help with book and DVD selection

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help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:10 am

There are many books and DVD's and as a new guy to PMTS I would like advise of what is best to get so that there is no or little overlap in what I buy (cant afford them all at once)
If it helps I plan to learn and when on snow start from scratch again and rebuild from the ground up

thanks
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby ToddW » Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:29 am

Start with anyone can be an expert skier 1. Expert 2 builds on this foundation. Unlike many authors, Harald doesn't repeat content. Parts of Expert 2 that at first appear to be repetitive are actually refinements ... study these carefully to see what's new.
.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby skijim13 » Tue Oct 20, 2015 4:13 am

I agree with Todd, you can also help by going on harb.com website and build yourself a tipping board and use the drills he placed on the site. Use a partner or mirror to validate you are doing them correctly they are much harder then you think. The tipping board drills with get you ready for the snow with your new PMTS moves.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby DougD » Tue Oct 20, 2015 5:22 am

Hi GThomas. Welcome to PMTS, which is the only comprehensive program bringing the efficient, effective movements used by the world's best skiers (World Cup racers) to everyday, recreational skiers.

GThomas wrote:I plan to learn and when on snow start from scratch again and rebuild from the ground up.

Exactly right. Skiing movements or habits you developed in the past may be (usually are) incompatible with efficient skiing. Those movements or habits must be un-learned before you can progress, so starting from scratch is correct. As the Good Witch told Dorothy, "It's always best to begin at the beginning."

The beginning for every PMTS skier is ACBAES1, book and DVD... as Todd recommended. Start on page 1 and do not skip any exercise or drill, no matter how simple it seems. The progression was carefully planned by HH to train your body in certain movements, then integrate them with the next movement, etc. Skipping ahead tends to leave gaps in muscle memory, which can lead to difficulties or incorrect movements later on. So, master each drill before proceeding to the next.

As Jim noted, doing the drills in front of a mirror or on video is important. You'll see it posted a thousand times here: your feelings about what you think your body is doing while skiing are NOT reliable. A year ago I was videoed skiing for the first time. I was shocked and sobered at just how many ineffective movements I was making without being aware of them. As you progress through each PMTS drill, get objective, visual confirmation that you're doing it correctly.

As you're on a budget (and even if you weren't), I suggest visiting the HSS website ("HSS" link at the top of the page). Click on "Learn Online", then on "FREE! Online Lesson". The questionnaire will lead you to a series of YouTube videos. Do them in order when you can, but watching them all is great introduction to PMTS basics. You can also go to YouTube directly and search for "Harb Teach-Yourself Series", which will bring them up.

Harald's passion is bringing expert skiing to anyone who's serious about learning. He and Diana have provided a wealth of information, much of it for free on YouTube. Take advantage of that.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:39 am

Hi Guys thank you for both the welcome and advise. I have watched quiet a bit on you tube but now need to read/think/understand as clearly as possible.
I used to ski in part due to very good athletic ability balance coordination etc but I am 60 this year and for many reasons not had much time on snow. Now I have an Austrian friend who has invited me for as long as I like this ski season, and I realised over the last two years that I need to learn to ski in the most efficient manner not only for control but a part of me knows it will help preserve my body if all default movements are sound.
I am super excited to learn and get out there to practice. Gotcha on not skipping the stepping stones on the path because if I do I might get all wet !
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:56 am

I have ordered now ACBAES 1 & 2 and hope this together with the youtube videos etc this will provide a good foundation and understanding.
My friend used to coach ice dancing and seems to be very perceptive or have an excellent ability to immediately see what is right and what looks wrong, even if the understanding is not there in PMTS terms I can use this as some sort of feedback in the absence of video
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby skijim13 » Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:59 am

Best of luck and keep at it. I can tell you from experience it is a great deal of work but well worth it.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby DougD » Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:09 am

I'm 61 and find that PMTS skiing (to the extent I've learned it) is MUCH less stressful on aging muscles and joints. Unlike traditional ski instruction, PMTS does not teach ineffective or stressful movements (e.g., knee driving or foot rotation, which torque the knee joints around axes of rotation they don't even have).

BTW, Harald is older than either of us and skied beautifully for decades despite arthritic knees. For inspiration, watch the YouTube video named "17 seconds of skiing simplicity". He skis like that in all conditions - not just on groomers - and PMTS is his way to teach us how. He had knee replacement surgery a few months ago, yet he's already back skiing and will be coaching this season's camps in just a few weeks.

Your ice dancer coach probably has good eyes, but may lack an understanding of PMTS movements. Make sure he uses PMTS materials as the reference when observing your movements. That will be better than trying to do them by feel.

Video is better still, as you can post it here for MA by PMTS-certified coaches like Max501 and Geoffda, who often chime in to help aspiring skiers.

Enjoy!
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:31 pm

Hi Doug just a slight correction the "he" is a she ha ha
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby DougD » Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:18 pm

GThomas wrote:Hi Doug just a slight correction the "he" is a she ha ha


Oops! In that case, have her watch the teach-yourself PMTS videos on youtube. All the demoes are by Diana!
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Wed Oct 21, 2015 2:26 am

Well she is Austrian and first skied at 23 yrs and is more senior than I am. For all that two years ago I helped her into the best boots she has ever had and onto the best pair of skis she has ever used. This not only helped her skiing but the fun factor as well. She tells me that in her experience in Austria buying boots is kind of self service and too large a size more usual than not.
Without her invitation I could not afford to ski now for lack of funds so I feel very lucky and blessed to have this opportunity to get in a lot of skiing in 2016 that I have dreamed of doings since my twenties.
I digress she is already interested in PMTS, has watched HH on video and loves the way he skis, would love to attend the clinic in Austria and meet him in person !
I hope from this we will be on the same page and help each other rather than her skiing off while I learn drills from scratch.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby DougD » Wed Oct 21, 2015 2:48 am

She sounds like a wonderful friend. Sharing the PMTS learning experience makes it more fun and more productive.

GThomas wrote:She tells me that in her experience in Austria buying boots is kind of self service and too large a size more usual than not.

Same in the USA. Most skiers are in boots that are too large. An ice dance instructor would understand that. I'm sure she appreciates the improvement!
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby skijim13 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:19 am

I am very lucky to have a partner my wife to work on PMTS with, I taught her to ski using my PSIA training them we found PMTS and found a new love for skiing. Last night we were working our two tipping boards training together.
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Re: help with book and DVD selection

Postby GThomas » Fri Oct 23, 2015 5:48 am

Cool, my friend wishes to visit next month perhaps she will bring her boots and I will have a board by then to practice upon.
Book two has arrived but I am waiting for book 1 to get here to start at the beginning, all good fun
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