To reach or not to reach?

[Wish]

So was wondering what the thoughts were on reaching at 28 vs 38. Do you reach/extend with the same technique for all lines or is it an intentional shorter reach at longer lines?

[Than_Bogan]

My big thing recently has been to be really careful not to "push" on the rope -- i.e. reach just for the sake of reaching. It's all part of the handle control that I am still trying to learn.

 

So, at least according to my plan, I reach only because I have to reach because I'm skiing away from the rope handle.

 

So I'm not sure I can directly answer your question, but hopefully the above explains the way I try to do it.

[Horton]

The less you try to reach (the more you try to not reach) the more your mass will move away from the wakes...

 

http://www.ballofspray.com/tech-articles/87-what-the-heck-is-handle-control

[Razorskier1]

What Than and Horton said -- make the boat pull the handle into the reach instead of you pushing it.

[Chef23]

At 32 and 35 I feel like I stretch more at the ball. I tried to replicate that feeling a couple of times at 28 and it doesnt work for me because I feel like I am forcing it. I can't speak for anything beyond 35 because I have never been there.

[jayski]

Stay on the handle as long as possible, as Horton and Than said this creates width and an outward direction (as long as you are strong on the handle) not giving it back to the boat, most people if they reach too early reach to the inside instead of in the direction of your travel which creates a closed or block position at the buoy and a untight, uncontrolled line.

[Steven_Haines]

I try to create enough velocity to make it easy to carry the handle to the buoy line and then feed the handle as your ski continues outbound. The key word here is "try"

[brooks]

The goal with reaching is to get outside the bouy. If your ski is continually going outbound and the line stays tight as you reach you've done it correctly. However if you reach a wide point and then reach back to the boat crating slack you are not doing it right. I try to teach my students to constantly think about going out until you begin to move back in. @Than and @Horton are right on!

[Horton]

@Horton are right on!

I guess I should not make a t-shirt with this quote but I want to

[brooks]

@horton i'm a little upset it is in writing because i would deny it to the death otherwise