Try switching front foot?

[oldjeep]

Silly question, but anyone tried switching front feet to get rid of bad habits? I'm a pretty decent downhill ski racer, but cant seem to progress in the course. My comfortable place is bending knees, leaning forward, inside hand with the rope at water level. I can get away with that at 30mph/15off, but after that it doesn't work.

 

My current dumb theory is that if I could make myself uncomfortable skiing that maybe I could learn all the things I am constantly being told while I am learning to ski rff.

 

Figure I'll see if I can even get out of the water rff when we go out free skiing later today.

[Waternut]

Funny thing about muscle memory is that once it's there, it's extremely hard to break. I've tried swapping feet but not for more than a ride or two. The one thing I've learned is that trying something new only works until you start getting into trouble and then the old habits come back to life. You just have to focus on one thing at a time and work through it until it's not an issue anymore.

 

If you're struggling at 30mph and 15off, the bulk of your problems are likely based on your technique and the problem you're having is likely based on something you aren't even thinking is the problem. Get some video up and let the guys on here provide some feedback.

[ozski]

Video please

[Than_Bogan]

One time many years ago, I saw a guy at a ski school who really needed to switch feet. With his "preferred" stance, he had almost 100% of his weight on his back foot and frankly looked awful. When he switched, his stance was immediately even. But he felt so awkward that I don't think he was convinced to make the change.

 

If you have a drastic imbalance like that, I'd seriously consider it. Otherwise, something a lot less radical is probably the way forward!

[Horton]

Video! Get Video!

[ozski]

I coached a lady back in the 90's who did the switch after a load of pressure from her RFF boyfriend. 2 things resulted, crap skiing and end of relationship.

[Than_Bogan]

@ozski Wow what an effin moron.

[Horton]

@ozski was the girl hot?

[Ilivetoski]

@ozski did you get video?

[BlueSki]

My wife knows that she should be left foot forward, but after many years of skiing right foot forward only because her parents threw her a ski and said put your right foot in front, I am not about to encourage a change.

[rab]

I actually tried this a week ago. It was very strange but kinda cool to do it just for fun. I don't think it would be that good of a training tool but it probably wouldn't hurt anything either.

[ozski]

@Horton Import question and yes she was. Good idea for a thread, ski school stories from the drivers seat. The good the bad and the smokin hot...

[liquid d]

You are either right handed or left handed; same thing in skiing.

[oldjeep]

Well, the stupid experiment will have to wait for another day. The water was crazy last night with all the wind. This picture is in a no wake channel, so you can imagine how bad the open water was.

 

@liquid d funny thing is that I can do just about anything but write with either hand. Primarily use right, but shoot left, can golf/tennis either hand equally as bad.

 

http://oldjeep.com/images/Malibu/IMG_4717s.JPG

 

 

[Than_Bogan]

@oldjeep Ambinondexterous, huh?

 

When you try it, pay attention to your weight distribution and hip position. If both seem miraculously better, you might consider starting down this very long journey. If not, get the hell back to normal right away!

[Horton]

@ozski I am happily married so can no longer tell those stories but spent many summers at ski schools and saw lots of stuff....

[Chef23]

My son is pretty much ambidextrous but he hasn't tried to ski with his off foot forward. That said he is LFF and has lost his left ski on a jump landing and ridden away on his right ski all the way to the end of the course and looped back to pick up his other ski.

[ricski39]

Some of my friends and I had a friendly competition in which we all skied with our opposite foot forward. For me it was like learning to ski all over again. 3 buoys at 15' 30mph took the title.

[adkh2oskier]

Can't even imagine switching feet, tried switching hand position once and that was next to impossible.

[Tevskis]

@oldjeep

 

I switch it around all the time during the winter while @Gordons in Mexico. Usually twice per week in the afternoon wind I like to go play right foot forward and feel what i see everyday from the boat. It is amazing in my mind what we can learn as shortline skiers when we just change up the front foot. I personally think the absolute most difficult part of the entire process is making the deepwater start then the gate pullout, once you have created your energy, riding it through the slalom course is relatively easy.

 

LFF average 3-4@11 58K

RFF average 3-4 @18 58K

 

Ideally i would like to run a round of each in the same tournament just to see how many people we can throw off haha, got a few years to go for that though.....

[ForrestGump]

We once ran an extra round at a tournament and everyone put in $20. You had to ski wrong foot forward. Best performance against your average for the 3 previous rounds won the money. It was EPIC! We so needed video. There was one broken ski due to the skier digging in on the deep water start and popping the handle right into the tip. I think 2 or 3 at 22 off won and that was a 38 off skier.

[MattP]

@Horton back up round at the Cash Prize event?

[harddock]

my daughter is a show skier. She skis slalom and swivel RFF but has to learn LFF for ballet. She has the skiing down but the standing dock starts are a different story.

[Hallpass]

@harddock. Switched feet over 40 years ago because of the standing beach start. I started out skiing left foot forward. Had surgery on my right foot at age 8. Back then we always did beach starts. After the surgery, I had trouble balancing on my right foot for beach starts. So, I switched feet. To this day, I ski with RFF. Everything else - Wakeboard, Surfboard, skateboard, snowboard - LFF.

[Bookm_dano]

Hey @Tevskis what's your PB on that 1 x 6 fence plank?

[Tevskis]

thats an entirely different can of worms @Bookm_dano.... but to answer your question, 4@22MPH

Without boots the toeside edge into four grabs the front tip EVERYtime at that speed.... 18 on the other hand is like riding my flex tail through the course, loads of time and balance.

[Tevskis]

oops typo into 5

I tend to ride that thing LFF

[boarditup]

Those of us who wakeboard and snowboard ride switch all the time. I takes a lot of practice. I have not tried switch on the slalom ski, yet. Sounds humbling for a long time.

 

In the winter, I try to spend about 25% of my time riding switch on the snowboard. Still not as comfortable as regular.

[oldjeep]

Fwiw, I finally got around to trying this a couple hours ago. Had no trouble getting up, but couldn't carve a turn to save my life. Didn't help that I forgot to fill my front ballast tank, but even with a smooth wake it would have been tough.

[WayneCammidge]

I have a mate who will get on a trick ski RFF but slaloms LFF. We did the experiment of swopping feet and it was horrible. I also get the issue of trying to change hands. I am RFF and have tried to change my hands over to the correct LHU. Skied like that for a whole month and did not even begin to feel comfortable, even though that is the way that I jump

[oldjeep]

 

@skibrain

It really only becomes an issue in the course where i have to turn in a particular spot. I tend to push forward with both knees as I get late to the ball, especially around 3 and 5.

 

Free skiing I'm typically at 32 behind my boat. Most of the course stuff is at 30 behind an lxi. Ski is a 67 senate, only other ski I have is the p6 I bought for my son.

[MISkier]

@oldjeep, this is a little off topic. In your picture above, how does that tower on your LXi work with the rope attached to the slalom pylon? It seems like it would get in the way.

[MISkier]

Never mind. I just realized it is a VTX in the picture. The LXi must be another boat you use. I assume the slalom pylon on the VTX is at the back.

[oldjeep]

I do run off the rear pylon on my vtx. What i hear is that with the optional front pylon that some 2013+ vtx have that some folks will hit the tower with the rope. Same g3 tower is an option on the response, but I've only seen one with that tower, most have the other option (xtp?)