What kind of gate do you do and why?

[Than_Bogan]

I'm trying to work on my gate a bit right now, which I've somewhat neglected this season while (very successfully) working on my handle control.

 

Today just for the heck of it, I tried a 1-handed gate. I'm sure I was doing it totally wrong, but it was interesting that it was very different: I had to pull out much later to make it work because the turn in is much faster.

 

And I think there's a lot more distinct variations of style than just 1-handed vs. 2-handed.

 

In the past, I've usually had the most success doing a long, slow pullout and then a very gradual turn, not loading up until I get to a good angle. This requires pulling out before the boat even hits the greens (barely), especially now that I'm focusing on getting up higher on the boat.

 

So tell me about your gate technique and especially the WHYs and benefits of it!

[Ilivetoski]

Two handed gates. If you look at the top skiiers in the world (Nate and Chris P.) than they do two handed gates. Its how i learned and i only do a one handed if i pulled out waaay late and CANNOT lose the speed going into the turn in for gates. Even then i only get about to the 3 ball because of excess speed into 1 ball=slack at one ball=down course to two ball=super late to 3 ball=impossible to get to 4 ball. Of course unless you can somehow get a super turn out of one and two.

[Ed_Johnson]

I Love the one handed gate. Originally learned it from Mike Suyderhoud in Hawaii, in 1992. Allows me to pull out later, which is great for short setups. Allows me to get wider and set more angle through the gate, without building excess speed. No watching the boat, no having to time boat speed and turn in when in a glide. I feel it handles head and tail winds much better since you are not spending so much time in a glide. For me it is just so much more consistent.

[6balls]

If I skied on a buddies short set up where they have trouble getting boat speed at the 55's, I would go 1 handed gate to do later pull out. Otherwise I'm two handed. I pull out at nose of boat on green's, begin turn in just after one ball crosses left hand gate ball. Been working this less than a month, but going well.

[Chef23]

I do a two handed gate mostly because it is what I have always done and my gate is a lot like Than's gate. My son who is LFF like me skied a couple of sets with Wade Cox and Wade had him switch to a one handed gate. According to Wade for LFF skiers the one handed gate gets them better angle. It has been working okay for him so far but he is doing a little bit of a hybrid with some glide.

[will]

One handed gate. Works for me to be free and "move in" with speed. LLF so a heel side turn and have been working on getting the speed up to the first wake.

[will]

Sorry....toe side turn in at the gate.......need to put my beer down while I type................

 

[Marco]

I use a hybrid gate- 1 handed with a glide. The glide makes it much more similar to a 2 handed gate, but by releasing 1 hand I find it easier to stay square down the course with my shoulders, and I like the extra width I get with an outstretched right arm. It feels like it helps me get better angle. I time it just like a conventional 2 handed gate.

[Than_Bogan]

Had a bit of a revelation last time out.  Now that I'm working on getting much higher on the gate, it appears I actually have to consciously take the gate quite a bit easier.

Background: My problem before was that I was always on the late side coming into 1.  I kind of got away with this because my off-side turn (at 1) is pretty decent.  And I sort of "addressed" it by pulling harder and later on my gate pull.  But ultimately I always knew that was wrong.

When I first started working on getting higher on the pullout, I almost immediately was earlier into 1, but I was carrying a ridiculous amount of speed.  I kept thinking I was timing it wrong, but then I decided to try the stupidly obvious:  Don't pull as hard.  Immediately this set me up nice and early at 1 with a controlled speed.  I don't know how long it's going to take me to make this automatic, but for those 2 times that I did it just right it felt awesome and made -38 seem very runnable (if I cut out the bonehead errors and massive choking).

Have others experienced this?  I'm a little worried that I might be (again) honing my technique toward something that sorta works, only to realize I'm doing it fundamentally wrong.  It doesn't seem very intuitive to be taking the gate so light on my hardest passes.

[6balls]

Sounds like a familiar story to me Than.  I was the same way and finally nephew told me my longest pull was to 1 ball and further told me it was b/c I wasn't high enough on the boat in pull out.  I'm also a skier who can pull hard and turn hard.  

Getting higher on the boat and pulling lighter has been key to getting me better 38 starts.  Like you, I keep finding other ways to screw 38 up now.  

[Than_Bogan]

Thanks!  Good to have a little corroboration that I may be going in the right direction.

I'd still be VERY interested to hear if anyone thinks I'm not.  Should I be doing something entirely different that would take more advantage of a harder gate pull?  Or is this "high but light" method the "right" way (at least for a 2 hand gate)?

[ral]

One handed gate (LFF), helps me to turn the ski with speed and have it in front of me rather than back, with good angle and body position at the gate... Got some really good coaching last year, where I was told not to fear speed when doing my one-handed. As a matter of fact, message was "when you feel that you are way too fast to turn in, you will be just approaching the speed I want you to have...". And it worked. When turning with speed, gate feels effortless and 1 is really good.

 

[skibug]

RFF one handed gate, pull out is 1/2 second count past the 55's, drive my right elbow into my hip, there is a natural point where the pull out becomes distinct effort, that is the release point, counter rotate, reach towards the boat, let the ski come under you, set the edge and go at 1 ball like it is 3 ball.  IMHO, I think you need to try and make the turn in as much like 2 ball as possible.  I like the fact that I don't really have to think (no glide) or not time to think about when I should turn in.  Once you get the timing down, it becomes more a rhythm thing; and, I think that helps to get into the course rhythm early.  I sometimes find myself pulling out earlier than I should, especially at my challenge pass, just due to being anxious and wanting to get a jump on being early.  I really need to tell myself to be patient; even to the point of pulling out later than normal as opposed to at or before the 55's

[6balls]

When Razor1, his son, myself, and a buddy skied w/Jodi...we spent almost the entire time getting higher on the boat for the gates and turning in with speed.  We are all two handers, but he wanted us carrying speed and very high.  

[thager]

I am a one hand gate again after a not so good year using a hybrid two hand.  I was probably on the wrong ski for me. Am LFF so the 1 hand lets me ease out at the 55's and roll right back in with a better turn and speed in a more consistent manner. I am working on my -32s and -35 now @ 34mph.  I think I am getting close. I am lso working on getting higher on my gate.