l2ski motion analysis

l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Sat Jan 21, 2017 7:29 am

Cheers,

I have finally gained enough courage to post a video of my skiing.
I very much appreciate this forum and the time that
anybody spends responding to the MA questions.
Thank you in advance.

My question is, what two movements should I focus on in order
to improve this skiing.



For anybody who feels like reading:

My skiing history:

I began skiing in 2011.
Luckily I have only taken 1 PSIA lesson in 2012.
I discovered PMTS in the Spring of 2014.
I had my alignment done by Diana in Nov. 2014 but
was not check on the snow.

I started using video last season (2015-2016) heavily.

I am 5 ft 11 and 177 lbs (180 cm and 80 kg).

In the previous two season I had 30+ days
of snow time for at least 2 hours per day.

Conditions:

Heavy, wet granular snow (Windham Mountain, NY).
It was a warm day with temperatures between 35 and 40 F.

My focus on these turns:

Counter-acting and flexing to release; I was trying
to exaggerate flexing.

Self MA:

Right turn:

I am square throughout the turn to the right.
At the end of the turn I am not counter-acting,
so it is difficult to release and to allow the hips be pulled by gravity
to move across my skis and start the next turn. As a result,
I need to push off on the uphill ski to get the next turn to the left
started.

Left turn:

I see more counter-acting and more counter balancing on my turns to
the left. The release is better on this side.
I'm doing a better job of holding the counter when releasing the left turn,
so I'm more balanced and transfer to the little toe edge is easier; I stem less often
on this side.

For this run, I believe I should have been tipping
stronger and should have used some heal lift to be more forward
at the start of the turns.

Need to focus on counter-balancing with my hips and torso
and both sides; raise inside hip and lower outside hip by flexing
the outside leg slightly. Need to focus on counter-acting.
Need to focus on tipping more and more
throughout the turn until the release.
l2ski
 
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby DougD » Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:41 am

Let's keep it simple. While there are differences between your R and L turns, the basic fact is that you're stemming on virtually every turn.

You haven't yet learned to love the LTE of the new stance ski. Therefore, you're stepping UP (ie, extending) onto an already-flattened new stance ski. This invariably leads to a wedge entry.

My SMIM suggestion:
1. practice LTE traverses endlessly... until you own them. This will take a couple of ski days at least, possibly more. Don't ski any difficult terrain during this period, as that will throw you back into defensive mode and undo the new balance you're trying to develop.

Once you have that (not before):
2. Practice SINKING onto that LTE. You must get onto it by flexing, not extending. This will (should) feel strange or new.

Then, and only then:
3. Do the pole drag drill and/or Angry Mother drills as set out in the new videos on the HSS site. This will help develop your CA and CB.

As always, advice from a coach or more experienced PMTS skier trumps mine!
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:53 am

Thanks Doug for your advice.

I've been working on little tow edge balance in traverses on easy slopes.
It's part of my routine and I'll focus on that the next time I go out.

I'm wondering what's the cause of not transferring to the little toe edge, because I'm trying
to do it but cannot apparently.

I have neglected counter-acting for the past two years and I now see that it's a mistake,
because counter-acting and holding it until I'm on the new edges seems to feel more
balanced to me. That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't think
I'm balanced enough in transition to transfer early enough to the little toe edge.
On the same topic, I have just figured out that it's
much easier to do the phantom move, from a standing start into the fall line,
if my hips are slightly turned in the direction that I want to turn and with
the inside hip raised (the side that I will lift and tip on). Then as I tip and
the turn progresses, I need to counter rotate to face the stance ski.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby nickia » Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:03 pm

HI l2ski,

Great work! If you haven't practiced this already, practice one foot balance:

1. Traverse one foot on uphill ski in both direction
2. Traverse one foot on downhill ski in both direction
3. Traverse one foot on uphill ski and release to let it slip then re-enage by tipping it to the LTE. This is called the "Banana turn" in Book 1.
4. Practice one foot turns on gentle green slope
5. Practice one footed release

Eventually, you want to be able to ski with one foot making left and right turns on at least on a green slope. Most people can't do this in a ski resort so you'll be dazzling some crowds. Skiing with one foot is fun. Your balance will be much better and could turn a potential painful crash into an (un)graceful recovery. It'll also make your legs much stronger.

