Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Gepardi » Sun May 13, 2012 12:44 pm

Hi All
Thanks again for the carver MA feedback I got from the forum last season. It was of great benefit and set me up well for the skiing season that has just closed. I did fully intend to post skiing for MA during the season but I then arranged with a PMTS instructor to get some coaching and so to my mind it was no longer appropriate, for a variety of reasons.

As like last season, I am planning to post some carver video for MA every month or so, and I will be grateful to receive comments, assuming experienced and expert eyes have the time to view and analyse! This time I will just add video to this same post, as that seems the custom, rather than creating a new post each month. I attended Hintertux Camp again this April, a wonderful constructive and fun learning experience again – the two main issues resulting from Camp for me to work on are CA and keeping my arms/hands wider throughout the turn.

For CA the current focus is ensuring my hips rotate in the correct direction (i.e. pointing uphill and not downhill.) I have/had a habit of creating CA with the shoulders but then undoing it with rotating my hips in the wrong direction. So for these four runs on my carvers, on this video, my main focus is getting my hips to counter correctly.

My second focus was to do with trying to keep my arms/hands sufficiently wide, while at the same time keeping my left arm in particular relaxed. So I am not too concerned at the moment with pole planting, more concerned with keeping them consistently wide and not contributing to rotation. I have a long established habit of tensing my left forearm whenever it is engaged in a task, whatever that task is related to, DIY, driving, skiing… This engrained habit led to significant and diagnosed “tennis elbow”last year and it is a priority that I teach my left arm to relax as much as possible when my left hand is holding a ski pole. Poling uphill for carving runs puts additional demands on the forearm so if I want to be able to practice regularly I need to teach my arm to relax more. That is why I have selected two footed releases and am not currently using my poles for additional ground balance. If I were to use poles for supportive balance at this stage I know my left forearm would instinctively tighten. So I am doing here sort of slow motion two footed release carved short turns, rather than one footed release phantom move short turns because I know I would be then more dependent on my poles for supportive balance from the ground.

Observations and comments on hip CA and its timing, also CB (there are a couple of loss of balance wobbles which I assume were caused by insufficient CB) and arm/hand/pole positions would be especially welcome!


Carving 13 May 2012
Gepardi
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:01 am
Location: Luumäki, Finland

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby acali » Mon May 14, 2012 10:25 am

I know your focus is on other things, but you don't seem to be flexing or relaxing your legs to release.
Instead of flexing, tipping and using counter balance to match your tipping, you appear to do a subtle extend, and then use a counter balance like movement in order to hold on to some angles.

I bet you would find the exercise where you hold on to your boots through transition enlightening.
acali
 
Posts: 43
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:53 pm

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby rwd » Mon May 14, 2012 12:21 pm

Gepardi,
It still looks like you are initiating CA with your shoulders or torso, and your hips are not following. You might want to practice some dry land exercises to tune in to initiating movements with your pelvis and letting your torso move as a unit with your pelvis.
rwd
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:32 am

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby kirtland » Mon May 14, 2012 8:21 pm

Gepardi,
I would suggest you watch these two videos of Diane, Harald and Jay on carvers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KKiwq-j ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2XJ9a_2 ... re=related

Notice how quiet their upper body is and how their hips articulate, and the feet work underneath, letting their hips stay on the inside of the arc, then contrast that to yourself.
What I see is that you are not relaxed and fluid and letting your feet work under neath you. You tip fine from your feet up to your knees , but then it stops. It should continue on up, letting your hip also tip inside of your feet and the arc, then counter balancing from there on up. You are attempting to counter balance with your hips also, keeping yours to the outside of your feet or the arc.
I think there are a few issues. One is that it is much harder to relax on the carvers, these issues do not show up as dramatically in your vimeo skiing videos although they are there. Since you are so stiff in the hips in this video, I think you may not have the lateral flexibility in your hips, that you need, to make the proper movements.
The stretch I do is to stand sideways to a wall with my feet about 24" away, rest my shoulder against the wall then try to press my hip to the wall, holding for 5-10 seconds and repeat 10 to 20 times. I also do side crunches on a roman bench/ chair with 35-50 lbs. Similar to this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i6DDJTd89I

And it would help you if you understood and executed the vertical tipping of the hips/pelvis as you skied, as shown here.
See explanation here: http://harbskisystems.com/online-ski-le ... ncing.html

when you tip, raise your inside hip.

If you watch your ski videos using the hip o meter, notice that you do not raise your inside hip. The poles tip towards the hill. Push down harder on the outside hip/pole and raise your inside hip and it will work better. The goal is to try to get the poles on your hip closer to parallel with the slope.

Also I watched your sideslips on your outside/downhill foot then turning, which was leading to a stem turn. Reverse that and sideslip on your inside/uphill foot then tip and turn, and you will not stem.

Climbing and Skiing is still good here on Mt. Shasta. The corn snow has been absolutely perfect the last 3 weeks.
Kirt
kirtland
 
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:07 pm
Location: Mt. Shasta

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Gepardi » Tue May 15, 2012 2:26 am

What I have asked for and the basis of placing this video on this forum and the specific purpose for which this video was shot was - feedback on this video from this forum.
Although referencing and commenting on other video that I have not placed in this forum is, I truly believe, well intentioned, it is not what I am requesting, so please, don’t do it.

