Help with the Gate

[DefectiveDave]

I feel as though I'm slow and in bad position at the finish of the downswing going through the gates. Things I'm trying to accomplish are:

 

1) Getting as far up on the boat as I can manage

2) Getting weight on the front foot in the glide

3) Getting handle close to my body and vertical

 

So essentially I'm trying to do the GUT gate from that great thread, but so far it seems like I'm missing something. The most obvious thing I observed is that I seem to fall back on the ski during the start of the downswing, but this has proven very difficult for me to correct. Anyone got any pointers on the things I can do to improve my gate? Here's some video of a recent pass (attempt):

 

[MattP]

You are drifting back too far before you turn in. That tells me with that same pull out and glide you need to move your pull out timing down course so you can turn in with the width you achieved.

[Rpc29]

Agree with @MattP there are a lot of good things happening in your gate, it’s just a timing issue.

[igkya]

I'd get rid of that extra rope near the trunk/back of boat WTH is that anyways?

[Wish]

Oh man...LOTS of good things happening. Really good gate, good out move, high on the boat, tall in glide and you let the boat advance well IMHO. Which is why you backsidey 1,2 and 3 ball. Out of 3 ball you let up well before the fist wake and took a flat ski into the first wake. Hate telling people to pull longer but maybe resist standing up till your ski tip is through the first wake. You mostly did that out of 1 ball but 3 stopped your progress greatly. 2,4. are fine and 6 will come if you fix 3 to 4 ball. I wouldn't change much with your gate and that tall centered body position through the course is great. This is you going into first wake out of 3 ball. Resist getting stood up that soon out of 1,3,5

 

[Wish]

Hold this though the white water and into the first wake.

 

[Wish]

Actually this is out of 1 ball so need some work maintaining that good stacked position seen above a bit longer.

 

[DefectiveDave]

Thanks for the insights so far. It gives me some hope that I'm getting close. :-)

 

Regarding my body position at the off-side wake crossings, I wasn't hooking up well off the ball and didn't have good leverage going into the wakes. It doesn't look too bad in the video, but on the water I was fighting a losing battle with the boat.

 

Here is a pic coming off of one-ball which shows why I might have been in a weak position from the get go:

 

 

My perception going into my off-side turns was that I was fast and narrow while riding a slack line.

[LeonL]

I'm with wish. There's not much wrong with that gate, and that's the subject of your thread.

[Wish]

@DefectiveDave yes I can see that issue but it's unrelated to your gate which again is obvious you have focused on the GUT gate and doing well with it. I think there is an urge/tendancy/natural body reaction, to get back to or grab at the handle sooner then we should on our off side, myself included. I think it has to do with that side being less balanced so the urge is to grab at something to gain balance...the handle. If you've ever lost your balance near a sturdy object, your hand will be on that object catching yourself before you realize your hand even moved.

 

In the first pic you are very early with LOTS of space (result of a great GUT gate). The buoy isn't even in the shot yet. But your free arm right at that spot is already rotating back to the handle. You end up back on the handle as your ski tip meets the ball essentially stopping your skis rotation. Your on side (naturally more balanced) is better. You can see in the pic (had to use 5 ball do to strap in the way at 3) how much further your ski comes around before your free hand returns to the handle. You are rotating fully with the ski vs rotating yourself ahead of the skis rotational arc. Your free hand did not return to the handle until that spot. Again, sorta hard to fix as I believe we are fighting the urge to help our lack of balance on our off side by using the handle and not feeling comfortable to allow the ski to do its full rotation which means staying off the handle longer. But give it a try.

[Wish]

 

 

 

[jipster43]

@Wish In the past you have advocated for pointing your hips at 11 O’clock in the glide and moving to 1 O’clock as you turn in for the gate. Do you still do that with the GUT gate?