MA request for sashalex

MA request for sashalex

Postby sashalex » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:18 am

Hello PMTS community! I first put on skis on this december 6th and I've had about 15 skiing days so far. I spend most of my time skiing at a little hill beside Ottawa, Ontario called Camp Fortune with the occasional trips up to Mont Tremblant. I snowboarded for 15 years and I decided this year to try something new. Whenever I try something, I always look for the "best" way to do it which is why I'm so glad that I found Mr. Harb's instructional videos and this community. Everything about this teaching system makes sense and PMTS skiers like Mr. Harb look absolutely amazing. A friend on mine (who will be posting an MA request soon) purchased all of the PMTS instructional content so Ive just been going off that.

Firstly I would like to apologize in advance for the breivity and quality of the video. This was filmed with a cellphone and most of it was totally unusable. I managed to salvage a small clip of what I consider to be the most usable segment in the entire video. I edited it to show the same segment in various speed to possibly help the PMTS analysis experts here. I Appreciate any and all advice+comments. :) Thank you to everyone in advance!



I promise I will post something better in the near future!
sashalex
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:50 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby zeK » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:44 am

Sorry for my shitty camera work,

Here is the full video on VIMEO

zeK
 
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:23 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby Max_501 » Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:25 pm

When you have a chance get some video of you working on a classic super phantom turn.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby sashalex » Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:17 pm

Thanks for taking the time to look at my video Max_501. I know you wanted the super phantom, but I seem to have misplaced the video file. Here is a video from today of me working on some short turns. Also for the record I'm on 17m skis(is that bad?). I will try to get a super phantom video next time I hit the slopes (probably friday).

ps. thnx zeK for camera work

sashalex
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:50 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby JerryS » Thu Feb 26, 2015 7:49 pm

Sasahlex, welcome from the dark side, I've met a couple of others lately that got itch to switch from boarding.

Good news, is that you are not going to have any problem becoming an aggressive skier, you're motoring pretty good for just switching.

Here's the other side of things: Your movements look like you are trying to get from edge to edge very rapidly. What I encourage you to do is slow it down, maybe even move to the green, and work on getting the movements down, then speeding it back up.

Its hard to see given small video and speed, but I'm seeing you stemming and skiing on two inside edges (look at 0:15 of the second video). The correction is to practice the "lift and tip"; lifting the outside/stance ski at the end of a turn will transfer weight to the new stance ski/little toe edge, tipping with the inside ski will start the movement to start the turn and move your new stance ski from little toe edge to big toe edge, and move you into the turn. But the lifting will help you transfer your weight entirely to the new stance ski and help you avoid having your weight on both skis at once which contributes to the wedge. It also forces you onto the little toe edge which is a fundamental aspect of PMTS. This is basically the phantom turn Max is asking you for. But slow it down first!

You seem to be way back; I can see you are trying to stay flexed but I think you can get forward more and save the deep flexing for the transitions.

Yes, 17 meter turn radius is probably up there. Many have started with skis with a shorter turn radius (I'm on Head Supershapes with 11.4 m TR) under 13 or so. Maybe more important, width underfoot is generally suggested to be under 72mm or so, if I recall.


Good start though, you should pick it up quickly.
JerryS
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:00 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby sashalex » Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:44 pm

Thanks jerryS for the comments and advice! I mostly follow what you are saying and I totally agree, but I think I need a little clarification on some of the finer points. Can you elaborate on what "stemming" is? I'm also a little confused about the part in the transition where I'm supposed to flex the stance leg to transfer my weight onto the LTE of the new stance ski. What I'm confused about is how exactly is the release of the stance leg is accomplished. Should I be lifting the heel only and start tipping right away? Or should I lift the whole ski, then angulate it downward by lifting the heel, and only then begin to tip?

