Getting Slack

[MayhamModz]

Here is a picture of me running 30 MPH 15 off. I don't know why I get slack.

Can you guys help me out with suggestions on what to do to avoid that?

 

http://puu.sh/4hwCn.jpg

 

Sorry for it being blurry.

 

(It's only on 1-3-5)

[klindy]

You're likely pulling too long before the buoy. Make sure you're hardest pull is behind the boat.

 

Pretty hard to tell from a still shot.

[Than_Bogan]

Slack after the buoy is caused by having too much speed in the direction of the boat.

 

So the cure, of course, is to get MORE speed :).

 

No, really.

 

The key is to build much more speed going cross course, so that you get out there nice and wide and early, and have plenty of space to slow down.

 

Speed behind the boat going accross the course is nearly always your friend. Learn to leverage and get more of it. That's the foundation of everything that is to come.

[GroovyGrant]

@Than_Bogan good comment. I'm just at the point of being able to do that and now struggling with the slowing down part. What's the trick there that @mahammodz and I can work on?

[KcSwerver]

In your preturn (part right before you turn) while your ski is on the turning edge stay balanced over your ski, and add front foot pressure, that will engage the tip od the ski in its turn and should arc you around to start edging the opposite way.

 

At your level, the ski should be doing most of the work, dont force the ski around the turn with your back leg that also creats problems

[mwetskier]

@GroovyGrant -you might want to re think the slowing down part. may be read this article found on bos website

 

http://www.ballofspray.com/home-v16/skiers-4/trent-f/1176-i-take-speed-into-the-turn

 

also ski coach matt rini has written 'the outward direction is what dictates line tension, so the longer you can go out the tighter your rope will be through the turn' which fits right in with the above article about keeping your speed in to the turn.

[ToddL]

You are waiting until you are sure you will make the buoy before you start your turn. That is already way too late to start the turn.

 

Anytime you are adding speed after the center line of the boat's path, you are generating slack.

Anytime you are skiing flat on a ski, you are generating slack.

Anytime you are skiing straight at the buoy, you are generating slack.

 

So...

Get all the speed you can prior to the boat's center line.

Never ride flat waiting to turn; go from leaning edge to turning edge with no pause in between.

Your ski's path as it exits the second wake should still be outbound to the side and not down course toward the buoy.

 

When skiers are under max speed, often they have to hold their lean longer than the center line. That's OK as long as you are just maintaining and not leaning harder past the center line.

 

The key is that you have to lean until it is time to turn and you have to start your turn before you are sure you are going to make it around the buoy.

 

 

Take a moment and review this thread and the video posted there:

http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/comment/130224

 

What happens at the end of the turn is a result of what when wrong (or right) at the edge change or possibly earlier. Your body position during the lean from gate to 1 can impact your edge change into 1. If your edge change into 1 ball is off, your turn's finish will be off.

 

As stated above, how you edge change is key. Edge change with elbows in, bringing the handle in front of you with both hands. While doing this, think about your right hip coming up over your bindings so that your hips are what is putting weight on forward on the ski. When you are ready to reach at 1-ball (which happens after the edge change not during it), you will want to reach toward 3 ball. Your right shoulder should move back as if toward a zero ball. This is that starting the chainsaw position. You can also think of this like an archer drawing the string back on a bow. If all of the above has happened, then you will not have slack during the turn. Your handle will be in front of you and your ski will come around and under the handle as if it was the central point of the ski's arching path. The key here is to let it all happen on its own at the end of the turn. You are doing nothing but letting your hips lead your body through the finish of the turn. In fact, your shoulders are sort of left behind and have to tag along after the turn is finished. The hips come around and under the handle as the turn finishes. Then, after the hips come around, is when your right or outside hand can return to the handle. When this all happens, you will seamlessly transition from the finish of the turn into a stacked lean toward 2 ball. It is a sweet feeling for sure.