Hookup -Skiing back to stack

[cragginshred]

It has been said many times 'the turn should take care of itself'. Or something like that. Although for the most part it does, skiing back to the good body position seems to be more critical in my world. As a RFF skier 1/3/5 seems to be more difficult to be patient in the turn and stay off the handle, however, I have been 'lifted' out of a good position by being hit by the boat at the moment of connection on both sides of the course by impatience especially as the line shortens.

 

The point here is the point of connection in my opinion is the 2nd most important part of the pass (angle in the gates being 1#). This would be of course if your stack is proper. But again can you really 'stack' if you connect abruptly and the boat hits you causing one to be 'lifted' out of the optimal position ? Doubtful for mere mortals like me.

 

 

So we can practice our stack on land, we can do pull out drills and then there is the endless banter on the dock about the best methods to get stacked but with out a really nicely timed connection can you really get there and hold it with out scrapping?

 

So here lets focus on what clicked for you to time the hook up to be similar on both sides of the boat ** in the course** ?

 

Also as the line shortens we all know the reaction to snatch the handle too soon,..what worked for you to prevent this and make it feel like -22 or -28 or whatever your opening 'butter' pass is?

 

[Than_Bogan]

"Skiing back to stack" is exactly the right phrase. Although there is of course a lot to it, the best "simple" hint I know of is: Hip goes to handle first, then grab it.

[supergadget]

@Than_Bogan

 

Thank you

Excellent simple explanation

(My offside is a challenge to say the least )

[Gloersen]

appreciate the way Rossi articulates;

the Power Triangle always a useful repeat reference

[cragginshred]

So everyone does this easily on both sides of the course and it came naturally?

 

 

 

[RazorRoss3]

On 1,3,5 you might be impatient because you're off balance. Be sure you are staying on top of the ski and not letting yourself fall in to the turn. Easier to ski back to stack if you stay tall and balanced on the ski.

[Dano]

I'm no expert, and I have issues with early hookup. What has helped me progress in this area is actually taking my free hand and placing it behind my back as I begin my reach (helps with countering too). Doing so seems to have helped delay my instinct to reach for the handle. It takes a few sets to get used to it and focus on skiing rather than putting your hand somewhere.

[jimbrake]

@cragginshred - yes. No one else struggles with this. You are the only one.

[jimbrake]

@cragginshred - No. I and pretty much everyone struggles with this. The reason you hear the phrase "the turn takes care of itself" is because if you have done your previous angle, accel, load, edge change, and connection well, and swing high up the arc on the boat, then the turn is much easier. The better your outbound angle and connection past the edge change, the better your position into the turn and the easier the turn will be. If you only focus on body position in the turn and back to the handle and let the other previous stuff suffer, you will be fighting the turn battle for a long time.

[cragginshred]

Than's comment is succinct but in the 'power triangle' article (thanks @Gloersen for the reminder to re read it) this part expounds on the hip to handle idea nicely

 

From Jedi master Chris Rossi:

 

'There is no need to rush your outside hand to the handle. If it

was extended hip high, just leave it where it is

and as your outside hip comes to the handle,

so will your outside hand. This is what we

call a turn without rotation. Most skiers leave

the outside hip out and rotate the outside

hand and upper body into the handle. This

causes a large gap between the outside hip

and outside elbow at connection. Thus, the

Power Triangle will not be connected and loss

of direction and body position will happen

before the wakes. Apex to handle connection

is not a rapid motion. Most skiers rush this

area. I tell people that you want to ski to the

handle. This will reduce how much you slide

your ski at the finish, which will give you more

ski to stand on while accelerating. The best

turns are the ones in which you cannot tell

where the finish of the turn and start of the

acceleration zone starts'.

 

Def helped me to visualize this better. Although I am making -25 passes easily and 1 out of 4 -28 passes it is really hard for me to dial this stuff there. Therefore I am feeling this more at -22

 

 

 

[Than_Bogan]

@cragginshred Certainly this is a big issue for everyone.

 

I try to carefully avoid saying the turn will take care of itself. What I believe is true is that the ski basically knows how to turn. Your job, as the dude on top of it, is not so much to turn, as to follow it back to that leverage position.

 

So that's why I consider the leverage position so much more important (up until about -28) -- because even when turning your goal is to get right back to it.

 

Once you can run -22, your leverage position is probably adequate*, and the turn and pre-turn details start to be very worthwhile to focus on.

 

*Unless you are super-strong in which case you may be able to over-power -22 with awful leverage position.

[Razorskier1]

Crucial part of shortline is not grabbing the handle before the turn is complete. I've been told to ski your left hip to your right hand (2/4/6), your right hip to your left hand (1/3/5). Imagine that the handle stays in one place, your hip goes to that hand before you reconnect.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

Last season I got pretty frustrated with the idea that "the turn takes care of itself" and started this season with the idea that I would focus on body position in the turn so that it would help me get into a better stack position coming out of the turn. Keeping my upper body more upright and open to the boat with shoulders more level and head upright has really helped me get the ski around better in the turn so that I am set up for a good stack position. I am still very inconsistent, but it seems that when I execute the turn well it is significantly easier to get into a good stack.

[cragginshred]

@jimbrake I still remember you coaching the same thing on the dock when I visited Bell aqua years ago. It definitely is not as consistent as I would like but that's the goal -good deceleration via pre turn resulting from good body alignment. Thank you!

 

One certainly feeds the other- If the skier has a great pre turn and edge change the ski stays outbound and arcs nicely then the turn is not rushed. As opposed to my world of getting lifted from an optimal position and coming in hot (usually to 3 ball).

 

I notice the pros have so much time out here they drop the handle before they counter in the turn fully automatic and consistent on both sides of the boat.

 

 

[jimbrake]

@cragginshred - you've made significant strides since then. Your skiing looks good. Come on back sometime.

[MillerTime38]

If you are in the ideal body position at the buoy, yes the turn will take care of itself but the challenge is being in the right body position. This means HIPS UP centered over the ski at the buoy. If you are trying to "ski back to the handle" and your hips are lagging behind it is nearly impossible and you will have to "grab" for the handle.

 

@cragginshred the reason why you are getting "lifted" out of your stack (I would imagine) is because your hips are behind you at the apex of the turn and then you have to make a power move on the back side of the buoy to drive your hips up and as we all know you will never over power a 350 hp boat