Getting It Together
I’ve recently been working with HH’s exercise introduced (I believe 2 seasons ago) in the video on “How to Ski, Series 2, Lesson 5, Bending Legs” on the basics to build off-piste skiing via staying low and avoiding extending. It’s the one where the poles are placed across the knees. I’m not so much interested in the off-piste reason given as I am for just plain trying to get it together as a whole on easy groomed terrain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEqXCQLMCBg
Whereas all the exercises for PMTS skill development are valuable, I don’t know why more hasn’t been made of this particular exercise (I may be wrong about that - haven't been to camp lately) and here’s why. I’m finding that, while other exercises might be considered to be more or less isolated in nature (not that they mustn’t be done or that even being the case), this particular exercise helps to combine all the PMTS skills as a package. In other words, done in a relaxed fashion, signals being sent to my body through this exercise directly include whether or not or how much tipping, flexing, c/b, c/a and fore/aft balance is taking place. Hip involvement is more readily felt as well as is whether I’m releasing at the proper moment with good fore/aft adjustment.
The way the knees flow from side to side while the poles naturally land diagonally cues in both c/a and c/b as well as all the essentials. I’ve yet to get it all together but I sure am able to tell which skill is weaker on any given run for either right or left turns. I can go back to work on that particular skill for the next run(s) while I try to get it together as a whole. Regardless if I’m on groomed terrain or in spring slush, I find it to be a great feedback mechanism for identifying relative weaknesses and strengths on any one or all the essentials.
Just wondering if anyone else has had or is having as much fun with this particular exercise as I am and if there is any commentary?