Why can't I change my ways!

[jRoe]

Well it seems, no its for sure that I'm having the same problems each year on the slalom coarse. I'm a note taker and as I review my ski notes its like a review for the same test, which I missed the same question each year. Driving me crazy! My buoy count is around 98, and its been that way for years. I used to blame it on zero off but if I'm honest I need only blame myself. At times my brain makes my muscles perform as required to improve on body position and line control, tempo etc....and I feel like I'm getting better only to fall back to my old habits. I have had pro coaching at many levels (lots of time) and it must not have helped or I would be improving.So, as the weather starts to warm up in my area I will mount my slalom game plan and start another year of hacking... Or maybe someone out there can give me some help.... hopeful Jroe

[gregy]

Post up some videos, there are some really knowledgeable people here.

 

I'm going to planing some professional coaching this year and step up the video efforts for better personal assessment.

[TFIN]

Same approach will always yield similar results. Come up with a new plan. Seek help from a different coach, alter your weekly/monthly set plans and your off water approach.

This is how I approach each season. Let me know if I can help further.

TF

[disland]

Maybe it has to do with how you train. Do you go to the lake chase bouys running up the line and wonder why nothing changes. One option is to go to the lake and run easy passes working on one skill at a time and get that solid before working on the next skill. This is how learning is done.

[Skoot1123]

Slow the boat down and work on learning the correct muscle memory. Slowing the boat down will give you time to learn the proper/better form while still giving you satisfaction of going through the course. Repeat, repeat and repeat until you have it nailed. Then speed the boat up a little bit and do it again. It will take time but well worth the results. Just my two cents. Also listen to @tfin !!

[SkiJay]

@jRoe In the "you have to try something different to get something different" department. Try starting each set this spring with a couple of passes devoted to drills. Seth Stisher is a pretty advanced skier, and I've seen him do whips and pullouts for the first few passes each day he skied.

[6balls]

Different coach, different ski partners, different ski, ski set-up etc. Try not to think have to eliminate habits entirely as some are pretty hard wired into your style and won't just go away in one swoop. Modify on the theme to get incrementally better.

[Steven_Haines]

Quit skiing for a couple years and only read BOS to retrain your brain to only make the correct movements to efficiently run the course. Kind of like slow painful hypnosis!

[A_B]

The best thing is to ski with someone better than you and who doesn't have any ego issues if you improve, or with someone who is a skiing geek (soemone who reads articles and watches video to know how it should look) and will offer good honest criticism. Also head south and ski with a pro. They can be brutually honest and set you on the right path.

 

Practice makes permanent, and if you aren't doing it right, and you are skiing a lot, well.... need to take a step back sometimes and reload for another run at it.. I changed from right hand on top to left hand on top after finally realizing I had done it "wrong" for 20 years...

[jRoe]

Thanks for all the ideas, My wife tells me to just quit... what does she know.

[jRoe]

I was hoping for someone to give me a quick fix,haha .. I have been doing this long enough to know there is not one.

I probably ski to much, I ski like everyday. My ski partner runs 38, but is not a coach at all. After I get good coaching I seem to revert back to old ways. If only I had a coach each time I skied.

This off season I started cross training and it has changed my body, I hope this helps some. Like all ballers its so hard not to cut the line....... so I'm guilty of that. I have been thru the ski's and fin changes that was not it.. slow boat speeds seem to help, maybe more of that. watching better skis helps for sure, so I need to travel a little more for that help

 

Ok I'm going to make positive changes in my game plan this year.

 

 

[Ed_Johnson]

@jRoe: Overcoming the subconscious is a constant battle...The older you are, the worse it is...I struggle with this constantly.

 

My battle against this is to first of all mentally map out and visualize how you want to ski...Next mix free skiing with course skiing...I have found out that I can accomplish what I want to do Free Skiing..Transferring that to the course is the challenge...But seeing myself accomplish what I want free skiing on Video gives me what I call Video Assurance...It proves I can physically do it..Placing it around the buoys is the challenge...Bringing the Free Skiing level up to the Course Skiing level is the challenge.