Holding the uphill ski in LTE during transition will not be possible without the ability to balance your uphill ski on the LTE. Once you have this balance ability, it'll be a matter of focusing your mind to hold the LTE when you ski.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Sun Jan 22, 2017 6:24 am

nickia, thanks for your input.

I work on 1 footed balance and skiing on all four edges
on green slopes all the time. Items (1) - (4) I have
been doing since last year with video, but I should work
more on the one-footed release (from static start and while moving
in a traverse). On an easy green piste, I can ski on one leg at a time
and make turns in both directions by tipping to the LTE or BTE.

This video proves that I'm not transferring to the LTE, but
since I'm not on it, it does not show that I cannot balance on it.
The next time I go out, I'll work on LTE balance
and obtain video to prove if it is good enough.

My one leg balance has improved significantly this year
because I have been strengthening / rehabilitating
my right side (hip rotators,
gluteal muscles and VMO) since last April with a physical therapist.
I have chondromalacia patella on the right knee
(patella tracks more to the lateral side);
I also figured this season that I need to have the leg
flexed more to balance better.

Assuming that I have good balance on the LTE, what is the
other flaw that's causing me to transfer to the flat slippery ski?
I see from my frames that once I transfer I am actually
BTE dominant with tipping. It must be because I'm trying to regain
balance on the stance leg and I have transferred to it while it
was flat and slippery. I'm puzzled why I'm transferring late
because my brain knows that I need to do it early to the LTE.

The slope and conditions were challenging
for my skill level to produce nice PMTS turns.
Even on the first turn I pushed off.
I usually practice on easy greens (this was a blue).
My next videos will be taken on easy greens skiing slower.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:06 am

Sorry, here is one more piece of data from the video.

I am finishing a turn to the left.

I believe I should be transferred to the LTE by this this frame:

Image

But it appears that I'm transferring by the later frame:

Image

Is this correct?
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby Max_501 » Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:41 am

The main issue is that you don't have a release. For drills to build a release I'd start with the Releasing chapter of Expert Skier Book 1 and the Eliminate the Wedge 3 Super Phantom eVideo.

The free PMTS Online Ski Lesson provides a good introduction on what it takes to build a functional release.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Sun Jan 22, 2017 9:29 am

Max_501 wrote:The main issue is that you don't have a release. For drills to build a release I'd start with the Releasing chapter of Expert Skier Book 1 and the Eliminate the Wedge 3 Super Phantom eVideo.

The free PMTS Online Ski Lesson provides a good introduction on what it takes to build a functional release.


OK, thank you Max_501.

I'll first work on the online video: Harb Teach-Yourself Series: Parallel Release and Engagement with Phantom Garland.
I have been doing the releasing drills in book 1 but I wish I had somebody to verify that I'm doing them correctly.
I'll get video.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:41 am

I just again read Chapter 4 of Book 1 and viewed the frames of my video.

Concerning my release, It looks like I'm either (1) not releasing the downhill ski,
or (2) that I'm releasing the down hill ski (tipping toward LTE)
slower than the uphill ski (tipping to BTE). It's heart breaking because I have been
doing the work in Chapter 4 and the releasing drills in "Eliminate the Wedge 2 - Releasing"
e-video. I need to figure out why it's not happening correctly in my skiing.

