Nate Regina Andy Kris Bob - all right palm down - does it matter ? YES !

[swbca]

All of these world record holders are right foot forward with right palm down grip on the handle.

(sorry that women are under-represented in this sample)

 

I was doing OK during 20 years of competition, a couple of National titles while living in Minnesota, but I realized TODAY that I have been doing it wrong my whole life. . . with right foot forward - left palm down.

 

Since its winter and I can't ski, this is my latest dive into what might be trivia - Most agree that everyone has an on-side and off-side turn . . with some of the best skiers left and right are equal but always different in execution.

 

Because grip position affects shoulders and upper body, I believe everyone has on-side and off-side grip on the handle where the skier's grip works better for getting into a Stacked Position on one side. The effect may be subtle depending on the skier and the ski, but using the "wrong" grip adds a second awkward body-to-equipment position in your off-side turn. (foot position + hand position) Plus, your on-side turn may not be affected one way or the other by your grip position.

 

Is your front foot and your palm down hand on the same side ? . . both-left or both-right like the record holders ?

[scoke]

I like this website.

 

But damn it’s gonna be a long winter in southern Canada, Minnesota.

[ALPJr]

Yes. Think of a baseball bat or golf club grip. The foot facing the pitcher’s mound or the green is the front foot, and that hand is palm down.

[ReallyGottaSki]

Seriously tried it, can't do it

Right foot forward, Right palm up...

 

[skibrain]

Carl Roberge

[swbca]

@skibrain I bought Carl's boat and skied at his school for a week . . . he should have said something about my wrong grip.

[aspski]

I ski Right foot forward and I hold the rope right hand palm up. I do this because I have played hockey all my life and I shoot right (left palm down and right palm up) I have tried to ski right palm down but it feels sooooo weird. I just can't do it

[robmollysilverlake]

I'm with aspski, but I'm left foot forward with left palm up, same way I grip a hockey stick, golf club, baseball bat, and tennis racquet.

[CBR51]

Skied for almost 40 years with the wrong grip. Tried it a few years earlier and gave up. Yes just felt way too weird. Then decided again a couple of years ago. Just free skied Took awhile. Stay with it. It is worth it. Your offside lean and position will be way better

[skierjp]

I think you will find that right foot forward and right palm down is somewhat the norm. The opposite you would hold a baseball bat for a right handed batter. Funny thing, every time I go to show someone some sort of dry land practice I always hold the handle wrong. I made the switch 21 years ago.

[swbca]

@CBR51 @skierjp Glad to hear making the change helped you. I don't know if its a habit that can be changed during off-season, but I am going to work on it. I just added a few buoys to my wildest dreams.

[Than_Bogan]

I switched years ago. I actually didn't find it that hard to switch, but I also didn't find that much gain from doing so.

 

Probably a little more symmetrical, though, so I didn't go back to my old evil ways.

[jcamp]

Chris Rossi made the switch from "wrong" to "correct" grip and recommends it. I have tried and just can't do it, but can see how it would improve your offside lean.

[dvskier]

I switched maybe 20 years ago. Awkward at first but just stay with it. Shouldn’t take more than 3 sets to get the right muscle memory programmed. The difference is incredible, you’ll feel much stronger on your off side.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Best thing I ever did, Nick Parsons was the one who pushed me to do. If you break at the waist often on offside, fixing your grip can completely take that away as well as puts your body in a better position out of the buoy like @dvskier said above. It took me about 5-8 sets and it felt normal.

[Horton]

any currently notable skiers using reverse grip?

[Murrski]

I also switched from wrong grip to correct grip a few seasons ago. I'm RFF and right palm down now. I worked on muscle memory and feel in the off-season by dry land training - leaning/leveraging on the handle. I did this about 5-10 minutes a day a few days a week. Once I was back on the water in the Spring - I felt comfortable after 1 maybe 2 sets. My offside leverage/lean was the biggest improvement with shoulders way closer to level in comparison to wrong grip offside leverage/lean. My stack improved and my speed into the 1st wake improved. I'm attacking the 1st wake now rather than bracing for the 1st wake because I feel more balance and centered on the ski.

[Drago]

Mike Kjellander, origins thesis is pretty much a wash.

Also, pretty sure KLP was "wrong" until about 20 yrs ago

[ForrestGump]

There are way more things to worry about than which direction your grip is.

 

[JackQ]

I think this is not always the case. I switched to the "correct" grip for an entire season, 7 years ago in practice and tournaments, didn't help nor hurt. During the late fall of that year , I tired on pass back to the wrong way, and I just felt more natural for me.

 

I don't think my incorrect grip is hindering me , many other shortcomings are, but I think too much is made of this. The theory is that the correct grip gives you more power on your odd side, with a slight loss on your stronger on-side. As my offside is much better than my onside, I am likely an anomaly.

[mikegile]

Why spend the time thinking and experimenting with it? Seth recommends going symmetrical in this video @Horton posted years ago.

 

[swbca]

@ForrestGump You said "There are way more things to worry about than which direction your grip is"

 

The amount of worry depends on what your gripping.

[ALPJr]

Sounds like it’s time for a Winter poll

[BobF]

Maybe if your grip is wrong, it's time to switch your forward foot to match it. :D

 

[RGilmore]

Two words: Jeff friggin' Rogers

[MISkier]

@RGilmore, that was 3 words.

