Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby Robert » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:58 am

After skiing a few days this season at masters race training I’m convinced that there is something quite unbalanced in my alignment from one side to another. I’m hoping some forum members might help confirm if this is the case.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100636836@N05/9567562635/

Image

1) In this photo taken during the race looks to me like my right knee is leaning in quite a bit in an A frame shape. Only happens on my right side.
2) When flexing my ankles when out of ski boots my right foot certainly pronates, and my left foot does not.
3) I really struggle to get any CB over my right ski when doing a left turn, though I really work at it – not so on my opposite side. It seems that because my right knee leans in quickly, my hips remain outside and I can then never get my waist shifted laterally inside the turn to get decent counter balance. The opposite turn is fine.
4) When flexing to flat in transition, trying to go upside down on the hill to get CB early in a high C - I can’t get off my inside back left ski tail to be able to start tipping it to it’s little toe edge and get the new (right) outside ski starting to edge. Again, there is no problem for the opposite turn.

I think I need to cant my right foot outwards. Could any other forum members confirm if I am on the right track, or what you might suggest otherwise.

If it is the case , how do I fix the problem? I’m based in New South Wales Australia and don’t seem to be able to find any ski shops than can offer any help with canting my boots or skis, or even recognizing it has any merit.

This photo is from a previous run, and a position I find myself in on a certain amount of left turns when pushed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100636836@N05/9570345696/in/photostream/
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Re: Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby MonsterMan » Mon Aug 26, 2013 7:13 pm

Amateur Comment:

the photo with you leaning/inclining into the turn with weight mostly over the inside ski looks nicely stacked with the knee tracking above the foot when it is not loaded. I suspect that alignment may not be too bad and that the other photo shows a movement issue, ie too much big toe edge and or knee drive to the inside as you counter act with that foot loaded

If you have video, you might be able to get better advice.
"Someone once said to me that for us to beat the Europeans at winter sports was like Austria tackling us at Test cricket. I reckon it's an accurate judgement." Malcolm Milne
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Re: Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby Robert » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:06 am

Dear Mr Man (may I call you Monster?),
Thanks for your feedback. And still hope to catch up for a ski one day in Australia.
I'm reviewing it again based on your feedback . The (1st) picture that you mentioned - where it appears I have too much big toe edge - I'm really tipping as hard as I can on the LTE of the inside ski but find that knee folds in more though I know I'm really working on the inside ski. In this picture I at least have some counter balance that often I don't get on that side - though if I do a power release I seem to manage some counterbalance, as in the entry for the turn that was photographed here.

The other shot where I'm more on the inside ski and inclined is a really common situation where I finish, half way in the turn, without having established any counterbalance - though I really try to set it up at the beginning of the turn. I've been watching it much more and notice that: if I have just relaxed/released the left downhill ski and going through transition, I tip the left ski little toe edge, but as I keep tipping to bring my right ski on edge my right knee comes in too quickly -meaning I have started to engage the right ski edge but leaving my waist outside as the turn starts, and I can no longer set up any counterbalance as the turn has already started. As mentioned, if I do a power release I seem to be able to set that up better.

I'd really like to get it assessed by someone who does alignment in Australia, but don't know anyone. Do you have any recommendations. Are you skiing in Australia any of this remaining season?

Regards Robert
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Re: Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby AnI » Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:26 pm

Hi Robert,

While I certainly lack the expertise of Chris, Harald, or Diana, I completed the ski alignment technician training with HSS and know enough basics to comment on your question. According to HSS's school, any alignment starts with stabilizing the foot in the boot (assuming that the boot is properly sized, i.e., not too big). "Stabilizing" means making a footbed which accommodates the shape of the sole of the foot (thus preventing excessive motion within the boot) and compensates for excessive pronation. Since you mentioned that you have more pronation on one foot than on the other, you could benefit from custom made foodbeds (I assume you do not have custom foodbeds - please correct me if I am wrong), and this should be your first step. Your main challenge will be to find a bootfitter who can make foodbeds in a manner consistent with PMTS (i.e., neither too soft nor too stiff) and compensate for your pronation. It is not uncommon for bootfitting schools, at least in the US, to teach technicians to leave pronation to doctors and just make imprint of the foot.

