30 mph @15 off

[Chris Taylor]

Ok here is my first video submission for your brutal critique.

 

[Luzz]

@Chris Taylor

 

I would try to hold your handle less with two hands as you prepare your offside turn. If you compare your left arm in this case with your right arm preparing your onside, you can see that the left detaches from your body much more than your right one. Essentially, if you hold the handle with two hands for too long approaching your offside turn, the boat opens you up and brings you away from the ski.

 

Hope it helps

[Chris Taylor]

Ok I had a comment on another site about my hand position. Can someone explain this, I guess mine is backwards? I am interested in any and all suggestions.

[Jordan]

Yes...your hand position is backwards.

RFF, you should have your right hand palm down, and left hand palm up.

 

This will help even your off-side turns

[Porkfight]

It is backwards. For right foot forward, your right palm should be facing down. Just like if you were holding a baseball bat in a left handed stance.

[Chris Taylor]

ok, can you guys go into some more detail about why I should hold the handle the other way? I find this interesting since I hold my handle like I do a baseball bat.

[LeonL]

Hook your handle to a tree and assume your normal lean, both sides. Look at your hands. Your offside (going to your left) will position your hands in a more normal position. Your onside pull puts your hands in a less than normal position, but you overcome that on you onside. It just helps your offside.

[crashman]

http://forum.ballofspray.com/discussion/5027/waterski-mag-may

[GOODESkier]

Simple to fix. Ski with "so called wrong hands" for the rest of the season. First thing in the Spring, start with "so called correct hands". Easy fix, and yes it will pay dividends in my eyes. I had the same issue about 3 seasons ago. You'll miss grab, or reverse your hands a few times, but then it will be so comfortable and feel like home that doing it the other way will then feel wrong.

[Chris Taylor]

Thanks guys, simple fix for one of MANY issues I am sure I need to correct. Hopefully I will get out in the next few days and start my switch now. Since my season is almost over anyway.

[Fast351]

I just switched from "wrong handed" to "correct handed" grip. It makes a pretty noticeable difference in balance. I always felt like my offside turns were super wobbly, and while they still need much more work, at least I feel pretty balanced on the ski now.

 

One thing at a time...

[ToddL]

Regarding switching hand positions...

 

We all spend way more time in the drivers seat stuck in traffic in our cars. When on a long, safe straight away or while stopped in traffic or at a light, grip the bottom of the steering wheel using the correct palm down and up combination for your ski stance. Do this during the off season and again in preparation for your first spring set. It will help it feel more normal when you grab that slalom handle.

[wilecoyote]

At the start of the 2014 season I changed from RFF to LFF which also meant changing grip. For those of us in the 15off ability range, it's pretty easy to do, while I was a bit distracted by the major change of footedness, the handle change was a no brainer, I don't think I had to get used to it at all really. I'm sure if I was a short liner, it would have been much harder to do.