[HSL]

Wim DeCree is/was one of the notable non-compliant rebels. And I'm pretty sure that SCoke, who made the change from "wrong' to " right" and adding some buoys to his PB, maintains a list of bass ackward handle holders who have run 38 in a record tournament. There were maybe 9 on that list. It might have been just 34mph skiers on that list. I hope he pipes up here.

[CBR51]

Drago. Your right about KLP changing. Spoke to him about a few years back. He said it made a big difference for him

[Luzz]

@Horton Beatrice Ianni (rff), Matteo's sister, has switched to right-palm-up recently after a crazy golfer's elbow, which brought to a surgery and still not the best. Being "reverse" grip is the only way she can actually ski. Solid skier, early 39off

[JackQ]

@HSL, I doubt those numbers if so I am one of the 9. Before graduating to Mens7, I consistently ran 38 in tournaments, more frequently in Rs than Cs. And have run 39 at 34 and 32mph with the wrong grip, I think there are more wrong gripers than you think.

[The_MS]

@Wish had the best tip. Teacup your off side (palm up) and handle up and down (hand/palm sideways) on the on side.

[scoke]

Being from southern Canada, wouldn't it make sense that you start on the water training now?. @swbca maybe there is a skier that has relocated from your area to somewhere much warmer like Milton Florida. Ski Watch is a great place and very accommodating. You should start skiing there. Is there someone that posts even in this thread that skis there?

 

[dchristman]

I switched several years ago. Trying to switch during the ski season it felt unnatural. Over the following winter I drove around like this:

The next spring it felt natural. It's worth a try, especially because you're thinking about skiing as you drive down the road anyway.

 

[Roger]

I switched after reading the KLP article when he switched. Pretty sure he set all his world records before the switch though.

[RGilmore]

@MISkier Yeah. That's what gives it its amusing twist. Another version of the same wry humor is "Two words: Superglue". However, to be clear, there really is no practical application for superglue in this conversation.

[RGilmore]

Due to a slight arm deformity, I have no choice but to grip opposite of the so-called "correct" manner. That said, in my experience, palm down with my left hand (I'm RFF) allows me to get the handle much closer to my naturally-closed right hip on my offside pull. Meanwhile, my onside pull is naturally open, and seems to be indifferent to grip orientation.

 

Most importantly, I think skiing performance and personal comfort far outweighs the perceived need to conform to someone else's opinion about what is "normal".

[CBR51]

Back in the day some LFF skiers would choose right palm down so they wouldn’t have to switch grip for jump

[ReallyGottaSki]

I understand it would be best for symmetry, but I don't think the hands inhibit stack, one either gets stack, or doesn't.

[slow]

I struggled at breaking at the waist for years on the offside. Changing to this grip almost immediately allowed me to get onto a more stacked position at the completion of my offside turn.

[swbca]

@Roger Re KLP setting records before or after changing his Grip . . this is just trivia, but he would have been in his mid-40s 20 years ago so Open Men world records were probably going to the newer guys after he switched grip.

 

Grip is probably a small thing -or nothing- to many skiers - but everyone is looking for the next small thing that might help. When your running early in the course it probably makes no difference . . might help with your body position when your near your limit.

[GaryWilkinson]

@dchristman Looks like you drive your car with waterski gloves on all year round!

 

Love the dedication! ?

[ForrestGump]

Any improvement from switching grip is anecdotal at best. Did the skier suddenly "get it"? Did they have other changes in technique during that time? Did their hardware improve? People settled on a direction in the early ages of skiing based on what felt right for them. Most felt correct one way. Others felt correct another way. Grip direction is mice nuts in comparison to other foundational things necessary to run short line.

[Jmoski]

If you try and make the switch, ease into it. One of my ski buddies tried switching mid season right in the course and instantly induced a bad case of golfer’s elbow on one side that has been haunting him for two years now with no sign of abating despite doing PT...

[Terry Winter]

I think grip position has a big impact on the skier's ability to stay packaged together through the edge change. Reverse grip skiers tend to get peeled apart easier as they're trying to swing outbound. Just my observations.

[VONMAN]

Yes it matters. On our first visit to Ski Paradise, Gordon changed my grip and it only took three sets to change. But what a big difference it made. That was back in 1996.

[cruznski]

@The_MS I really agree with that first comment you posted. Now as to Beer the last one I has was a Sierra Nevada Hazy from a can bit I guess that needs to go to other thread.

[BG1]

What @twhisper said. You’re going to be starting from scratch so why would you start with less than the best grip for symmetrical leverage off the second wake. You’re not going to have the same physical attributes at 75 to overcome the disadvantage as you did at 35. I was 35 when I got my first coaching. They changed my grip to “right” and my buoy count/consistency both went up within 5 sets. Also stopped slamming on buoys 2,4,6 (Right Foot Forward).

[swbca]

@BG1 Thanks - In my posts above I said I am switching to the symmetrical grip - I have already started with dry-land exercises. I have vivid memories of never getting any angle on my off-side after coming in late - I was all twisted up with the wrong grip.

[TEL]

Well today was my first time skiing with the correct hand grip, after many many years holding the handle the wrong way. Just made some free style runs WEIRD!!! I Could not get my hip to the handle and I was reaching instead of pulling the handle in. I think I had to see myself grab the handle. Will keep at it a few more times before I feel confident trying the course

[The_MS]

Garb a handle and walk around with it for a few days using the correct grip. It will help to make the change more comfortable a bit sooner.