Unasked for Advice

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Unasked for Advice

Postby Narrowfeet » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:23 pm

I am a pretty good skier and have been working on implement PMTS over the past two seasons. I have always skied with a narrow stance.

I am also a patroller. Yesterday, I was skiing by myself. Road up with an instructor a few times. First ride up included a discussion of her level, she is a II. She asked me if I was working on my instructor level. I sad no, told her I did not have time.

Second ride up, her first question to me was how long did I ski on straight skis. I told her about 40 years. She then tells me my stance is too narrow for the new skis, I have Fischer RX8s. I politely told her I like how I ski, and I like a narrow stance. I also mentioned Harb and PMTS. She did not ride up with me again.

First, I am a much better skier then she is. Second, whenever I give pointers be it in golf or skiing, I ask would you like a pointer or two?

It seemed strange to me that she would just come out and start instructing me.
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Postby Ken » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:11 pm

If the shovels and tails of your RX8s clunk together, your stance is too narrow. If you ski with the outside knee tucked behind the knee of your inside leg, your stance is too narrow. If your feet are about the same distance apart when skiing as when walking, fine.

Most PSIA trainers here have stopped talking about that artificial wide stance that was the fad a few years back. One did say that the stance should be shoulder width apart, but I didn't get the chance to ask her if that was for the woman with a wide pelvic structure and narrow shoulders or for the guy with wide shoulders and a skinny butt.

Did you tell that helpful instructor that she'd ski better with a skinnier butt? Improves balance...tell her.


Ken
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Postby Narrowfeet » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:54 pm

Skis don't clunk together and my skis are hip width apart. I try to pul my free foot back and toward my stance boot.

When I am with a better skier or golfer, I do not offer advice. If they ask, I will comment if I notice something. My business partner has a two handicap. He will occasional ask me if I see a problem with his swing.

She was not a high level instructor. She told me she mostly instructs kids. I think the stance was an easy elementary PSIA criticism. That being said, I have been told by level 3 instructors and a demo team member that I should have a shoulder width stance. However, when I watch them ski, their stance width is not shoulder width.
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Postby midwif » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:46 pm

The likely scenario is that the instructor attended a teaching clinic sponsored by PSIA/similar org. The pendulum of technique swings one way and now is beginning to swing back to a more normal stance.
Sounds like she is youngish and overeager to'share'.
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Postby Ott Gangl » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:17 pm

Shoulder width, hip width etc. has always baffled me. Is shoulder width the width between the skis, say 18-22 inches between boots? Or is it 18-22 inches from one outside boot to the other, or what? I think it is a dumb description ot stance.

.....Ott
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Stance Width

Postby Bob » Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:06 pm

I remember reading somewhere on epic about HH writting about the feet being below where the femur meeets the hip. These made a lot of sense to me....essentially the feet should be somewhat hip width, not shoulder width.

It did seem to me that some of HH picures in the new stuff show a slightly wider (Horizontal) stance. Maybe I'm wrong. If so, sorry HH.

Earlier there were posts about the shovels of some skis being soo wide that the tips clashed..?? Have others experienced this..My Atomic C-9's are 109 at the tip, and I have not noticeda problem.
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Postby ramshackle » Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:50 pm

Hey narrowfeet the thing Id say is that she may have been right or you may be right its hard to say the only thing I could agree with is that your stance width will be narrow if you have narrow hips.

Im one of those narrow hipped people Im about Mr Harbs size and my stance is pretty narrow even though I have independent leg function and my skis dont bang together except when in really tight steep moguls and even then its only occasionally but as a matter of regular skiing they dont bang together. I spent a few years with a stance that was too wide and it really slowed down my feet and made short quick turns very hard and thankfully a coach I worked with 2 years ago told me that I should have only about 5 to 6 inches between my boots and thats what I work with now and its a lot better.

If your legs are independent and your skis arent banging together all the time and you arent losing angulation then Id say you shouldnt be worried but at the same time I wouldnt just assume that because youre working the PMTS books then your stance automatically is the right width.
If your skiing feels good to you then it is good for you but that doesnt mean you cant improve your skiing okay?
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Nerf Ball/ Carwash Sponge

Postby geoffsep1963 » Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:43 pm

the only way I could hold the carwash sponge between my boots was to ski with the boots at least slightly closer together than the sponge. which at it's widest is 95mm, (3.7 inches in the old school). Was my sponge too small? and is it true what they say about men with large sponges? :-)
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