How do I stay more upright going across the wake on my off side

[kfennell]

So I am having a hard time keeping form across the wake on my offside and I subsequently get pulled over the front as seen in this youtube video.

 

 

Ward has given me alot to think about, as have a few other skiiers, but maybe if someone puts the wording different something will click, if I could just stay leaned back across the wake, and not backfoot every third offside gate I would make a huge improvement overnight.

 

Thanks

Kevin

[Ed_Obermeier]

Kevin.  Although I'm far from an expert here is what works for me.  At the finish of the turn, when I bring my hand back to the handle I load the arm I just brought back to the handle more than the other which pulls your shoulders around and more square down course.  This also has the effect of bringing my hips more forward (up) automatically putting me in a more stacked position.  Combine that with working on getting and keeping your elbows down and in on your hips, which puts the handle lower on your core giving you a lot more leverage, and you're good to go.  I hope that made sense.

Ed

[h2odawg79]

Kevin, Great job! Sounds like you have got some Good advice to wk. with. So I'll only suggest that you work on trying to find the correct positioning of i.e. "Hips up,"  "Handle Low,"  "Sq. to the boat," etc... by practicing on open water while freeskiing. The course has enuf things to try to manage on it's own. A proper Leveraged position (Stacked) will be so much easier to find and drill on open water if you can get out there. In fact, most all course disciplines should be smoothed and polished outside of the distractions of the Buoys...

Good Luck!

  

[jipster43]

I'm in your same boat. I just took four days of clinics with Jodi Fisher where he stripped me down to crossing the wakes without any lean at all - concentrating on getting "connected" and keeping my right hip (LFF) driven over the center of my ski - automatically pressuring the front foot. He'll tell you to concentrate on doing this at all times from the moment you put on your ski. Never sit in the water without driving that weak hip forward. From there he has me keeping it simple in that everything is in alignment - creating the turn at my feet up through my knees, hips, shoulders, and head. They should all be in line with the tip of my ski at all times.

 

 

I have always enjoyed my onside turn, but it created more speed than my offside could manage. You're out of position (as was I) because you don't trust that turn, and until you do, you need to bring things back to where you can cross in a stacked position. Toning down my lean to only as much as needed was magic.

 

By the end of the fourth day I ran my PB in back to back passes. Good luck!

 

JP :)

[Bill Gladding]

Stop the video and look at your position as you are leaving the 2 and 4 balls.  Your arms are straight and your knees are soft but your ribs are way too far from your vest and your rear end is too far back.  Try hooking your handle to the pylon or anywhere else and lean in the position you are in the video.  Then modify your stance by bringing your ribs up between your elbows.  It should force your bottom to come forward and your legs to straighten a little bit.  That is a better position to be in crossing the wakes.  Right now you are heavy on the back foot with your arms and shoulders out front of you causing you to trip over the wake.  Keep your ribs up between your elbows and push the ski towards the boat as you approach the bump and you should shoot across without getting pitched off the ski.

 

[kfennell]

So here is the update, I think I look a little better, I am certainly running the course more consistently now. Can someone give me some more thoughts please?

Is HTML disabled now? I can't embed my video. I don't even know how to make this a link.

 

[Horton]

[kfennell]

Took me a second to figure out where you were going with that video :p OK I will try to think about chasing lasers on my off side.

[kfennell]

Here is a side by side of before and after. What am I doing better and what can be improved?

[h2odawg79]

kfennell, watch the vid. and check out the break in your waist on your turn in. Now watch your #1 Ball. notice the body positioning between the two... (and, your turn in is much nicer then your 2,4 & 6 Balls) All of your on-sides are smooth and done with confidence and deliberate execution... On the other hand, your off-side turns are lacking confidence and your deliberate execution seems to be replaced with timidity. (Trust is a Must)

I'm sure the quickest way to Heal the off-side would be to simply practice your Pull-out & "Turn-in" over and Over, etc, etc... on open water. Then do full pass runs on Open water. When you can find your groove on Open water, then you might try it in the course while shadowing the Balls maybe 5-10 ft. before the Buoy's and try to maintain that same 5-10 ft. before, all the way thru the course. Keep the Video handy to make sure your still able to do what you were doing on open water before trying to include the Buoy's.

The Buoy's are Not our freinds. They are only there to exploit our weaknesses!

[GAJ0004]

Kevin,

You looked pretty smooth on your second video. I am left foot forward also, so I can relate.  My take on getting your offside pull to work is getting the ski to do the same thing as your onside. The way I do it is let the ski finish the turn(you have to exaggerate that verses your onside turn). I try to turn my hips, chest, and shoulders so the front of my body is pointed across the course ahead of the next ball. I also keep my eyes fixed on the spot I am trying to reach. As the ski finishes the turn your hips should come up to the handle. As that happens start leaning away from the boat. Once you start leaning you want to rotate your upper body away from the boat. Your hips, chest, shoulders, and eyes should be pointed across the course. As an example going from 2 to 3 ball, let the ski finish a little longer than you would in your onside, start leaning away from the boat, and rotate your hips, chest, shoulders, and head to look across ahead of ball 3. At this point try to twist your upper body slightly to get your right shoulder away from the boat. If it feels like your right shoulder is going to hit the wake when you are going across, you are in the right position. At that point you want to still keep your knees and hips forward, and hold that position until your next preturn. What also works for me, NEVER look at the boat while you are in the course. You will know you have got it when you can make up time on your offside turn and pull.  

Before going on the water, tie a handle to a tree, get into your onside lean position. Take note of the leverage that you have. Observe where your feet(in your skiing position) are, hips, chest, shoulders. Once you get the feel of the leverage, switch your feet position to your offside. You will find you will have to adjust your upper body to get the same leverage. The key is keeping the right shoulder away from the boat and the front of your body pointed across the course.

Hope this helps!  Good luck!

Gary