 

Personally, I am currently working on more Angulation versus Inclination..I can do it Free skiing, and seeing that on Video proves to me mentally, that I can physically do it...Those pesky buoys just seem to get in the way.

 

Remember, it's not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect.....ED

[BraceMaker]

My issues with this have lead me to the trick ski. I've determined that if I can keep my hips up and shred with no fin, that it will help me find the edges on my slalom ski better.

 

I don't know if this makes sense, but riding the trick ski illustrated some issues with my hips.

[Ed_Johnson]

Even though I am a terrible trick skier....Like a Elephant doing a Ballet....It will get you thinking about and feeling "Hip Movement."

 

I believe this to be essential for Modern Slalom, since you are trying to control Center of Mass.

 

Another important point is that where the "Hips" go the "Shoulders" will follow...A common error is to try to lead with the shoulders, leaving the hips behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jRoe]

Here are some of my problems;

1)hip dropping behind (worst going into off side turn)

2)rotating upper body, on off side at turn.

3)not stay low long enough

4)ski too slow in turns(ski is deep out of turn)

5)slow edgechange (loose speed as I go outbound-offside only)

 

Now at 35 off anyone of these problem will make the skier start to scramble to finish the pass.

that's kinda how I roll

[ForrestGump]

Honestly, you can change your ways. To say you can't is a cop out. Man up, bro!

[jimbrake]

jRoe - since you're looking for "fixes", here's one. The problems you listed above sound like you may be not carrying any speed out to and through your turn and that would likely be due to releasing off of the handle to suddenly and too early. Hate to say it, but that in turn may be due to how you get your mass moving with your ski from the very start. However, to simplify, just try staying connected to the handle longer through and beyond the edge change. Then when you do release your off hand, do it slowly so that you still feel connection through your reach arm. This will keep you connected to the boat through the rope and carry you out further and faster. There are a lot of other things to work on, but staying connected to the boat is a biggee. Give that a try and post some video. Good luck. I feel your pain. Oh, and try some of this while free skiing like Ed said.

[ktm300]

Set up end course video and film your regular drivers.

[Marco]

@jimbrake - Well said. That exact concept help me get more consistent and led to my first TPB in 5 years last summer.

[jRoe]

I can do that, stay connected longer and slow to release handle.... get my mass moving to create speed. I have some other great ideas from all.

On the boat path, there is no doubt drivers make a difference, seems as if some drivers have the ability to keep my rope line tighter than others

Thanks ....ready to get started.

 

[bbirlew]

Something you can do now (while the water may still be frozen) that someone else touched on is visualization. The power of the mind is an amazing thing...

 

I'd been landing backflips on my trick ski for ~20 years, but I always did them incorrectly and 'butt checked' at the end. I've spent years trying to fix this, and devoted multiple summers to ONLY that trick (probably 15-20 per set, 4 sets a week!)

I thought I was trying to fix it, but really I was just reinforcing bad habits!

Then one summer about 5 years ago I couldn't ski (broken foot), but visualized the trick every day.

The next spring when I hit the water, I landed the second one I tried perfectly for the first time ever!!

 

Do some googling on visualization for a better explanation, but here are some hints:

Recreate as much of the experience as you can... Try to imagine the sights, sounds, smell, feel of the wind on your face, pull of the rope, etc.

 

Try to visualize from an 'internal' perspective. Like you are seeing the experience through your own eyes, rather than watching yourself ski from some external 'camera' view.

 

Like anything, visualization is a skill and you get better with practice. Don't be surprised if you can't visualize yourself skiing correctly at first. Start with something easy at first like shooting free throws in basketball... Don't be surprised to see some bounce off the rim before you start to sink them! Really!

Good luck.