my slalom issues solved

[6balls]

Was thinking I must have peaked a few years ago, getting older, year off due to neck...maybe I just won't be the same. Have had adequate spring water time but still suck. Working hard, fast, narrow, turning ski hard, tried a million things and can't solve it this year.

Tonight different eyes on me, told him I'm just not efficient side to side then have to crank turns. After watching he told me to think about nothing but keeping my handle low in the lean...starting at the pull out. I did so and what keeping my handle low did was make sure my arms were straight, my hips came into "stack" and magic...I'm back in the game. Sometimes just takes someone saying the right thing...if you are inefficient side to side maybe this helps. It may not, but easy enough concept to try.

[Booze]

Lucky told me that same thing 2 weeks ago. Your post reminded me I need to be working on it.

[ski6jones]

It's so easy to slip back into bad habits.

[jimbrake]

I like that, too, @6balls. I'm going to think about that next set.

 

Someone recently told me that I need to start my gate turn in earlier, so I don't load too far outside the white water. Start from the same wide point, just start earlier (I won't go into the details of the timing, but he told me that, too). Huge difference in my outbound angle and load (more and lighter).

[Razorskier1]

Direction and proximity. Set direction with your hips, maintain proximity with the handle. Whether you think of pushing it down, squeezing it, or whatever makes sense in your own head.

[6balls]

Wasn't a fluke...two more good sets today. Haven't had 3 consecutive good sets all year. Worked into handle low and now working to keep it longer. Gets me wider, earlier, slower if I do. No more need to crank turns but now stay over the ski and let it finish. It's getting better and finally starting to feel more like myself. Ski feels like it gets out in front of me more in progressive fashion in the lean through the wakes.

I have some strides to make, but I feel the potential. Need some muscle memory and habit now.

[Wish]

"...low in the lean" K...needing a visual here cause I'm not getn what your sayn. Thought with the lean and straight arms, the handle is already low. Where does high handle come from. ?

[6balls]

@wish seems to me the handle is less in front of me, more pinned to what feels like my hip on the side than a more anterior pelvis.

 

On pull-out I put it low on my right hip and head out in stead of handle out in front of me and bodily twist to head out. In glide keeping some outbound and still pinned on right hip low. At time of turn my prior transition was more of a lead a bit with my hands and then ski under to establish. Now it's more of a transition from low on my one hip high on the boat to low on the other hip as I establish. This hip anchor point rather than pelvis also anchors further rearward on my body aligning the pull with my hips and therefore my stack.

 

Seems to put the "anchor" point, if you will, lower on my body and a bit more posterior, allows the ski to get out in front of me, and due to the advantage in leverage allows me to keep handle longer "blocked" against the boat without pulling. Keeps tension, gets width, boat kinda pulls me up when it's supposed to and I don't release til it starts to roll me off my pulling line and a bit up course but still outbound (not straight up course...it would if I hung too long). As my cross course angle begins to diminish with rope pinned on my hip the release comes before I get taken fully up course and I gain another couple of feet on width while not at out of control speed. Can't tell if I'm explaining this worth a crap. Sorry.

 

Not this much thought went into this...he just said keep my handle low at all times right from the pull out and some magic happened. I couldn't put it low right in front of me on pull out so I pinned it to my right hip and kept it there in glide, then put it on the other hip on turn in and gate pull. Rinse wash repeat.

 

Then added keeping the handle longer because it then seemed like it was right, then added allowing the ski to finish because it happened on a 1 ball and I was like "oh yeah...that was great" so I did that too the rest of the way and life became really easy behind the boat. As you know I run perfect pass, weigh 190 and have never been characterized as easy on the driver...we finished with 35 off at a PP weight of 160 lbs with time right on actual. Became easy on the driver.

 

It's not all habit and I'm not pounding monster scores but feel like I'm back in the game. I have some confidence and optimism again whereas before I was really struggling with more questions then answers...maybe it was the year off for the neck injury...I dunno.

 

None of this may be someone else's issue...I'm just glad someone pointed this out to me and if it helps someone else...fantastic. Skiing is always fun, but optimistic and confident skiing is even better.

 

 

[Wish]

Ahh.. Got it. Some of the simplest smallest changes garnish some of the biggest gains. Currently in MN. Arrived this afternoon and already have a sweat shirt on. Global warming my ass. Will see how cool it is for an am ski set tomorrow.

[6balls]

@wish I went with the shorty this a.m. and drove with a stocking cap after another productive set.

 

 

[6balls]

@OB ur a turd :) We got to 79 degree water the other day at the swamp probably due to the crazy chemical reactions going on and the blanket of algae. A cooler day and two cool nights it was just under 70 degrees this a.m. with air temp at 65...but I like it...it felt refreshing...really...not.

 

[jimbrake]

Yeah. If it's cold wherever you are at that immediate moment, then you can tell that global warming ain't happening. I don't understand how the ding dang scientists don't get it. It's hotter than snot in NorCal right now (at least in the Sac Valley). 107 or so yesterday so I say global warming is on.

[The_MS]

It better be on, I have had every cylinder I own running for 10 straight years just to melt my lake a few weeks early.