Early release- a load issue rather than pre-turn?

[jhughes]

I've suffered from an early release out to 1/3/5 (RFF) my entire course career. This morning was one of those mornings where it felt like just nothing was working out correctly. I was making passes but they were shaky and sketchy feeling. In reviewing the video I'm fully releasing my free hand probably 15 feet before the buoy only on 1/3/5. By the time I get to the buoy my free hand is back on the handle and I suffer through the turn.

 

On my on-side turn, 2/4/6 the ball passes right under my armpit, arm extended, correct/normal looking timing on everything. Off side it's free hand off, then back on, then turn.

 

I've always thought this was a pre-turn thought issue. Squeeze the handle longer, elbows in, delay reach, slow reach, the whole trick bag of pre-turn stuff. However, the release is so instinctual, so driven by physics that I am now thinking maybe it's 100% unsustainable load going into the wake before 1/3/5 and my body naturally releasing from that load after the wake uncontrollably. After all, it is my strong/on-side lean. If this is possibly the real culprit, what thoughts would combat this in the shot through the gate and then to 3/5?

[Chef23]

Really hard to say without video. However even if the load you are getting causes an early edge change it shouldn't force you to let go of the handle. Frankly it is possible to run -15 with both hands on the handle.

 

At your level I would be very surprised if you have too much load at any point in the pass. You probably could wait for the ski to finish better on your 2, 4 turn which might delay the hookup a little but I would be surprised if too much load was really the culprit.

 

It sounds like you have video from the morning post it and better minds than me will have some thoughts.

[Zaneh2oski]

Make sure you are keeping your arms straight in your pull through the wakes. A lot of skiers confuse the lean behind the boat with a "pull" meaning they pull on the rope with there arms and then their rear end gets disconnected from the rope and then come up short into the buoy. If you can take a video and show me I could help more, but that kind of sounds like your problem.

[gregy]

Sometimes I get kinda pitched over after the wakes which causes me to instinctively reach out, almost as a balancing mechanism. I think this is what your talking about. For me I think its often due to a combination of being too stiff legged and pulling to long. Maybe try to let your legs absorb some of the wake and make the edge change.

 

I think your on the right track the handle issue is probably a symptom of something happening earlier. Your speed may be shutting down such that you feel like you need to be back on the handle or could be a timing thing.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[Marco]

If you are biting off too much on your onside, you will get pulled forward and up out of your stack behind the boat, which almost forces an early reach. Try backing off a little on your good side, and see if that helps you keep the handle close coming into 1/3/5.

 

Also, try thinking "edge change, wait, wait, begin reach". That can help those who start their reach at the edge change instead of carrying the handle tight out toward buoy.

[A_B]

A good drill to work on staying on edge through both wakes is the Gordon Rathbun drill of taking the rope to 28 off and just go from side to side focusing on pulling through both wakes. This might help you get better timing of when to release after the wakes and staying stacked longer.