Goofy Grip

[jcamp]

I ski right-foot forward but use the grip of a left-foot forward skier ... basically what a right-handed batter would use. I just aged into Mens III and am upgrading my gear and time on the water, so I'm hoping to get into some pretty deep shortline but am afraid that my grip will hold me back.

 

Does anybody else use a "goofy grip" and/or have advice on how to minimize this flaw in my technique? I've been using it for 30 years and only get limited time on the water, so switching probably isn't an option.

[Jody_Seal]

I too was what you are referring to as a goofy gripper, and also I was in men 3 when I changed. I am left foot forward and was left hand grip. I was urged to change by Skip Dunlap and I can tell all from my experience it was one of the best changes for my skiing and have benefited from the change. It took only about three sets to get comfortable.

[ral]

I switched when I started to ski the course 6 years ago. Before that, 20 years skiing in open lake with the "wrong" grip. Offside felt so much better that I felt comfortable from the first set.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Always skied with a backwards grip, still do, tried to switch and couldn't do it, could never get comfortable with it. Don't think it's holding me back and I'm not too worried about it.

[Dirt]

I switched this year. I skied with the goofy grip since I learned how to ski. Greg Badal watched me ski and told me to switch because it was messing up my off-side turn. Of course, he was right. It took a couple sets to get used to but felt better right away. My shoulders are staying more level and it is easier to keep the handle in. The off-side turn improved. Great advice.

I think it was pretty easy for me to switch because I attempted to jump for years with the correct grip (for a right foot fwd skier).

[6balls]

Forced to switch when I got lateral epicondylitis. Not sure if it helped my skiing perse as I have changed a mighty lot since then technically. It's probably another piece of the puzzle.

[davemac]

Also RFF and I found it VERY difficult to change mid season (probably from always using that grip holding hockey sticks and golf clubs). In my experience, it was much easier to make the change at start of season. Before heading out, tie a handle to a wall or post in your home, and simulate skiing/handle releases....thus developing a bit of muscle memory which will be very helpful. A few sets (at start of season) was all it took.

[ToddL]

We urge new skiers to switch to "normal" grip at our ski school. Our advice: Hold the top or bottom of the steering wheel in your vehicle with the correct grip. Unfortunately, many of us spend more time at the wheel commuting than we do holding onto the ski handle. So, this grip on the wheel will help speed up the conversion.

 

Note: It's best to do this while in bumper-to bumper traffic or waiting at each red light vs. while navigating that curvy road through the countryside.

[fu_man]

In our circle, its been dubbed "Lucky grip". Lucky Lowe told me to try it at our clinic this summer. His explanation for it made sense...If you are pulling a rope in a tug-of-war and your RFF, your right palm will be up, not down. I tried it, it felt only slightly different, and I happened to run the pass. However, after looking at the video I think the success could be attributed to other things besides my grip. Whatever works for you!

[MrBrown]

Dr Mike Morgan, big dawg champ, is RFF and holds the handle like he's holding a baseball bat right handed also. I do too! I think the only advantage of holding the handle correctly is maybe helping the weakside pull a little. I never felt it was a big enough issue for me to attempt to switch!

 

[ToddL]

Skibrain - be sure to keep your head up and shoulders level. Look down course during the pre-lane change through the completion of the action. If you are still having issues, you should try the clincher-style prolocks.

[Than_Bogan]

I made the switch from "goofy" to "correct" quite a few years back, and it really worked out great for me.

 

But I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for everyone. As skiing2heaven correctly notes, the biggest thing a "correct" grip helps is the offside pull. I have always had a slightly unusual aspect in my skiing where of "offside" turn is actually often better than my "onside" turn, but this definitely does not apply to behind the boat, where my onside is much better.

 

Because of this, doing something to help my offside pull position was pretty significant for me. If you don't see your offside pull as a major weakness, I don't think I'd make a change in grip. But if that *is* a major weakness, I'd strongly recommend the change.

 

Also, I think you should be able to tell right away if it's worth doing. Ignore the turns at first, because your instincts are gonna be grabbing air sometimes. But it should feel stronger behind the boat, especially on the offside, pretty much on day one. If not, I'd just stick with what you've been doing.

[swerveit]

I changed from goof to regular mid season.

would advise anyone else to do it at the beginning so your muscles are all in tune.

my body was strong so I was working hard on new muscles, caused me to get golfers elbow.

once changed I was way more balanced.

 

[jcamp]

Thanks everyone. I think I learned two things: it might not be that hard to make the switch so it's worth giving it a shot; and if I can't make it work, there have been plenty of skiers way better than me that used the goofy grip so it might not be that big of a deal. Can't wait for the spring.

[RichardDoane]

jcamp - it's all about helping your "off-side", so it may not be that important if you're already turning well that direction