the goal.
Is there a pole touch and how is the movement and timing? YES, it's a lot quieter than some, but there is still a reach forward.
Alignment? Can you ski on each little to edge doing an uphill turn? Get you release from this and do a phantom turn? Get some video and someone more learned than me may be able to advise further.

So for now, excluding alignment for now, the movements I think require attention are narrowed to.

a) LTE tipping lead engagement to the new turn
b) inside leg flexed as the turn progresses
c) outside leg extend naturally
d) LTE tipping continue throughout the turn

b, c and d can't be done without a

So your single most important movement to work on is a)

This may be difficult if your alignment means you can't ski on LTE due to alignment, but I suspect you will be able to do this if you concentrate. I am sure alignment adjustments will help make this easier though. Only video will tell. So over to you.

All going well, work on

1) stationary sequencing of tipping to LTE first. (boots only first, no skis) Build an incline board and practice at home.
2) same stationary on snow.
3) garlands with transfer to LTE and phantom move releases. (Lift and tip to start)
4) Garlands with a downhill turn after the second release.
5) Linked turns.

Get video and report back.

Enjoy,

Geoff
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Re: First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:24 pm

milesb wrote:Look at what happens just before transition in most of your turns. You stop doing all the good stuff that you were doing in the middle of the turn. That makes the bad stuff happen.
Good skiing doesn't happen by itself, but bad skiiing does!


Miles, thanks for your response, and humor but I could use a little more on what you saw. What good stuff came to a stop at the end of the turn? Thanks.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:33 pm

HighAngles wrote:JerryS - you didn't say where you're from. Can you get yourself to a PMTS coach to get aligned. I'm seeing some issues there with a weak alignment on both legs.


HighAngles, I made a reference in there to "SE Michigan", where SE=southeast. Small hills, all man-made snow. Regarding the alignment, I suspect that I do need aligning, and came to that conclusion after numerous attempts this year to improve my two footed release (from a stop) and having great difficulty releasing my downhill edge.

My plan right now is to make my first camp early in the year, presumably December. Given that it's time to upgrade boots I am planning on new boots and alignment at camp.

I work once or twice a year up north with a PMTS green level instructor, which has it's pluses as he has the basics, but he has other influences (USSA) at work that I have to guard against, as I have no intention of trying to integrate other philosophy or technique.
Last edited by JerryS on Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:34 pm

MonsterMan wrote:My amateur MA.


Does the release start by flexing the outside leg? YES mostly could be more.
Does LTE tipping lead engagement to the new turn? NO
Are the feet pulled back at transition? YES
Is the inside foot held back throughout the turn? YES
Is there enough CB and CA and is the timing right? YES, for now
Strong inside arm? YES
Is the pelvis included in the CB/CA movement? YES
Is the inside leg flexed as the turn progresses? NO
Does the outside leg extend naturally (no pushing) as the turn progresses? NO, the stem at the start creates an early extension
Does LTE tipping continue throughout the turn? NO, the edge angles achieved are nice, but you get there early and then just ride the rails. Turns with a decreasing radius are the goal.
Is there a pole touch and how is the movement and timing? YES, it's a lot quieter than some, but there is still a reach forward.
Alignment? Can you ski on each little to edge doing an uphill turn? Get you release from this and do a phantom turn? Get some video and someone more learned than me may be able to advise further.

So for now, excluding alignment for now, the movements I think require attention are narrowed to.

a) LTE tipping lead engagement to the new turn
b) inside leg flexed as the turn progresses
c) outside leg extend naturally
d) LTE tipping continue throughout the turn

b, c and d can't be done without a

So your single most important movement to work on is a)

This may be difficult if your alignment means you can't ski on LTE due to alignment, but I suspect you will be able to do this if you concentrate. I am sure alignment adjustments will help make this easier though. Only video will tell. So over to you.

All going well, work on

1) stationary sequencing of tipping to LTE first. (boots only first, no skis) Build an incline board and practice at home.
2) same stationary on snow.
3) garlands with transfer to LTE and phantom move releases. (Lift and tip to start)
4) Garlands with a downhill turn after the second release.
5) Linked turns.

Get video and report back.

Enjoy,

Geoff


Geoff, it doesn't sound so amateur at all, I know you've been around here for a while and have a good handle on this, but I do appreciate the humility! And while I have the same checklist, somehow your assessment seems to ring truer than what I could come up with.

I guess I need to learn more about turn shape; I've seen reference to decreasing radius but think I have only strived for them, in an indirect way, when I have been trying to control my speed more, and get more angles, and tighten up the turn across the hill.

Regarding the stemming, I think I see it more clearly after your comments . . . . it seems like I pressure the downhill ski right before the transition, creating the platform for the stemming, and then carry it into the transition. Is that it? Where what I really need to flex more aggressively, and make sure the tipping is there as well.

