From one skier to another since 2007.
(no pictures or video, just a quick update)
Ok, I can't seem to get this figured out.
I'm skiing pretty well right now and having tons of fun, but I've been stuck at the 3 - 5 ball mark at 34mph for over a month and can't seem to break through. It's to the point where I feel it's becoming mental instead of physical.
I had a "new" problem pop up that seems to have coincided when I switched over to the RTP where I'm getting a loose line on my offside (2, 4) turns.
This happens all the time at 34mph, all the time at 32mph in tournaments and only once in a while at 32mph in practice.
When I get this loose line 1 of 3 things happens...
1 - I'm forced to pull way back on the handle and thus get on the tail of the ski only to fall over to the inside of my turn since I have nothing to lean against. I wrote about this phenomenon in the article - I was almost too early.
2 - If I manage the line without it being loose (not sure how I do it), I can't get my body into position and have zero angle going to 3 ball.
3 - If I manage the line while it's still loose, I can't take the hit from the boat (I'm not in a stacked position with the handle at my chest) and get crunched over.
I realize that I let some of my form slide when I switched to the RTP but I've either slipped further than I thought, or I just can't get it back.
I've tried a number of solutions...
1 - Making sure I'm more connected (inside elbow touching vest) coming off the second wake. Perhaps I'm still not doing this well enough?
2 - Last night I tried doing a better job of keeping my head up going around the offside ball. This tends to slow down and delay my reach.
3 - Last night I also tried getting in an even better stacked position behind the boat so that I'm wider and earlier to 2 ball so I don't have to think so hard about the perfect turn.
While I don't think my stacked position is "bad" per se - it can be better (see Butterfield's article). The theory that Greg and I were working on together was that right now I need to ski a pass real pretty and perfectly or I don't make it at all. If I can create more space by being earlier, I can make a mistake at the turn and still run the pass.
4 - I've also been thinking about what BD said in my post above, keep the shoulder open more through the offside turn. I think it's possible one reason why I get a loose line on the offside is that I close off the shoulder too soon. And, the reason why it always comes up at 34, and 32 in tournaments is because I'm not trusting and being patient with that body position like I do at the slower speeds and in practice.
Thoughts?
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You have come to the right
You have come to the right place...or the wrong place depending on your point of view.
I will give you a scenerio that I have noticed in my own skiing. It's most obvious at the gates because I have 2 measurables (the gate and one ball) and it happens at every line length.
I'm out wide and I turn in....if I turn quick and I load hard, I'm early for the gate (miss early) but I'm late and narrow for 1 and it's usually a crappy start to the pass.
I'm out wide and I make a gentle, easy, slow turn for the gate. I'm later for the gate (go right through the gate), but I'm wider, earlier, with better line tension and slower feeling at 1, speed has less highs and lows and my course pace feels too easy.
Why does it happen that way? Think about that and how it might help you.
The more I can make every pass feel the same, the better I feel about my skiing. This is kind of wierd on the days I can make this happen. The longer lines feel narrow and late (relative to what you think they should feel like) and the shorter lines feel very close to the longer lines...which turns about to be a fairly gentle pace. The trick is to let it be easy, try to avoid using force, especially right at the apex. Be progressive but never forceful. If keeping the rope tight (with light tension) is difficult to do, the load might be excessive.
I can ski earlier and wider than I'm choosing to do right now but I can't consistently get scores I like skiing that way. I'm trying to stay on my ski as much as I can, which cuts down on over turning stuff.
Here's my thought... since
Here's my thought... since this happens to me at times in a similar way. You are probably pulling a bit long on a narrow angle on your onside in order to try and stay in the game. Then you go right from the pull to the edge change/turn because the visual is "OMG there's the ball, I have to turn now." The result is you never get to move up on the ski (tall and hips leading) but have to make a defensive turn, over rotated with your butt slightly back.
What do you do? Beats me! Seriously, you need to separate the edge change from the reach. Start the edge change sooner and get your speed to go outward so you have time to move up and make a proper turn. Even in the case of lateness, forget the buoy and continue out and turn down course, trusting that a patient turn will give you the angle you need. Once late, the harder you work, the later you get. I'll bet you can trace the lateness all the back to your gate.
Try free skiing to get the feel back and then go back to the course. I have not been on the water much this season so my expectations are lower in the course. I have begun every ski day with an open water session to reconfirm the feel and timing at various speeds and paying attention to how far up on the boat I am staying. Then, once in the course, I am trying to ski the same way, rather than just making it. This is really helping me shake out where the problems are.
Those are great points, BD.
Those are great points, BD. That quick turn, early pull resulting in being narrow really hits home for me. That is one of the revelations I'm getting from my pre-course free ski sessions.
take my advice for what its
take my advice for what its worth, but I've found over analyzing and thinking about too many things ends up hurting us.
To me there are 2 things holding you back from your next breakthrough and it has nothing to do with being open, getting wide, vision, or any other small detail.
you are getting pulled from your shoulders, not your hips. GET THE HANDLE DOWN.
I know this is earlier this year, but these pics tell the story: https://plus.google.com/photos/109740048968424966535/albums/5755536972330001697#photos/109740048968424966535/albums/5755536972330001697/5755537983148321970
roll your shoulders back and push the handle down, keep your elbows on your vest AT ALL COSTS.
I think the biggest reason you are not doing this is because of the #2 thing I alluded to - you have a rather static and unasuming position while skiing. BE DYNAMIC & get aggressive out there!
as an aside, the gate is important but I cant see why other than the 2 reasons above.
The RTP may be contributing, I can't use one, but that doesn't mean much. At the very least take away as many variables as you can, so if its bothering you, use something different.
hope this helps, let me know if you'd like me to clarify. just trying to keep it simple
Kyle
Thanks everyone, I think
Thanks everyone, I think everything you said was great.
- Make every pass feel the same.
- separate the edge change from the reach.
- take the pull from the hips, not the shoulders.
You'll be happy to know that I put it all together and ran 34mph and put the orange loop on for a glory pass and got 2.
Good times!
Alright, SA! You didn't
Alright, SA! You didn't really need our comments. I think you had the answer all along.
He usually does. Sneakiest
He usually does. Sneakiest skier around!