Right way to get ski to turn?

[susb8383]

I'm pretty novice to skiing and I'm trying to get a handle on some basic concepts, one of which is the correct technique to turn the ski.

 

It seems that I've heard two different things.

 

1. Rotate your hips, such as these videos (for some reason this forum isn't retaining the starting time stamp from the link):

 

At 21:53;

 

 

AT 5:08

 

At 3:49

 

 

 

2. Lean with your hips into the turn, such as:

 

At :13

 

At :11

 

 

So which is the best way? I'm just trying to develop good habits from the start.

 

Thanks.

[Andre]

Anything Seth Stisher,Terry Winter,Gordon Rathburn 12 drills (even if it date a bit,still all valid pointers).

Follow what they say!

[igkya]

Lean back and make a BIG spray, that way if your turn isn't so good, you'll still look cool.

[susb8383]

..

 

[susb8383]

@Andre So it sounds like you're saying #2 is correct, lean rather than rotate.

 

[Than_Bogan]

Most of these are excellent videos from top-notch experts. What I don't think you're understanding yet is that waterskiing is incredibly dynamic, and the ideal move at one moment can be different from one just a fraction of a second later. Generally, you should expect to initiate the move from apex into the next pull by driving your hips to the handle. Then you want to arrive at the handle with some lean away because you're about to be leveraging against the boat.

 

On that note, if you are indeed a beginner wanting to get good at the slalom course, you should focus MUCH MUCH more on building leverage than turning. The fundamental challenge of the slalom course is getting across fast enough. Turning correctly only becomes possible/relevant after you've got some reasonable leverage and can consistently accelerate cleanly through both wakes.

 

Best plan: GO to Cobles with a completely open mind and learn how to ski correctly right from the start!

[susb8383]

Yup, I've already been to Cobles twice. I didn't say I was a beginner, I said I was a novice.

 

[slow]

novice not a beginner. ok

[OldboyII]

It is a carving ski. One does not need to "turn" it, but have to create situation when ski turns itself. Same as alpine ski, imho.

[susb8383]

@OldboyII That makes total sense.

 

[MDB1056]

The above from @Than_Bogan is one of the best educational lines I've seen for any skier in a long time

 

"On that note, if you are indeed a beginner wanting to get good at the slalom course, you should focus MUCH MUCH more on building leverage than turning. The fundamental challenge of the slalom course is getting across fast enough. Turning correctly only becomes possible/relevant after you've got some reasonable leverage and can consistently accelerate cleanly through both wakes."

 

Agree 100%. There is far too much focus on the turn . If you don't get the leverage to generate the speed to get you there in time it's all for naught. Well said Than.

[Vernon Reeve]

Seems like you could do both. Lean/drop the hip into the turn to initiate it, and rotate the hip as you come around to finish the turn.

[susb8383]

True. In those videos, though, it looked like they were doing one or the other, not necessarily both. I know it's hard to lean on dry land like in the first three videos so maybe they do lean to initiate the turn when they're actually skiing.

 

[Than_Bogan]

Think through the physics. You must rotate or you won't be pointing across course. You must lean away or you'll be instantly pulled over by the force of the rope when you reconnect. If your goal is "get back to an efficient leverage position" then you can figure out most of the turn mechanics on your own.

[susb8383]

"You must rotate or you won't be pointing across course."

 

True, but the question is more do you rotate the ski by rotating your hips vs. do you rotate the ski by leaning and having the shape of the ski rotate itself.

[Than_Bogan]

It's hard as a long-time veteran of the sport to place your mind inside that of a newer skier, but I have a new guess for the source of your confusion: Were you considering the possibility of rotating your hips relative to your feet? -- i.e. letting the ski run straight while swiveling just your hips toward the next buoy? If so, then don't. And that's not what any of those videos meant. If anything, your feet should rotate even more than your hips, but basically they should all move together so that your muscles remain athletically aligned and ready to hold the load that is coming.

That's why rotating and leaning into the turn are all part of one sequence and all of those videos are correct.

[skispray]

Turn by driving your knees where you want the ski to go.

[Stevie Boy]

Just to add to @Than_Bogan excellent point, work on your setup and turn for the gates, if you do not have enough angle and drive, you will not generate enough speed for the ski to carry around the #1 bouy, if the ski does not carry around the bouy, you will get pulled up towards the boat, result is no stacked position and no drive across course to the next turning point.

[ForrestGump]

IMO The best thing one can do to improve their turns is to get the work area behind the boat correct. Things just start to fall into place then.

[Andre]

It's VERY easy to overthink in waterskiing.

[ForrestGump]

Back in 2011 when I was first trying to run 35, I asked the guy coaching me how to do that. "You're mind-f%cking this. Turn and lean, bro. Just turn and lean." was the response I got.