arigold22

@ReallyGottaSki I think you are spot on. I have often felt, especially at -28 and -32, that as I finish my turn at 1 ball I get "squished". I could never seem to figure out why as it seemed to happen no matter how early and wide I was coming into the buoy. I think as you mentioned in your previous comment, these things are happening before 1 ball at my gate. I've been focusing on this the last couple of sets and have felt much less "squished" coming out of the buoy which leads to a better position at 2 and subsequent buoys. That is until I do something stupid and mess it up...

Went into my slalom set with a few things in mind yesterday. Stand tall at my gates, focus on having my hips up and being connected as I turn in, and more intensity as I come across the wakes to 1 ball as @Chef23 suggested. Just focusing on those things at the start of the pass has made a tremendous difference. I have created much more time at the buoy. I feel more balanced as I make my turn. And I've been finishing 1 ball with my hips up 75% of the. It feels different than any other 1 ball turn I've had before but has been leading to more space and control at 2 ball. My boat driver yesterday said I felt completely different behind the boat, especially at my gate. My first look at -32 yesterday I ran 4 which either ties or is my personal best. It felt as if I had the pass run until I panicked at 4 ball and got off the line early.

@Chef23 Awesome! That's a huge improvement. I'm trying to focus on the intensity at the gate while keeping a strong position with my hips up. Seemed to help a bit Monday but will require several sets until it gets more consistent. Really hoping to put up some -35 scores this year so I appreciate the help.

@jhughes glad to see I'm not the only one. Good luck! Hopefully we can both build some good habits and put up big scores.

@TheBigHead I'll try to get some -28 video next time I have a 3rd out at the lake. This video was taken just recently and I thought it highlighted my issues well. I typically get 0.5 or 2 @ -32.

Six Ball Stout

@ReallyGottaSki Interesting way to think about it. I like the physiology references in your comment, really helpful for me. I'm going to try to focus on those things each time I get up and hopefully build some better habits!

@RichardDoane I don't think I've ever tried. I've run it twice in a row but typically move up after that.

I really appreciate the advice. Seems to always come back to those darn gates. I'll try to work on keeping my hips to the handle as I turn into my gate and all the way to the buoy. I have always tried to think about turning into my gate slowly and over my front foot but maybe that's leading to my hips dropping back? I've also had a hard time carrying the handle all the way to the buoy without pulling too long. Any tricks to separate the two?

I'm looking for a few tips to help me run 32 off. I often have a good start and 1 ball but struggle coming into 2 ball. Based on the video below, anything I should focus on to get me further down the course?

Good points. I've been working on my gate quite a lot lately and it has improved over time but obviously still needs a lot of work. I will try to pull out a bit later and wider to hopefully stay over the front of the ski and set better angle towards 1 ball.

Hey Ballers! I'm looking for some advice to help with that gnarly 28 off loop. What are the main things I should focus on which will help improve my skiing at this line length? I have attached a video of my most recent attempt at 14.25m which can be found below.

@eleeski thanks for the detailed help! Things to focus on: 1. tight core throughout the approach and all the way up the wake 2. get over my front foot 3. progressive edge Does this seem like the correct order to think about things each time I go to try a flip?

@skibackwards @bbirlew good point about my hips. I was trying to think about driving my hips forward as I was coming off the wake but I think I was starting with them so far behind me that it wasn't helping. Looking forward to my next set already!

@unksskis @h2o.nhk thanks for the tip. I will give that a shot next set and let you know how it turns out!