Getting into -28, tips please!

[cragginshred]

So I am running -22 openers and got -25 for the 1st time Friday and back to back -25's today (using the Masterline progressor rope). With this success and knowing the -25 is just a stepping stone I tried 3 passes at -28 on my 3rd set getting around 3 ball for a PB (a week ago 4 balls at -25 was a PB) So I really want to open at -22 and go right into -28 and am looking for tips to make it happen.

 

-Gate shot; bow at gates or just before

-Less same or more lean

-Really working on white water to white water as the sweet spot ,which I know will be the same at all line lengths

-Pull out with bow at 55's or just before, at -22 and -25 I am currently pulling out with the bow about 5' before 55's

- RFF so my one ball can get slack, usually from coming in too hot and getting on the tail.

-When too fast 3 or 4 ball is the end point tips for keeping it together down course

 

Ok, thats it for now, thanks fellas....

 

Don

[Ilivetoski]

at 28 you have to get free of the boats pull. This is done by getting more angle across the wakes but you have to change edges sooner than you do at 22. If you pull long you get punished at 28 much more than 22. The things I focus on when I run the cleanest 28's are- counter rotate before the buoy and through the turn, stay strong behind the boat, dont come off the handle too early (this is how you get free of the boats pull. The second you release one hand off the handle you arent going outbound any more. You are now being pulled back into the boat). The big thing that pushed my 28 from being 1 in 3 tries to now being basically every time was to be more aggressive. If you try to half-ass it, it just wont work out. Give it some muscle behind the boat and you will be earlier.

[Ilivetoski]

Also vid would be helpful

[cragginshred]

I noticed I was way 1/2 assin it today. The good news (sorta) is I ski -22 like -32 or so I am told. So hopefully harnessing that 'grrr' will b helpful!

Great stuff thanks bro!

[I5boi]

@Live2ski‌ so if I do the bad things you describe; will that cause slack in the rope?

[GOODESkier]

My 2 cents:

 

1. Start your pull out at the same distance from the 55's every time no matter the rope length.

2. Start your edge change towards the gates EARLIER at every SHORTER rope length. So if you are at the bow on gates to do 22, start a 1/4 boat length earlier.

 

Slow and controlled 1 ball so all you have to do is ski after that is the trick!

[Dusty]

What @Ilivetoski said. If you are getting slack at the buoy you are pulling too long, making a 'lazy; (slow) edge change, or reaching too soon, or maybe a combination of the above. -28 takes a more intense pull for a shorter amount of time. If you are pulling through the white water after the wakes you are definitely pulling too long. Commitment to edge change and handle control are big keys for me.

[Ilivetoski]

@15boi well kinda the opposite of what I describe. If you pull too long you will get slack, if you come off the handle right at the 2nd wake at the same time as your edge change you will get slack, if you do not get free of the boats pull (which is just a result of holding letting go of the handle too early) you will get slack.

[Ilivetoski]

@GOODEskier I like what you say about start your pull in a fraction sooner as the line gets shorter. I have not thought of that, when I think of altering my gate with a shorter gate I am thinking of how is this going to affect my pull out.

[Waternut]

My feeling is that 28 off is the length where athleticism and technique start doing battle. At 15 and 22 off, I felt like I could muscle through my passes. At 28 off, it became a new ballgame. Proper form and technique started taking the place of muscle and determination.

 

A perfect example was how I felt after 2 sets. When I was running mostly 15 off and some 22 off's, I would go home absolutely wiped out to the point where I didn't even want to sit up straight. I needed to slouch on the couch or just go to bed early. After I ran 28 off a few times (all 6 that is), I started noticing that my energy level was high. I was now going home a little sore but could go do yard work or even get out on my own boat later that evening without my body yelling at me. Now I'm spending most of my time at 28 and 32 off and occasionally getting into 35 on a good day and I feel like I should stop because I'm taking too much time or I'm reinforcing bad habits instead of because I'm tired.

[gregy]

Last year I was getting to were I felt like I could run 28off. Gates were key for me. Getting wide and making a smooth progessive turn and getting more angle. Before I felt like I was screaming into 1 ball resulting in being out of control the rest of the course and never able to get past 4 ball.

 

I think it will go down this year, hopefully get where I can run 28 regularly by the end of the season.

