Visions of 38 off dance in my head

[Chef23]

And I am too much of an idiot to take advantage of them. The last two days I have gotten to 5 ball at 35 off for the first time and both days I have been in a solid position to turn 5 (my strong side) and get to 6. Today frankly I was early and had too much time to think. Yesterday I stepped on the tail out of 5 and today I gave the rope up into 5 I was so early and couldn't hold the slack.

 

A few coaching tips have made a difference for me at 32 and 35. Working on maintaining left arm pressure into 2&4 is getting me wider earlier and resulting in less slack. Working the handle to my left hip on the turn in of the gate to get better angle and going later on the gate to generate maximum load behind the boat was the tip today that made the big difference.

 

It might be only one set today but tomorrow is a new chance.

[skibug]

Left arm pressure into 2 & 4?....is that after the second wake?

[Chef23]

@skibug yes that is after the second wake. It keeps my shoulders from closing toward the boat and keeps the ski casting out. When I do it right it feels like cheating.

[webbdawg99]

Left arm pressure into 2/4 is huge. I achieved it by thinking "resist". Resist letting the boat rotate your shoulders back to the pylon. When you do this, you will feel pressure in the left arm...and will be wider and earlier into 2/4.

[skibug]

@Chef23, do you execute this on both sides or only into your off side?

[Chef23]

@skibug I only think about it on my off side. According to the guy coaching me I do it fine on my on side.

[skibug]

@Chef23, OK, thanks.

[webbdawg99]

I think it happens much more naturally and easily into the onside. I only consciously think about it into my offside....which is 2/4

[webbdawg99]

Here's a thread I started discussing this exact thing. This is a small technique that makes a huge difference!

 

http://ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/8254/what-s-wrong-with-my-form

 

[Than_Bogan]

Awesome news! That's more buoys than I ran today :).

 

I always want to caution about arm pressure that so much has to do with what you're doing "naturally." For someone who tends to remain closed too long and get separated from the handle after the second wake (aka me), leading arm pressure can really backfire. It's all about figuring out for an individual which way you need to go to get to the right place.

[webbdawg99]

I think the question is HOW do you achieve that arm pressure.....or what causes it. The goal or focus should be to keep from rotating your shoulders in and keep them on an outbound path......which continues into an external rotation at the ball. The pressure is merely a side effect of resisting this rotation. Much like the reverse c is a result of doing other things correct....and not the goal itself.

[Than_Bogan]

Agree that rotating shoulders too far in is bad. Rotating them too far out is also bad. So we must each combat whichever mistake we're more likely to make!

[mwetskier]

look at many top slalom skiers and you'll see that after the wake the lead arm pressure is in the form of the lead elbow being locked to the vest and and the lead arm itself is wrapped around the chest putting the handle near the trailing arm ribcage area. also the trailing arm is tucked back with some pressure of its own. that way the anchor point becomes the trailing side so the rope pressure has no leverage to rotate the skier toward the boat.

[Chef23]

4@35 off this morning. The good news is that I was disappointed with it. I had a good gate and 1 ball then let it go at 4 ball. My expectations are higher now and I feel like I can run it which is a totally new feeling.

[A_B]

I gotta admit I like skiing a lot, but I have way different visions... Karina, Regina, .....

[KcSwerver]

I have to be the dumb one but which aren't is the leading arm? Say going into 2 ball?

[rawly]

Go get it Chef.I'm right there with you and trying to implement exactly what you are talking about.It only happens for a fraction of a second,but not keeping those elbows in is keeping me from running my 35 as well.I can keep em in at 28 and 32,but not at 35.And one more thing....when you are early going into 5,don't start thinking about the "I finally ran my 35 thread"

[A_B]

Leading arm into one ball is right arm. Trailing is left.

Too much pressure too long on leading arm closes you up and narrows your path to the ball.

[Chef23]

@kcswerver I get confused on leading and trailing arm. The arm I am focusing on is my left arm going into 2,4 and I am a LFF skier.

 

My 32 off pass was a bit of a mess this morning but I executed 4 ball flawlessly (for me) and made all my time back up there so it was an easy 5 ball and I ran the pass.

 

I am going to ski another set this afternoon but I probably won't take a lot of cracks at 35 I need to work on things at 28 and 32 to get that cemented in my technique. I will probably do a 22, 2 28s, 2 32s and 1 or 2 35s assuming I run the other passes.