Video For Analysis (SL Race Turns)

[HeluvaSkier]

A member from here who also posts on Epic once in awhile urged me to also post these clips on the PMTS site (I will confess now that I am not a student of PMTS yet - but I'm not one of PSIA either so take this for what it's worth... BUT THESE ARE NOT PMTS TURNS, NOR ARE THEY TRYING TO BE - THIS IS JUST HOW I SKI).

Here is the EpicSki Thread: Epic Ski MA Thread

Now that I have the disclaimer out of the way, I would like to hear comments on this from a Racing/PMTS perspective. I know that stance is probably going to come up, as well as transitions, and a few other issues as well. All comments are welcome. My focus is better/faster skiing, not any one particular school of teaching.

The turns are slalom turns on pretty hard snow (read: ICE), with a little bit of loose granular/powder on top from an inch of snow the fell overnight. My skis are Nordica Dobermann SLR's, boots are of course Dobermann WC 150's.

Here are the links:

HeluvaSkier's Slalom Skiing

HeluvaSkier In SlowMotion

Let me know what you think.

Later

GREG

[jbotti]

The most obvious thing to point out in your skiing is the up move in every turn. In PMTS and if you watch all good racers (especially in Slalom) they all have an agressive flexing of the old stance leg as they enter the turn transition. Flexing lightens the pressure on the ski and sets you up to use your feet to intiate the new turn. You are doing the opposite. You are lengthening your legs instead of flexing them and you are actually increasing the pressure on the snow making the transition more difficult.

I will come back if I see more after I look at the slow mo.

[tommy]

In general, good skiing.

Despite your disclaimer about non-pmts skiing, I have no problem with your stance width - even though it's hard to see on the vids, looks like you are doing vertical separation at end of turns. Btw, it's a misconception that PMTS is "feet glued together"...

To pick on a few things:

- an up-move in transition, most visible in non-slomo shots 3->
- maybe a tendency to co-rotation, that is, upper body going with turn
- maybe the free ski does not match the stance skis agle (when tipping) but again, that's hard to see on the vids.

--T

[jbotti]

I was actually remiss for not saying that it takes a lot of courage to post your skiing anywhere, and especially here. Hopefully you will get something from doing it. Harald, and Jay and a few others are the real experts. Hopefully they will respond as well.

After looking at the slo mo, I do think the up move prevents you from getting higher edge angles earlier in the turn. I also think that moving your feet slightly closer will also help in this. The combo of flexing into the transition (which you are not doing at all) and a slightly narrower stance will get you that ability to get higher angles earlier in the turn (when necessary).

Also, IMO there is lot of right going on in your skiing. What I have pointed out are IMO the obvious PMTS issues.

[SLAVA]

Hi Greg,

Before I would post any comments I would like to know

What area in your skiing you would like to improve if any?

How do you vision your ultimate performance when you're skiing?

You?re named your turns slalom not short turns. Base on that I?m just assuming you like to race? Or you plan to attempt racing events?

Best regards,

Slava

[Max_501]

FYI...I was the one that suggested Greg post over here. As far as I can tell he isn't a follower of any one particular system and as you can see he's open to constructive input. I've also noticed that he takes the time to comment on ski technique and helping others. So, a great candidate for some movement analysis and I figured we could use the practice.

Slava, Greg is a racer.

[jclayton]

I see the inside ski tipping nicely through the turn . As Jbotti says the high "C" part is missing with that quick edge change as the skis are crossing the fall line before the turn starts . the up movement slows it down . Seems to be a lot of tip lead as well .

[RadRab]

Bs"D

Yeah, without mentioning what's right or without repeating what has already been said about what's wrong, there are also weak pole plants; too much inside ski leading; not lining up your skeleton but just sinking too much on your quads; and some sort of lowering your butt disproportionately.
Whoa, sorry for all of that, but I have to also make the following comment - which I hope you won't take too hard either:

Could you please learn how to stop in less than 100 yards and without a 3 story snow spray? If I ever ski with you, I'm either going second, or you better stop below me.

[Sorry, I guess I'm in a bit of a mood.]

[Heyoka]

I deleted my post.

[HeluvaSkier]

Posted By Heyoka
Watching Helluva in this clip though -- I wouldn't bet on he/she/it in a bump run. I'd bet Helluva is weak in da bumpies. I'd also be willing to wager that off-piste and in funky snow, Helluva is in the backseat. Because of the slow hands. I've never seen anyone who is slow with their hands ski good, in da bumpies or off-piste. "Slow Hands" ski bumps off on the side, where the line is easier.

