Basic Leveraged Position

Just saw this too and was going to comment the same.  Great article for fifteen-offers by Than Bogan.

That's a well thought out and well written piece, obviously written by someone who has experienced and worked through and continues to work through his slalom issues. He's one of a handful of guys that I try to make sure I read over there. I often feel like I'm reading my story when I read his stuff. 

Thad mentions this but I cannot stress it enough.

Time

on

the 

water

is 

critical

for

wake

crossing

position/prowess.

I feel like learning a leveraged position is about 20% instruction and 80% time on the water. So many of these guys that ski several times a week and have skied for 20 years forget that when coaching newer skiers. A couple pointers is not enough because you need to feel the position. The symptoms that Thad describes are largely the same symptoms of just not skiing as much as these guys. It comes with time.

I have a much more leveraged position behind the boat than ever before which has been the key to my progress over the past 3 or so seasons, however, I "learned" the position through trusting the lean over time, especially on the off side and lots of repitition. 

Interestingly Lucky mentioned speicifically that it's not "straight arms" but slightly bent arms with elbows tied to the vest tightly. We had a whole conversation about that specific topic and I agree- squeezing the elbows in and taking the load to the elbows from the forearms really helps. When you see a pro doing this, you see a slight bend in the elbows.

Remember this one from way back? We discussed position ad nauseum but it took until 2010 or so for me to "feel it" at all. Again, Time. http://www.fifteenoff.com/content/hips

From just last week (free skiing)- not perfect but it took hundreds of sets to get here:

Other things that either fit into, enhance or make it easier to settle into this "basic leveraged position" are proper rhythm, effort level, length/timing of load and how you think about things on the water...

What I'm experiencing and working through is progressive load and unload at all line lengths...but it shows up most at 35 and 38. What I find is that if I do what I've conditioned myself to do, I can get through 22 - 32 mostly okay but at 35 I overshoot my turn point at 1 and I'm wrestling to get back into a basic leveraged position, usually with too  much line tension and load, now I can get through 35 that way, but not 38. 

What I'm trying to do to correct this is trying to think of longer turns, especially at the gate. This allows me to be more progressive through the turn in at the gate, gives me the light feel I'm looking for, and a much more controllable turn and load, keeps the rushed feel out of my turns. This is how I'm making all the passes feel much more similar, in a wierd way it makes the longer lengths feel narrower and the shorter lines feel wider (if that makes any sense, it doesn't for me, but I'm trying to trust it).

Another way that somebody put it (maybe chef23), was to leave the buoy at the same angle you came into the buoy (great thought if you're a hard turner). This keeps me from trying to do a pivot turn, which spikes the load at the buoy.

Unfortunately, I read too much BOS discussion between Than Boagn and Matthew Brown yesterday (which is good stuff btw about following the arc of the handle) and got side tracked from my thoughts. It took most of the set to get the thoughts/feel back. 

I got a lot from this, thanks guys!