[skihart]

@GOODESkier do you really start your pull out at the same time at all the different lengths? How do you do that? Do you just pull out slower each shorter length?

[SkiJay]

@cragginshred‌ You can still strong-arm, pull-too-long, and late-edge-change your way through -28, but why bother. If you have aspirations for this sport, 28 off is the perfect time to refocus your efforts away from ball-count in favour of technique.

 

At 28, the geometry, timing, and energy dynamics of the rope change enough to provide valuable insights into what rope shortening is all about. If you free-Ski, do it at -35 and work on getting wide; this will serve up insights too.

 

As you get better stacked, the speed will build, and the wake-to-ball speed will set up the revelations on earlier edge changing and the wake-to-ball handle control you need to complete the metamorphosis. It will take time, persistence, patience, coaching, drills, and a pylon camera to rebuild your technique, and "technique" is the answer to your question.

 

If you don't figure out how to breeze through -28 with sound technique, you'll be stuck there until you do.

[PatRe]

@cragginshred‌

Ah, all great comments above! Read @SkiJay‌'s post. Then read it again, and again, and, well... you get the idea.

 

28 is a pass where three things start to happen:

1. Trust

2. Trust

3. Trust

 

Ski well and please keep us posted!

 

[Skoot1123]

Last year I could usually get a complete pass at -28. This year I am hoping it just happens more often. In my mind two of the big things at 28 is getting wide on the boat and not rushing the turn. Allow the ski to work in the turn and it will set you up for great angle and slingshot you to the next buoy. Also, start that pass with some intensity. "Harder" lean for a "shorter" time to get you over the wakes and to that buoy. Remember - you need enough speed to get you out to the buoy, around the buoy, and back into your "pull" zone. This is a great rope length to practice handle control too. Let us know how it goes!

[GOODESkier]

@Skihart and @OB. What @OB said about math and numbers and stuff. I started running lots more 38's when I started the pull out in the same spot as my 28/32/35....... Tim Farley in Spokane reminded me of that! Now I just need to run one in a tournament behind @richarddoane‌

new pro star. Been practicing behind one...............

[skihart]

@GOODEskier @OB, doesn't make sense to me sitting at my computer. Just can't picture it in my head, but I will try it behind the boat. By the time I am at 32 I am pulling out just before I hit the 55's. In my head it would seem that if I pulled out when the engine hit the 55's I would be so early for the turn in that I would loose all my speed and the boat would pull away from me ???

[GOODESkier]

@skihart pull out at the same time before the 55's. START YOUR EDGE CHANGE INTO THE ENTRANCE GATES EARLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHERE THE BOAT IS TO THE RED GATE BALLS. TRY A QUARTER TO HALF OF A BOAT LENGTH EARLIER BETWEEN 22 and 28.

[cragginshred]

Tonight was a disaster at 1 ball over and over getting slack at -28. I nailed the opener at -22 and went to work on -28 with no success. I need to continue to work on fundamentals at -22 and -25

[Ilivetoski]

@cragginshred best 1 ball tip I can give you for 28- PULL HARDER AT GATES. This will give you more angle-> wide of the buoy -> FREE OF THE BOATS PULL -> ability to turn the ski freely without the boat pulling you 15 feet down course

[6balls]

Need some video and lots of great skiers here can help.

 

 

[Deep11]

@skijay - the best post ever on how to advance in the sport - extremely well put.

I did the deconstruct/reconstruct about 3 years ago (16 was easy 14 a mess and irregular - just as described by @cragginshred) - it was a humbling experience but now 13 easy,12 (35) coming more regularly and I hit a PB of 5@11 last week. I watch others at the same level not advancing and getting frustrated because the basics just aren't carved In stone, worse still the repetition at the pass they are trying to make only serves to reinforce the bad habits making the deconstruct ( if it comes) even harder. How do you break a habit that's taken 5-10years to build? Sometimes you wonder if changing the front foot and starting over wouldn't be easier!

You should copy and past your post to everyone that asks for advice on shortening :)

[skihart]

@craigginshred. I had that some problem at one ball at 28 a couple of years ago. What worked fro me was two main things. First make sure you get a nice early edge change. In conjunction with the edge change you need to focus on handle control to mAke sure you carry out wide Whatever you do keep those elbows locked to your vest and stay on the handle longer than you think.

Also as a left foot forward skier I always remind myself to go easy and clean at one and not overturn it.