Nope. I actually use my hands/poles in bumps and off piste. I am quite proficient in both areas.

I am curious though, how my skiing would be critiqued from a PMTS point of view. I am pretty excited as to what Harald and a few others have to say.

Later

GREG

[jbotti]

Heluvaskier,

Just a warning in advance. Because Harald has only dial up speeds (due to where he lives) it can take him hours to download clips like the one you put up. It may take him a while to be able to view it. JB.

[HeluvaSkier]

Thanks for the warning (good looks). I will try to get a few key clips into something he can get at easily. I know he isn't around a lot in the winter as he is doing what he does best, so hopefully I will catch him during his next visit here.
Thanks
GREG

[Joseph]

Hi Greg,

In lieu of Harald himself, who is either too busy at the moment, or still waiting for the video to download (it does take that long at his house), I'll let you know what I see. Here are the areas that I would address if you approached me for coaching in the hopes of going faster than other ski racers.

First and foremost, the skiing has some very positive elements that with slight tweaking can become very powerful and even faster than it already is.

A few folks have already identified key parts. The biggest area that there is room to improve, is in the high C part of the turn. On the video, engagement of the stance ski at high edge angles doesn't really begin until the fall line or later. If you can engage the ski to higher edge angles earlier in the turn, you will get faster. If you look at the skiing as is right now, you are very heavy on the stance ski late in the turn--you're killing speed right there. You wouldn't have to be so heavy late in the turn if you had earlier engagement to higher edge angles. So how to do it.

First, counter balancing early in the turn is crucial. You have a definite inclination at the top of the turn. You may very well have been coached to do this (?inclinate then angulate?), but in order to engage the stance ski to high edge angles earlier, you will have to learn to move your torso the other way--to the outside of the turn. Why ?inclinate then angulate? when you can angulate and then angulate some more? You can practice this several ways. One cue that I have been having success with lately is bringing the elbow on the stance ski side closer to the snow. You can stand indoors tipping your feet--see how far you can tip (if you inclinate here you will fall--similarly, if you inclinate on snow, you will lose any hope of bending the stance ski in this part of the turn) then bring the elbow opposite the direction you are tipping closer to the ground. You should feel a pinch, almost as if you are touching your lowest rib bone to your hip bone. If you practice this on a gentle slope, you can even train yourself to tip your skis upside down to the slope and not fall down the hill--I highly recommend trying this drill, but not until you learn to do part two of this post--FLEX!!!

Flexing at the release through high C part of the turn, is the second key element to add to your skiing to enable you to reach higher edge angles earlier in the turn. You can see just how important flexing is by doing the same indoor exercise as before. Stand with your legs fully extended (straight), then tip your feet to as high an angle as you can while keeping your legs straight. Now try the same thing with your legs flexed. You can tip to a dramatically higher angle with your legs flexed. The same is true on snow. Try the same on-snow drill mentioned above (on a very gentle slope, stand across the hill [stopped] with your skis engaged, then quickly switch edges so that you are showing the bases of your skis to the top of the hill). This drill is impossible to do without both flexing and counterbalancing. I would advise trying this on a flat first then gradually moving to very gentle terrain (bunny slope or gentler). Once you have mastered this static edge change, try it out at low speeds on easy green terrain. If you lose balance, you're either not flexed enough or not counterbalancing enough. Start in a traverse and see if you can switch edges without the skis pivoting down the hill. Stay balanced on the upside down skis, letting them engage and carve to the fall line--be sure to stay flexed and counter balanced. If you can do it consistently at low speeds on a wide trail, you are ready to try it in your skiing. As you build higher edge angles earlier in the turn, you will need to rely less on the heavily pressured stance ski at the bottom of the turn that slows you down. As a very wise coach once said of ski racing, "The racer that spends the least amount of time resisting the hill wins, that's it!"

So that?s it, Greg, if you flex more at the release, and counter balance early in the turn, you?ll find yourself at higher edge angles earlier and winning much more often. Good luck.

Joseph

[HeluvaSkier]

I downsized two of the files to less than 1MB. Hopefully that will be small enough, but I will get a few even smaller clips together.

Carving Video 2.wmv

Carving Video 7.wmv

Later

GREG

[HeluvaSkier]

Thank you for the detailed reply Joseph. I will try this out on snow tomorrow. That kind of response is exactly what I was looking for here.
Thank you
GREG