In the side slip drill, I'll concentrate on tipping the uphill ski to LTE;
I'll try to feel my uphill foot ankle bone against the side
of the boot as I'm releasing the down hill ski, with most of my weight initially on the downhill ski.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby sgarrozzo » Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:29 pm

Hi I2ski, I think that you don't release your downhill ski because when you transfer equilibrium to your uphill ski you are extending. And generally you don't have enough muscolar tension to keep the downhill ski near the up hill and it escapes down.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby Max_501 » Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:37 pm

sgarrozzo wrote:And generally you don't have enough muscolar tension to keep the downhill ski near the up hill and it escapes down.


This skier does not have the movement issue you are describing, which is called an abstem.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby nickia » Tue Jan 24, 2017 9:49 pm

Just to add to Max's suggestion, Diana's brush carve E-video is thoroughly in developing an o frame. It is $10 and you can find it at Harb Ski system 's store.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby sgarrozzo » Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:23 am

Max_501 wrote:
sgarrozzo wrote:And generally you don't have enough muscolar tension to keep the downhill ski near the up hill and it escapes down.


This skier does not have the movement issue you are describing, which is called an abstem.



Thank you Max.
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby l2ski » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:53 am

nickia wrote:Just to add to Max's suggestion, Diana's brush carve E-video is thoroughly in developing an o frame. It is $10 and you can find it at Harb Ski system 's store.


Yes, I have this one and I'm using it. I have all of the publications and E-videos.

I was able to get out yesterday to practice on some good snow and easy terrain,
and I also brought my slant board to the office to to try to get 15 minutes of daily
practice.

I know there are other problems in the skiing in the video,
but now I understand the problem with my release. When the release begins
by flexing the stance leg, I was not switch focus to this foot and to tip off the edge, through flat,
to LTE. In the video I am passive with the old stance leg until after I have found balance on
the new one. I need to focus on the new free ski immediately at the start of the release.
I was doing the opposite in this video -- focusing on getting on the new stance leg.

Yesterday I did the release to full turn drills, the side slip, and slow linked turns.
By really focusing on the stance leg to tip in the other direction, my hips begin to come
across and the balance transfer happens naturally and almost automatically without much thought
about it. Needs more work and video verification. The best that I could do was watch my skis
while skiing slowly, feeling my ankle press against the side of the boot, feeling my
downhill knee separate slightly from the uphill knee, and feel my new inside hip
rise as I lighten the old stance foot. I also worked on some phantom moves
with the skis starting directly in the fall line;
l2ski
 
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Re: l2ski motion analysis

Postby nickia » Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:04 am

l2ski wrote:
nickia wrote:Just to add to Max's suggestion, Diana's brush carve E-video is thoroughly in developing an o frame. It is $10 and you can find it at Harb Ski system 's store.


Yes, I have this one and I'm using it. I have all of the publications and E-videos.

I was able to get out yesterday to practice on some good snow and easy terrain,
and I also brought my slant board to the office to to try to get 15 minutes of daily
practice.

I know there are other problems in the skiing in the video,
but now I understand the problem with my release. When the release begins
by flexing the stance leg, I was not switch focus to this foot and to tip off the edge, through flat,
to LTE. In the video I am passive with the old stance leg until after I have found balance on
the new one. I need to focus on the new free ski immediately at the start of the release.
I was doing the opposite in this video -- focusing on getting on the new stance leg.

Yesterday I did the release to full turn drills, the side slip, and slow linked turns.
By really focusing on the stance leg to tip in the other direction, my hips begin to come
across and the balance transfer happens naturally and almost automatically without much thought
about it. Needs more work and video verification. The best that I could do was watch my skis
while skiing slowly, feeling my ankle press against the side of the boot, feeling my
downhill knee separate slightly from the uphill knee, and feel my new inside hip
rise as I lighten the old stance foot. I also worked on some phantom moves
with the skis starting directly in the fall line;


L2ski,

Another tip I found useful is to ski without your poles so you can focus solely on your feet. I did that for the past few days and it helped a lot once I got my poles back.
nickia
 
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