You indeed may have a small degree of A-frame as you suspected, but nothing major, really. If you read Harald's blog, you will find examples taken from the world cup where top skiers ski with by far worse alignment after moving to a new brand of boots. It would be a lot easier to make a judgement on whether you are off with your alignment if you had posted a video which shows both your left and right turn taken consequently in a little more relaxed conditions than during a race (the images which you posted are quite different with respect to stance width). If you do not know any better, it is safe to assume that you could benefit from alignment and that your alignment is not perfect: according to some published sources, 49 skiers out of 50 could benefit from alignment. It is not uncommon to have different degree of misalignment on left and right leg, or have misalignment on one foot only.

If you really want to experiment on your own, you could attach a thin stripe of any material at hand, e.g, cardboard, with a thickness similar to that of a credit card (or perhaps double of that), to the medial (inside) side of your right heel using duct tape which you can wrap around the heel to the sides. The width of the stripe could be a third or a half of the heel width. This will tip your right foot out by about a quarter to half a degree and should make enough change to make the difference visible in a picture taken from the same angle. This can only be used as a temporary solution but it will enable you to experiment and check how it feels. I do not know where you would go from there. You can't do your own alignment (boot modification) yourself - you need tools and training - and you need good foodbeds before you can even start thinking about alignment.

By the way, just in case, check the settings of "canting" on your boots. These are eccentric bolts in the rivets which hold the upper and lower parts of the boot together. They can independently move the left and right hand side of the upper part of the boot, thus changing its angle relatively to the bottom of the boot. This adjustment is not a substitute for alignment, it only enables one to align the angle of the boot upper with the angle of his calf. Within a fairly wide range, it makes little or no difference, but If it is totally off, it can negatively impact your alignment. In order to check this, remove liners from your boots, move your footbeds from liners into the shell, step into the shell on top of the foodbeds, and check how the boot upper aligns with your calves. Ideally, there should be an equal amount of room on the left and right side.

Sorry, it is impossible to remotely fix alignment problems. You might have to make yourself a present - a skiing vacation in Colorado - and see Chris or Greg at Harb Ski Shop while you are there. You can also contact Chris using e-mail on harbskisystems.com to check if there is anyone with alignment training in Australia.

Having said all that, I have my doubts that the issues which you described can be cured by better alignment alone. Good alignment makes it easier to establish accurate movements, but there many other reasons for movement issues, including natural body asymmetries. One of the issues which you described (#3) is similar to what I've been struggling with for a couple of seasons. It was not alignment related at all as I was in good alignment. The cure was a drill with exaggerated flex to release.

Best of luck,

Andrei
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Re: Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby h.harb » Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:26 pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/100636836@N05/9570345696/in/photostream/

Although this shows a technical breakdown, (losing your balance to the inside foot) it can be related to knocked kneed alignment. You have to figure out which comes first. I am looking at the photo, and I see obviously no CB, but is this the result or the cause. Without seeing the way the turn developed it's hard to judge from one photo.
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Re: Requesting Help On An Alignment Issue

Postby theorist » Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:49 am

Another possible source of your right knock-knee could be an insufficient range of internal rotation on the right leg, which can force the knee to compensate when you're countered. To check this, stand facing a mirror. Using the mirror to ensure your hips stay square and don't move AT ALL (as an additional indicator, put your hands on the side of each hip, with the index fingers pointing forward), try rotating the right foot in as much as possible and then estimate the angle between where your foot is now and where it was when it was pointing straight forward (if you're on a floor with square tiles and your foot perfectly follows a diagonal, that's 45 degrees). Repeat with the left and see if there's a difference. If not, your issue is probably not insufficient internal rotation. But if the right leg is more limited than the left, that may be what's going on. I don't know exactly how much internal rotation is necessary, but I've read that ideally one would like 60 degrees on each side. If you're under 40 degrees that could cause problems.
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