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#1 Tue, Aug 11, 2009 3:20 AM
- AndrewBernhagen
- Karma: 0
- Regular
- Skis At: 0.5 @ 35 off, 36 mph
- Foot Forward: LFF
Help with offside
Hey everyone,
I've been working on slaloming a lot this summer. I've improved from barely running the course at 32 mph 15off, to making it into 28 off 36mph almost every practice set. However, I have a problem that has me stuck at 2 balls at 28 off. I can't seem to get a strong offside pull at this line length. I know I can pull strong because I usually have okay gates, but I can't seem to transition from my turn to a good pulling position. The guy who has been coaching me a lot says my back is not straight and I am crunching forward as I come across the wake. In my turn, I feel like I'm coming in fast, but I believe that is just the nature of 28 off. When I make the turn, I either come out with my shoulders back, but I seem to wheelie and can't get any angle. If that doesn't happen, I seem to get too forward and I break at the waist and generate no pull.
Any tips?
Thanks,
Andy
"A bad day on the water is a good day." -Mike Yankaitis
#2 Tue, Aug 11, 2009 12:13 PM
- h20dawg79
- Karma: 10
- Water Ski Sage
- Skis At: Old Hickory Lake, TN.
- Foot Forward: left
Re: Help with offside
2 things that come to mind: #1. Physically For me, if I'm not fully countering on my off-side, I will begin my turn initiation with my legs and I will get too straight up, off balance and will at times then break at the waist...
If I counter well from the ankles through the hips and up to shoulders and manage the rope with a good straight arm all is well!
#2. "IF" the body position is good coming into the turn, fin adjustment can have a big influence as well... If you have too much leading edge (tip) or even too much depth (rear) your off-side turn can get sketchy and break you as well...
"Warning" -the Surgeon General has determined; That the preceding statements accurately reflect the views and opinions consistent with "DSS" (Delusional Slalomitis Syndrome) a highly contagious life altering condition... (Handle with Extreme care & Patience)
#3 Tue, Aug 11, 2009 3:15 PM
- HO410
- Karma: 9
- Slalom Mentor
- Skis At: Outlaw Lake
- Foot Forward: Right
Re: Help with offside
It sounds like you are trying to ski the impossible line
http://www.proskicoach.com/slalom_artic … ible_line/
Don't forget, the boat will dish back with a vengeance, everything that you try to take. If you dig in at the buoy and try to squirt yourself across the course, you will inevitably reach a point where you cannot help yourself and you will break when the boat pulls back. When you break, you lose control of your direction. Your ski goes flat and you go narrow. You will feel fast into the buoy and feel like you have to work very hard to make the ski turn. Give the article above a good read, it was very important for my skiing to understand what Chris was getting at.
#4 Thu, Aug 13, 2009 2:23 PM
- RuralHack
- Karma: 0
- Regular
Re: Help with offside
Your first mistake is to think you have a off-side and a on-side. The turn is just different. Until you get to this mind-set, it is a deep mind set, as deep as thinking you are not right handed or left handed, coaching you is futile. Nevertheless, I will give you this piece of advice: one side sets up your other side. Ski-ya!
Last edited by RuralHack (Thu, Aug 13, 2009 2:24 PM)
Grew up at a ski school; started teaching old men like me at around 8 years old... I was a better teacher than my coach so I got to ski more if I taught them.