It so happens that I have several reasons why I don’t wish it and here is one of them. Some of these vids were shot specifically within the context of PMTS individual coaching and contained segments of the execution of specific drills with a specific focus and purpose, for which others are not privy to. Side-slipping traverse on the DH ski is one example – the suggestion that I would be better off side-slipping on the UH ski is neither helpful nor relevant and is distracting. So, to reiterate - I request, welcome and appreciate feedback on the video that I post on this forum and nothing more.
Gepardi
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:01 am
Location: Luumäki, Finland

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Gepardi » Tue May 15, 2012 2:31 am

Acali, thanks for your observation. Not sure if the up movement is what triggers the release or if it is consequent to it because of my hip focus. Anyhow, I now have flexing to release on my memory aide list for the next runs whenever I am out east again!

RWD, you confirmed my worst fears that my hips are remaining pretty square and the shoulders and torso are really doing the CA work – damn! At least I think I have stopped them from going in the wrong direction, so something to build on! Thanks for the dryland exercises nudge.

Kirtland, thanks for your time and consideration and comments on my carving CA. Your links, comparison and observation about allowing the hips to move into the arc really got me thinking. I have assumed that the hips move into the arc sort of naturally as speed increases but now I need to consider how best to assist this.
What I have been trying to do in this slow motion carving is to reproduce on the carvers movements and balance that I have practiced beforehand on dryland. I like the sound of fluidity and allowing the legs etc to turn under me, but I am currently stuck about how to encourage this or let this happen in practice on the carvers. Well, I will just have to keep on giving it a go and try and relax more.
I do similar hip exercises fairly regularly (but not with weights), your suggestions have prompted me to lift my exercises to a higher level and ensure they are regular. Thanks!
Gepardi
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:01 am
Location: Luumäki, Finland

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby rwd » Tue May 15, 2012 9:34 am

A few suggestions: 1. Use the hip-o-meter or hula hoop, as shown in Essentials. 2. The idea of "float" can apply to release and engagement of CA as well as release and engagement of edges. You are releasing your hips from CA in one direction, through neutral or square to the carvers, and turning to CA in the other direction. Try pausing briefly in neutral and then actively turn the hips as you tip in the new direction. This can be incorporated into the Target Tipping exercise with good effect.
rwd
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:32 am

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Max_501 » Tue May 15, 2012 4:49 pm

Gepardi wrote:I have assumed that the hips move into the arc sort of naturally as speed increases but now I need to consider how best to assist this.


This assumption is correct!

While it is possible to block the movement of the hips into the new turn, I don't think you are blocking the hips here. Instead it looks like you have exaggerated CB probably due to the slow speed you are practicing. At slow speeds this is normal with the large amount of foot tipping you are demonstrating. The tipping is very good! And your inside hip is level or higher than the outside hip which is excellent!

I will write more when I have time to review your video frame by frame.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby BigE » Tue May 15, 2012 7:42 pm

While I don't own a pair of carvers, I did DIY a pair out of oak. They worked quite well.

That being said, If I may offer a suggestion... keep your head vertical.

To my view, it appears that your head goes to the outside, without getting the hips inside. Although this is being done rather slowly
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Max_501 » Tue May 15, 2012 8:08 pm

BigE wrote:... keep your head vertical.


Why?
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby BigE » Wed May 16, 2012 7:00 am

Because when it tilts to the outside, the skier gets a false or exagerrated sense of CB. Not that the CB is exagerrated -- instead you believe there is more CB than is actually there.

CB is supposed to originate at the hips, the neck is not involved. In my experience, which is a sample size of one, tilting the head towards the outside of the turn is the visual cue of insufficient movement. When tilting the head, CB is led by upper body joints, not the hip joint.
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Max_501 » Wed May 16, 2012 8:14 am

With regards to this MA video, when I freeze frame the video at the point of maximum CB, the head and neck are either in line with the spine or even a bit more upright than the spine. Therefore tilting the head rather than using upper body CB isn't a problem for this student.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby BigE » Wed May 16, 2012 10:31 am

The head and neck may be aligned, but that's not vertical. We've all read HH post "Keep the jacket zipper vertical". The idea of keeping the head vertical is an extension of this. To me, it "telegraphs" what is happening with the upper body. When it is not vertical, the upper body is not really 'silent', rather it is being held in an awkward position.
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby BigE » Wed May 16, 2012 10:32 am

Look at your avatar Max, your head is essentially verticall, and not aligned with the spine.
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Re: Carving MA for Gepardi - 2012 Dryland Season

Postby Max_501 » Wed May 16, 2012 10:48 am

From my earlier post:

Instead it looks like you have exaggerated CB probably due to the slow speed you are practicing. At slow speeds this is normal with the large amount of foot tipping you are demonstrating. The tipping is very good! And your inside hip is level or higher than the outside hip which is excellent!


NOTE - Its COMPLETELY normal and desirable to exaggerate the upper body movement to the outside when working on CA/CB, especially at slow speeds. If you don't exaggerate them during practice you are highly unlikely to have enough CA/CB when free skiing.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Next

Return to Movement Analysis and Video

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests