How far in should my foot be for RTP/strap placement?

[Slalom.Steve]

I use a RTP and kick in after getting up. In terms of foot placement within a RTP, my understanding is that you should get your foot jammed into the RTP pretty much as far as it can go. Is that correct?

 

Then in terms of sizing of the RTP, and placement of the strap, what's the goal there? To make it specific, here is my foot in my detached RTP, and I feel like this is usually about where I get it while skiing:

 

Does that look correct? I think the overall sizing is good, but the front of my toes actually go past the end of the padding a little bit. I'm wondering if I should move the strap back one hole so my toes stay on the padding?

 

just for reference, I am 10.5 US size shoe, and that's a large D3 Contour RTP.

[skialex]

More.. up to where that mark from your sock is and yes then you can either add some footbed piece at the front or move strap back one hole, whatever needed to end up at the right place relatively to the front boot and to find a constant position that works when skiing.

[dchristman]

It doesn't matter where your foot is in relation to the plate. What matters is that it feels secure and that your foot ends up positioned on the ski at the right place. Do you know what spacing you are shooting for between your front and rear foot?

[Slalom.Steve]

@dchristman - My understanding is that you want your back foot basically as close as possible to the front, but I am very much a beginner with lots to learn.

[6balls]

My rear toes just about in contact with the front binding.

[dchristman]

If you're shooting for "as close as you can get", you're probably good where you are, but foot spacing is yet another adjustment to consider. Here's an older link with some thoughts and further links for reading. https://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/comment/80768

The bottom line is that "as close as you can get" may not be best. It's yet another variable worthy of experimenting with.

[lpskier]

You want a number close to 12” between your front and rear heels.

[Slalom.Steve]

Interesting stuff...

I did move the strap back one and at least on dry land I like it better. I can still get my toes to the edge, and my foot feels more secure with the strap farther up my foot.

 

I might have a different problem though, with ripped screw holes in the rubber. But to keep to this thread on topic, I made a new one for that here.

[6balls]

Fit and ski style matter. I lift my heel into every buoy.

[Andre]

@SlalomSteve

Been moving the straps back one hole (that i had to drill) for 15 years.

Way better and more solid connection to the ski then when the strap is on the front of foot like in pic.

[Horton]

@lpskier a size 8 wants 12" between heels as well as a size 14?

[6balls]

@horton what I was thinking

[lpskier]

Well, first, I assume we are talking about an adult male skier with normal body proportions. SlalomSteve is a mid-30’s male and from the photo, it seems his foot is neither unusually large nor small. He skis on a 2017 67 inch radar vapor with a recommended front binding location of 29 3/4. A 12” spread between his heels will give him a distance of 17 3/4 from the back heel to the tail of his ski. Assuming a size 8 foot with the front binding in the recommended location and say a 10”

spread will give him 19 3/4 to the tail. That’s a lot more tail to control.

 

Second, John, I think it would be impossible to achieve a 12” spread on a size 14 foot, don’t you? So that’s a silly question.

 

But a 185 pound skier with size 8 feet on a 67 or 68 inch ski would be overwhelmed by the tail of the ski if that person had, say a 10” spread and 19.75” off the tail vs a 12” spread and 17.75 off the tail. That’s about 10% more tail of the ski with which to contend. Or even an 11” spread and 18.5 off the tail or a 5% longer tail. The distance between the back heel and the tail of the ski is an important consideration.

 

Obviously, in fine tuning your set up, you have to account for the ski’s teeter totter point between the feet and maybe 11 3/4 or 11 1/2 will work better for you (or maybe a different tail on a DV8 can do the trick) but if you want ball park “where do I start” advice on binding set up, and assuming you are a normal male skier of normal proportions, start at a 12” spread between your heels and work from there.

 

You could suggest that the solution for our skier with size 8 feet on a 67” is a 10” spread and moving the front binder back two inches. Well, try it. If it works, great. If it doesn’t you are back to square one. (Spoiler alert: It won’t work well. You are no longer standing on the sweet spot of the ski.)

 

But toes touching the front heel is how they taught it 50 years ago. Maybe that still works?

[lpskier]

I have it on good information that Regina has an 11 7/8” spread. I know another pro female with 7 1/2 shoe, size 4 hardshell, front binding at stock and an 11 7/8 spread.