Drills for Pathological Tail Pusher

[BobsledBob]

I confess, I still push my tails . I almost think I have a tail pusher gene in my DNA. I've been working with PMTS (self instruction) and have improved turn entry. But still have a horible tendancy to push the tail out at turn initiation, especially on terrain that challenges my comfort zone. Could you kind folks please point me to the most critical drills for gettin past this deficiency. Thanks!

[jbotti]

Bobsledbob, there are two drills that come to my mind. The first is to do garland/carves back up into the hill. Start on some modest terrain. Aim your skis down the hill but also on an angle across the slope and you will need to use your poles to prevent yourself from starting. Get both edges engaged/on edge and the let go (you need to be on a steep enough pitch so that you will take off into a carve). You will need to use counter balance (weight over the outside ski) and some counter rotation to help keep you in the carve and you will need to continually tip the inside foot. The goal is to produce two clean lines across the snow. Let the mountain stop you as you ride the arc back up the hill. Lastly, it is very important that you look up the hill before you let go so that you don't kill yourself skiing inot someone bombing down the hill!!

The other drill is best practiced on very gentle terrain especailly because as you say on steeper terrain you have a tendency to force the skis into turning rather than waiting for them to trun themselves once on edge. So this is a very simple drill. It is called "trying not to turn". On gentle terrain, on a wide trail, simply traverse across with a little speed (enough so that you don't have to pole to keep your speed up). Next put the skis on edge and try not to turn. Your goal is only to put the skis on edge and see what happens. Have enough room so that if you go straight you will be OK. As you are putting the skis on edge, remember to counterbalance, use counter rotation and tip agressively and wait and see what happens. This is best done with skis that have a short truning radius (as the arc of the skis will initiate the turn faster than on skis with a longer turn radius).
Again practice this on easy green terrain until it becomes easy and then take it to steeper terrain.

These drills that Harald and Diana showed me helped me immensely as I was learning to trust the sidecut of my skis.

I hope they help.

[Ken]

Bob,

As an additional help to the drills John is recommending, listen to the sound of your skis on the snow. If they aren't silent, you know you aren't yet doing it right (and they might be silent and still skidding on very soft snow). Do check your fore & aft balance. Out of balance backseat skiers need the skid to crank the skis around. In-balance skiers have the skis turn them.

Here's how to handle too-steep terrain:
http://media.putfile.com/Two-Footed-Release

Note that is is not pushing the tails nor steering the skis. It is making carving movements but allowing the skis to brush out of the locked-edge carve. This is the Two Footed Release from Harald's books. Added pressure on the ski tips tightens the arc.

[Simon Kinahan]

I know you asked for drills, but speaking as a recovering tail pusher myself, I would also suggest an alignment check, ideally from someone who knows PMTS and does on-snow evaluations. Personally I couldn't even start to get rid of the tail push at the top of my turns until I had my alignment corrected - I'm quite knock kneed, and it only really shows up on snow. I used to have to pick up the old outside foot and push my heels to prevent both inside edges being engaged at the same time.

[leopold bloom]

Hello BobsledBob,

An exercise that has helped me is something I call ankle turns. You need an extremely gentle slope--so gentle that there is no imperative for speed control whatsoever. This will allow you to focus on experiencing the results without any distractions. Cat tracks are the perfect place to practice this. You should avoid a side hill slope so that the feeling is the same on both sides.

Begin by bringing your feet in under your hips so that your skis are perfectly flat on the snow. The flat position may bring your feet a lot closer together than you are used to. Then, simply try to tip your skis with your ankles and allow them to arc out of the fall line. At the same time, try to feel what your feet are doing inside your boots and what your skis are doing on the snow. Identify and eliminate all other motions or muscular efforts.

The goal is to connect arcs using very small edge angles. You should stop and look back at your tracks to verify that you are linking one clean arc to the next without skidding.

This may sound like a very trivial exercise but there is an awful lot that can be gained from this with some perseverance. Learning to identify and inhibit extraneous effort at will is an important skill and will enable you to solve your tail push problem.

- Leo

[Max_501]

For a habitual tail pusher the above exercise may require the addition of counter.

[BigE]

Here's how to handle too-steep terrain:
http://media.putfile.com/Two-Footed-Release

Max, I simply love this clip. Thanks for posting it,

[BobsledBob]

Thanks much for the suggestions. I think much of the problem is driver error and have just gotten DVDs for the two Anyone Can be An Expert Skier Books. Anxious to take a careful look at them and try some of the suggested drills here. I have had alignment checked BUT not by anyone who knows anthing about PMTS. Are there any PMTS certified or trained folks in New England that you could recommend to check my alignment? Again, thanks and anymore suggested tips or drills will be most appreciated.

[Max_501]

Glen Scannell & Joe Perreault
North East Ski Systems
PO Box 564
Bethlehem, NH 03574
603-254-5749 (Glen)
603-254-5759 (Joe)
glenneski@aol.com

[Bolter]

BobsledBob,
As Max suggested, Glenn is a great source for your alignment needs. He is a fine PMTS coach and a very likable person. He performed a great service to our Ski Team racers, Coaches, Race Dept and instructors. The high end boot work he did was the best I have ever seen, no need or task was beyond him. The foot beds he crafted for me are unbelievable! The best I have ever had in a boot. He is top notch. JR

[BobsledBob]

Thanks Max and Bolter. Don't get to that part of NH very often but I think it would be worth my while to set up an appointment and make the journey.

[Bolter]

Yes, you should call him. Glenn travels and may be close to you sometime soon. I would ask him. JR

[rlspalding]

Thanks for that video Max, I really enjoyed it.

I think I can tell from the video that the terrain your skiing isnt too steep probably a green? Its nice to see a long video of several turns in that type of terrain. I think most of the videos Ive seen of examples are on blues and blacks and is difficult to see what the proper technique should be for people who stay away from blacks..lol

My question is can someone describe to me the difference in feeling sensations or tracks of when your "uncontrolled tail pushing or skidding" versus the controlled tail brush that Max is demonstrating? How do the forces feel different and what is the evidence in your trail?

[leopold bloom]

Hello Rispalding,

The most obvious difference in sensations between a carve (brushed or otherwise) and the garden variety tail push can be found at the end of the turn and through transition. A tail push necessitates a fairly abrupt application of edge toward the end of the turn to arrest the skid and provide a platform for the next push off. If you feel a distinct effort in your transition, you are pushing off and throwing your tails through the next turn. If the final moment of every turn feels like it is bent on destroying your legs, you know you are tail pushing.

If you find a big windshield wiper pattern in the top half of the turn that ends in with sharper edge marks before the next transition, you are tail pushing.

In contrast, a transition into a carved turn or brushed carve will feel like the cessation of effort as you let go of the edge, followed by a gradual build to a tolerable load at the next point of release. You should feel a very definite relaxation of the stance leg to trigger the release.

- Leo

[Max_501]

I think I can tell from the video that the terrain your skiing isnt too steep probably a green?

That vid is on blue runs (can't recall if the vid is from the easy blue or some of the steeper blue stuff).