The hill you are seeing in the video is actually our green slope haha, but I hear ya about slowing it down. New videos are coming tomorrow! Thank again for taking the time!
sashalex
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:50 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:11 am

Do you have a copy of Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier 1? It's all explained beautifully within...without it, you will achieving and understanding very little.
User avatar
go_large_or_go_home
 
Posts: 281
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:52 am
Location: UK

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby JerryS » Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:00 am

sashalex wrote:Thanks jerryS for the comments and advice! I mostly follow what you are saying and I totally agree, but I think I need a little clarification on some of the finer points. Can you elaborate on what "stemming" is? I'm also a little confused about the part in the transition where I'm supposed to flex the stance leg to transfer my weight onto the LTE of the new stance ski. What I'm confused about is how exactly is the release of the stance leg is accomplished. Should I be lifting the heel only and start tipping right away? Or should I lift the whole ski, then angulate it downward by lifting the heel, and only then begin to tip?

The hill you are seeing in the video is actually our green slope haha, but I hear ya about slowing it down. New videos are coming tomorrow! Thank again for taking the time!


Re Stemming: Turns require weight transfer from one outside/stance ski to the other, how we do that is core to good skiing and PMTS. "Stemming" is when we push off from the old stance ski to get to the other ski, so it is a push from old BTE and then weight transfer onto new BTE of the new stance ski. At some moment you end up on both BTEs in a wedge. This can be very visible or very slight, and needs dedicated work to remove it. PMTS requires the use of all four edges, rather than the predominate BTE to BTE skiing you will see with the majority of skiers out there.


Re: flexing and transfer: I'm not sure what you mean by "angulate downward", but it sounds like you understand the movement that will create the transfer in your other descriptions. If you "lift and tip" the old stance ski, the moment you have lifted it you have transferred your weight to the new stance leg, and the transfer is complete. If done correctly you are now on the LTE of the new stance ski, rather than a flat ski. You can either lift the whole ski or leave the tip on the snow, your choice as to what works best for you balance-wise.

Some of my early confusion was in not understanding that there are two ways to make the transfer happen: Lifting the old stance leg (retraction) accomplishes it, as does flexing onto the new stance leg. "Lift and tip" is the easiest in my opinion to "get it" and puts the emphasis on tipping.

If you haven't seen video yet of tipping you may want to search for some on this forum or look at the slantboard training series to get a better feel for it. Here's a video where you can see Harald tipping, but not much talk of the transfer, but since he is lifting/lightening it is there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK3DVCsOVt0

There, I explained in 300 words what others might explain in 25 :D
JerryS
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:00 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby sashalex » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:10 pm

Thanks for clarifying for me. I thought there was some ambiguity because in that video it looks like Harald is only lifting his heel and not the rest of the ski. However in ACBES 1, he is clearly lifting the entire ski, tilting it, and then tipping. Would I be correct in saying that once proficiency is obtained, these movements are more of a "lightening" of the ski?

Here is a video from yesterday. I was doing phantoms all day and decided to go for broke and film some short turns (only had one shot). I tried to eliminate the stemming and I think I was at least partially successful. I think in the video, my first few turns are "stemming" and I kind of self-corrected as I gained more speed. After re-watching ACBES 1&2, I would say I need to work on continuously tipping the inside leg throughout the arc and spending more time on the LTE (especially on my left turn). Feel free to add to or correct my self-assesment.

Last edited by sashalex on Wed Mar 04, 2015 11:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sashalex
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:50 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby Max_501 » Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:18 pm

Max_501 wrote:When you have a chance get some video of you working on a classic super phantom turn.
User avatar
Max_501
 
Posts: 4124
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:39 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:37 pm

Max_501 wrote:
Max_501 wrote:When you have a chance get some video of you working on a classic super phantom turn.


+1
User avatar
go_large_or_go_home
 
Posts: 281
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:52 am
Location: UK

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby RRT » Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:51 pm

sashalex » Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:10 pm

I tried to eliminate the stemming and I think I was at least partially successful. I think in the video, my first few turns are "stemming" and I kind of self-corrected as I gained more speed.


