Getting ski in front of you at the turn

[skifan]

Now that ski season is over in New England I have been using my time to watch video from the summer. I ski at 34 and was able to get my 22 off routinely and 28 off about 75% of the time. I got 2@32 off which is a PB for me and makes me want more.

 

As I watch short line skiers, 35 to 41 off, I notice that their ski tends to skid around the ball, it reminds me of a car fishtailing in the snow. This seems to be what allows them to get great angle across the course. I do not do that when I ski, I get me ski to turn but not as quick as they do.

 

As I watch the video they use the speed to whip their ski around the ball in front of them while I use the ski to rush past the ball and try to turn. I feel balanced on my ski but I think they have their hips and upper body behind their front foot which allows the ski to be in front of them and turn better. While I an balanced over my feet with the ski underneath me which lets me get speed but not turn as effectively.

 

If this is correct what can I focus on at the turn or pre-turn to get in better position to turn around the ball?

[skifan]

This is one of my better 28 off passes.

[gregy]

It’s actually opposite of what you’re thinking. You want to remain as stacked as possible into the turn and counter rotate to move you COM forward. By doing this you use the front of the ski to initiate the turn and come out of the turn with hips forward coming up to the handle. Patients in the turn is what get you more angle, waiting to for hips to come to the handle and not rushing it.

 

Moving you COM mass forward will give you the most efficient acceleration and cut across the wake.

 

I think your skiing looks pretty good there. I'd work on countering more in the turn and keep your hips further forward thoughout the pass. What your seeing may be that top skiers that have that perfect stack may look like the ski is in front more verses someone that is bent at the waist.

 

[GOODESkier]

I keep working on allowing the hips to lead coming into the ball, and be the initiation of the turn. Then riding them through the finish. Easier said than done, but lots of video out there to watch. Think this one thing has moved my buoy count higher than anything else.

[RazorRoss3]

What I have found as a 35 off skier is that it is possible to have the ski slightly in front of you and still have all of your weight on your front foot which eliminates the nasty turns where you feel like you get jammed onto the front as you hook up. I personally accomplished this through a combination of trying to push the ski in front of myself with my front foot and resting slightly behind the front foot but with all the pressure on my front foot and by stressing the posture/position on the ski that Marcus Brown stresses in his first and second shop talk videos. I found I could achieve this body position by focusing on getting into the position and then actively flexing my core to hold it as I pull out and in for the gate and then my body tends to replicate that pulling position through the course.

[gregy]

Like Goodskier says, easier said than done. I think I'm exaggerating my hips forward but I look a picture and Its like crap I',m still not there. What your trying to do is move your COM in the direction that you want to travel. I come around the ball and try to almost fall forward with my hips leading the way and then it seems like you shift back slightly as you get into a pulling (or resisting) position.

 

Here's some good video with TW where he's explaining alignment and move COM. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EonxoGtl3hk

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DTxTJ1FslM