Failing to achieve hips up & handle close

[So_I_Ski]

My very good ski buddy and I were discussing what factors contribute to a failure by a skier to be in that desired position all the pros achieve at the completion of the turn where the handle is practically pinned to their thigh. He offered that reaching for the handle too soon is one of the most glaring. I believe that there are probably a number of other possible causes that vary from skier to skier. For example, a lot skiers simply have the habit or the muscle memory of trailing the hips or being slightly hitched entering the turn to begin with which prevents them from every getting the hips to the handle. As Horton has said many times, they would not be "tall into the ball". Another one would be habitually turning the head too soon which leads to upper body rotation. In your experience, can you point to other factors that you have either seen or worked on improving yourself that hampers that important position at the completion of the turn?

[ozski]

Always thinking and keeping your chest up, it may be an old school piece of advice but it works.

[jhughes]

@ozski I agree. This has been huge for me in the past couple sets. I can't believe it is what finally triggered better body position. Additionally this starts at the move out and glide. Once you lose the position it's gone.

 

This is one of a handful of things that coaches really can't tell is going on from the boat, unfortunately, causing a lot of other advice that is not effective without the fundamentals.

[LeonL]

Among other things, keeping the ski moving instead of getting too slow, allows skiing up to the handle before the boat takes you.

[skinut]

@LeonL What do you mean by keep the ski moving? I've heard and thought about that advise and I'm wondering what things prevent the ski from moving other than overturning.

[RazorRoss3]

Keeping the ski moving has little to do with the ski itself and more to do with your execution from wake-to-buoy, which is related to your execution from buoy-to-wake. Starting from when you hook up at the previous buoy you need to get into a strong pulling position, stacked, proper weighting, and a controlled level of load, coming into the wakes begin coming up but keeping your cored tight and handle under your control, continue that handle control and tight core out to the ball and through the reach and turn and the ski will never stop. What can cause the ski to stop is if you allow handle separation to occur anywhere between the previous buoy and the one you are going to. Once you lose the connection to the handle the ski will start to slow down and can cause the ski to stop around the turn and break you at the waist. This is not an overturn because you have less angle than you would had you kept the handle, this is your ski slowing down to the point that you get pulled over the front, break at the waist, and the ski jams at the turn making your work your ___ off to get to the next buoy. Due to the rhythmic nature of slalom that mistake is likely to replicate itself down the course as well adding insult to injury unless you can overcome human instinct and force your self to ski the next ball correctly and then you can get back in it.

[ShererSkier]

I agree with @ozski and @RazorRoss3. Both keeping my chest up or "proud" and keeping proper handle control have changed my ability to stay stacked and the speed I carry out of the turn. I used to have a problem with both and after reading advice on this site I have really improved. Can't wait to ski the course this weekend!

[skinut]

@RazorRoss3 that makes total sense. Thanks for the clarification.

[LeonL]

@RazorRoss3 gave an explanation why. I just went the simple way out and gave results. If the ski gets too slow you can never get up hip up to the handle.