Alignment? See my response above to one of the other guys; hopefully with new boots next winter at a camp. Skiing on LTE edge and uphill turn? Maybe, maybe not. I've been trying to work in some skiing on one ski and weighted releases, but they don't come easily. Better on right than on left.

I have been working on abcd to varying degrees, but think I have had only several of those "whoa" moments when it clicks and that magic happens. I had always thought I wasn't extending, but the times that I have truly focused and achieved flexing with the inside have been powerful and dynamic.

Thanks for the prescription. I will do what I can with my short time left this season . . . . I might get one, at most two more days in locally, as my two local hills close this Sunday.

Thanks again. It's appreciated.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby MonsterMan » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:02 pm

Thanks for the prescription. I will do what I can with my short time left this season .


To make the most of your time left, consider putting your boots on now and tip to simulate the end of a turn on flat ground. This may seem triviol to you, but your timing is out. You will be on one big toe edge and one LTE. Now

1) flex and release by tipping the LTE of the old stance foot to flat, (your knees will have an "O" shape, this piggy riding shape is your knew best friend so enjoy it!)
2) follow with the BTE of the other foot to flat
3) tip further to LTE with the first foot to create the "O" shape again
4) follow with the BTE.

Consider video of this and post.

Slow your turns on snow down and do this 1,2,3,4 sequence for a while. Practice on the flats doing ROBO tipping where flexing isn't really necessary. Eventually this sequence will blur into a perceived single movement from one side to the other, but the tipping to LTE will always be slightly earlier than the BTE.

You elude that you think flexing is what is missing. I disagree for now. Get your tipping timing sorted. If you can ski on one ski, even with a weak side, you can learn this, but you have to overcome an ingrained rush to BTE if you want to loose the stem.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:43 pm

Slow your turns on snow down and do this 1,2,3,4 sequence for a while. Practice on the flats doing ROBO tipping where flexing isn't really necessary. Eventually this sequence will blur into a perceived single movement from one side to the other, but the tipping to LTE will always be slightly earlier than the BTE.

You elude that you think flexing is what is missing. I disagree for now. Get your tipping timing sorted. If you can ski on one ski, even with a weak side, you can learn this, but you have to overcome an ingrained rush to BTE if you want to loose the stem.


Monster, I did some indoor tipping practice last week, and was able to ski closing day on Sunday. I worked on slowing the sequence down and found that it helped considerably with my timing and thus my turns, as long as I could also keep my pullback in place. Thanks, gives me some direction for next year.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby h.harb » Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:56 am

The A frame at the end of each turn is concerning. THerefore in the PMTS reference points number 3. "Is there a transfer to the LTE, no!" And if that's a NO. It means that number 2 isn't working, which is "does the release start by flexing the outside leg." NO!. Both of these issues depend on reasonable alignment. And the boot set up needs work it looks about 2+ degrees knocked kneed.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby milesb » Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:20 am

Harald, my immediate thought was also alignment. And I'm sure you are correct about that. Just for learning purposes, can you explain why his alignment looks good after the transition when he is tipping the free ski? That led me into thinking it was a just a movement issue. Thanks.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby h.harb » Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:05 pm

The inside ski can't tip any further at the bottom of the arc, it's flat. Therefore you see the A frame. The outside knee drops to an A frame because there is not enough edge hold with the leg straight.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby h.harb » Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:10 pm

Image

The A frame starts at the FAlline. The inside ski stops tipping, there is little edge angle or hold so the body will not drop inside any further. Alignment first in this case, movements afterward.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby JerryS » Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:38 pm

h.harb wrote:The A frame at the end of each turn is concerning. THerefore in the PMTS reference points number 3. "Is there a transfer to the LTE, no!" And if that's a NO. It means that number 2 isn't working, which is "does the release start by flexing the outside leg." NO!. Both of these issues depend on reasonable alignment. And the boot set up needs work it looks about 2+ degrees knocked kneed.


The inside ski can't tip any further at the bottom of the arc, it's flat. Therefore you see the A frame. The outside knee drops to an A frame because there is not enough edge hold with the leg straight.


Harald, thanks for your observations. So let me try to make sense of this . . . being knock-kneed would mean I'm limited in tipping my LTE further, which prevents further tipping of my outside ski/BTE . . . but I'm not sure how it forces the knee drop., just a matter of physics? (Ediit: OK, just a matter of having to drive the knee in to keep or maintain the edge)

Presumably this would also explain the great difficulty I have releasing my BTE and flattening the downhill ski when attempting two footed releases from stationary? One footed release from stationary is much easier.

My plan is for one of your early camps (short turn?) and to get fitted and aligned before camp. Boots are ten years old and I find myself wanting more out of a boot.
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Re: First MA Request

Postby h.harb » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:50 am

Yes if the set up is knock-kneed, it means you knee is already inside or A framed while standing flat. This requires more knee drive to get the same edge an aligned skier already has. So yes, it makes it very hard to release off the BTE.
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