Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Postby h.harb » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:51 pm

http://harbskisysems.blogspot.com/2015/01/when-trying-to-achieve-world-class.html

What is truly amazing is how few American coaches understand the difference and still think you should go for early pressure. Do they not pay attention to world cup skiing technique?? This isn't just for racers, all recreational skiers lose balance, looking for and trying to apply early pressure to the turn.
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Re: Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Postby geoffda » Thu Jan 22, 2015 5:56 pm

The crazy thing is, if you go looking to create pressure on hard snow, you'll lose your ski. If you've ever successfully carved a turn on ice, you know this. You'd think these people had never been on a race course, let alone a pair of skis, with the stuff they are coming up with.
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Re: Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Postby DougD » Fri Jan 23, 2015 7:41 am

geoffda wrote:The crazy thing is, if you go looking to create pressure on hard snow, you'll lose your ski. If you've ever successfully carved a turn on ice, you know this. You'd think these people had never been on a race course, let alone a pair of skis, with the stuff they are coming up with.

Even I, a PMTS novice know this. Skiing in New England you learn, the hard way, that to hold a turning ski on ice your stance leg must be relaxed and quiet.

On ice you ski with feeling and finesse. We talk of "feathering" our edges, which amounts to subtle tipping adjustments using the small muscles of the feet. Gross movements using larger muscles, which is what you'd do to "add early pressure", will break your skis loose and send you skidding toward the trees. Why any race coach would endorse that is beyond me.

Of course some coaches are advocating "skivoting". If that's your goal, actively pressuring the stance ski in the high C on ice will get you there in a hurry... albeit sideways.
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Re: Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Postby theorist » Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:29 pm


Neat pics. In these shots, it looks like Hirscher is effectively extending the float until the fall line.

Question: Tactically, when is it desirable for a racer to do this, versus carving the high-C?
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Re: Early pressure is the wrong approach.

Postby h.harb » Sat Feb 14, 2015 10:35 pm

What is actually happening is his set up on his left leg is all wrong. The cuff is too strong (moved too close to the leg on the medial side) and the bottom of the boot maybe over canted. Most of the Atomic boots are this way. Most of the Atomic boots are harsh on the edge. Hirscher's two big mistakes on the second run were boot related, right turns. He still had a lead going into the last face. Mikaela is the only Atomic skier on last year's boot and it's working still. When some videos come up on You Tube of the skiing; I'll demonstrate these points. Notice how nothing is up yet on You Tube except women's Super G? Thank you NBC Sports. At least they aren't using Doug Lewis.
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