Does this look like I am on my rear foot?

[cragginshred]

I am getting a better leverage position after much on land training and many course attempts. Does this pic look like I am standing too hard on my rear foot?

[cragginshred]

H

[skibug]

Is it an optical illusion or is that bouy really close to the shore?

[madcityskier]

There are much better skiers here you can consult, but you look to be fairly well centered to me. The ski looks tip high. Try driving your knees forward a bit. This should also make the ski a little more stable in bad water conditions.

[ral]

Do not know about weight distribution, but you look late to me...

[cragginshred]

@skibug, yep in Cali all lakes are low. Course needs to be moved out. @ral -late likely.

[ral]

@cragginshred, do you have some video? It is easier to see the position and weight distribution on more areas. In the pic you are posting, you look as just coming out of the turn and with your arms bent, so not 100% sure that you are under "full boat" power - which is when you can really do a proper stacked position assessment.

[Horton]

Looks stacked to me

[cragginshred]

Thanks John! @ral I do have some video from yesterday but it was not zoomed this Friday I will get some better footage. In the video I see1) struggling with -off side stacked position, breaking at the wake, and not quite enough on the front foot. I have only been skiing the course since lat August. The 3 ball was about 8' from the shore so I was a little gun shy. The course got moved that afternoon.

[cragginshred]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqNn-3yUB90&list=UUYiMWvp9JpTT_c45P9W1Jsg&index=1

[ski6jones]

@cragginshred, where in CA is that?

 

[Horton]

@cragginshred

From what I can see in that video the biggest thing you need to work on us getting the handle and your hips together and keeping them there. At the wakes it is not bad but as soone as you start to change edges the handle goes right out and you start an exaggerated counter. You want to keep two hands on the handle a lot longer with the handle down and closer to your body and when you do release you want to do to with less upper body movement.

[T8skier]

I noticed when you change you're edge on your on side, you lead the change with your head first. Keep head level as possible.

I agree with Horton, stay on handle longer. It might also fix you head movement.

[ral]

That is why I asked x video... I am with @Horton, as soon as you change edge, your arms are out. Then you release real early and kind of wait for the buoy. You are narrow and turning at the buoy (hence late out of it), and also you tend to grab the handle back without allowing the ski to finish the turn.

 

For fixing what happens after the turn, you have to fix what happens before, as Horton mentions. Hold the handle longer and close to the body. Read the great "What the heck is handle control" article by B. Butterfield.

[cragginshred]

@ski6jones this is on New Melones lake in the same county as Yosemite but down in the foothills near Sonora. @ Horton, ral and T8, this has been mentioned to me before. Someone called it 'feeding the line' or 'letting the boat take the handle'. Releasing early cause the ski to want to begin it's turn too soon....would you all agree with that?

As mentioned I have only been in the course since last August.I only get out once a week pretty consistently but am super motivated to get better. I need to try all you guys mentioned thanks!!

Ant thoughts on triaging what to work on while out for a day of skiing -one or two main things at a time?

[ral]

@cragginshred, agree with the feeding concept. I describe it as having a big dog on a leash. You do not want slack on it. However, to be able to do that you need to have the handle closer to the body longer. If your hands come up and out as soon as you hit the wake, you might hold longer to the handle and have no slack, but you will be narrow and flat AND bent at the waist... What I am trying to say is that once your arms are out, keeping both hands in the handle wont change the outcome.

 

Read the handle article, best single thing you can do to improve.

[ForrestGump]

Absolutely! A few weeks ago, Chad Scott described it to me as serving lunch on a platter. Instead, resist the urge to reach and let the boat take the handle from you. The second your hand comes off the handle you've told the ski to turn. And yesterday Mike Munn(41 off capable) told me that even he struggles with it when he gets an awesome turn at one buoy. He then has a tendency to serve lunch with the handle at the next buoy. He said Mapple tells him a good turn means you have to hold on longer to the next buoy.

[cragginshred]

Good stuff guys, I will read the article ral! I have a few more questions about this so I am starting a new thread.

[Horton]

As crazy as it sounds the more you don't reach the more the boat will take it from you.

[estrom]

@cragginshred, what line length & speed is that?

[Marco]

@cragginshred - Everything that was said about staying on the handle is correct. A lot of skiers begin the reach process at the edge change, which results in a late and narrow path to the ball as mentioned above. Staying on the handle longer is tough, but if you think "edge change first, then wait...wait...wait... then begin to let the boat take the handle", it will help you separate the reach from the edge change. I find changes in timing are the hardest things to engrain, so start working on it now.

 

Great skiing considering you've only been at it since the lst of August!