It's not about more speed in order to self-correct. The process starts by taking your time, not skipping steps and working on doing each of the primary movements correctly at slow speeds on easy terrain. As an example, JerryS provided a video of Harald making several turns at slow speed within a short distance on relatively easy terrain. And note that the video is not part of the beginning series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK3DVCsOVt0
RRT
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:15 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby JerryS » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:42 pm

sashalex wrote:I was doing phantoms all day and decided to go for broke and film some short turns (only had one shot). I tried to eliminate the stemming and I think I was at least partially successful. I think in the video, my first few turns are "stemming" and I kind of self-corrected as I gained more speed. After re-watching ACBES 1&2, I would say I need to work on continuously tipping the inside leg throughout the arc and spending more time on the LTE (especially on my left turn). Feel free to add to or correct my self-assesment.



I wouldn't disagree with your self assessment of your video or of your needs but the video is so small and quick it's hard to tell. What you will find is everything is easier to do with speed, including and especially covering up or overcoming errors and deficits. That's one reason why the movements need to be slow and laborious at first, is so you can get the correct movements when slow and then increase the speed and/or steepness and attempt to hold on to them there.

Notice how many posts I have made and how many Max_501 has made. He has about 3,300 more post than I have :? . While my advice may or may not be spot on, when one of the more senior members suggest something it is often profoundly sound and profoundly simple. Most everyone that comes to PMTS thinks they can grab a piece and be off running, but there is value even in the most mundane and simple drills that are offered in the material, including things such as walking the S-line and boot tipping drills without skis on, or the balance board drills. Actually, it's not so much "value" it's where the payoff is, it is the core of PMTS. So . . . I hope the next post will be the Super Phantom drills suggested you post :D
JerryS
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:00 pm

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby sashalex » Wed Mar 04, 2015 11:19 pm

Thanks all for the advice and comments. And yes i got some phantom turns for you guys! And some short turns...(couldn't resist :twisted: ). I got a great deal on some 2012 head magnums, so in these videos I'm on a 12.5m ski.

Phantoms


It seems like in many of the turns I am steering the stance leg into the turn instead of allowing the tipping to initiate the sidecut. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Short turns


I tried to totally eliminate stemming from the short turns, and focused on leading the turn with inside leg tipping. This caused me to experience a "floating" sensation that I've never felt before on skis. I remember having a lot of difficulties in crud, but today it wasn't an issue at all. It felt a lot more awesome than it looks on video, so i know theres still lots of progress to be made. Id appreciate any and all feedback.

ps. thnx zeK for camera work
sashalex
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:50 am

Re: MA request for sashalex

Postby DougD » Thu Mar 05, 2015 8:17 am

Agree with your analysis, to a point. There's also extension happening in many of the turns, which usually leads to stance ski BTE pushing and stemming. It's one reason why PSIA/CSIA methods, which teach extension as a necessary "skill", never lead to world class skiing. The visual key is the knee of the new stance leg. If that leg straightens at all during transition, you're extending. If you extend by even 1mm, you'll undo a proper PMTS transition.

That "floating" feeling during transition is cool!, isn't it? However, do NOT rely on or practice that feeling - or any feeling. Rely on making the prescribed movements correctly, as verified by video or trained eyes.

As to what to work on next, I'd suggest Super Phantoms. I'd wager you can't do them reliably now. Mastering them will cure extension, stemming and wedge entries. That said, I defer to PMTS experts and echo previous posters who advised you to :
- slow down;
- master ALL the exercises in the books, in order, beginning with ACBAES1, page 1; and
- slow down some more.

You will only become a PMTS skier by mastering the drills at the slow speeds HH demonstrates in his videos. It sounds like drudgery but it's not. I've never had a more fun or productive ski week than when I watched my partner's PMTS instructors at the recent Green/Blue camp and echoed the drills that give me trouble, always at the slow speeds they were using. After hours of that each morning, an hour of free skiing demonstrated real improvements by leaps and bounds. :D

Skiing/riding fast is fun, but it doesn't teach you new movements - at least not good ones. HH at 65yo could woop your a$$ (or mine) on any race course or mogul run and leave you (me) feeling mighty embarassed. But he didn't get that good by skiing fast. He got that good by sking slow while practicing effective movements.
DougD
 
Posts: 572
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:22 am
Location: Connecticut, USA

Next

Return to Movement Analysis and Video

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests

cron