Plans for Improvement

[hammer]

I've been thinking (a lot) about some of the things I can do to improve my skiing this season...my main objectives are to transition from skidding to carving and to become more comfortable with skiing steeper terrain. I know that I have some issues with "back seat" skiing and I'd guess that this is the first thing I should work on.

Aside from just getting out more often, can anyone recommend some good drills that I can do?

 

[Greg]

I've been thinking (a lot) about some of the things I can do to improve my skiing this season...my main objectives are to transition from skidding to carving and to become more comfortable with skiing steeper terrain. I know that I have some issues with "back seat" skiing and I'd guess that this is the first thing I should work on.

Aside from just getting out more often, can anyone recommend some good drills that I can do?

Hand position. That's going to be the biggest key for you right now. Don't let your hands drag behind you. Keep them in your peripheral vision at all times; hold them high (aim for your arms being parallel with the snow) and keep your arms away from your body. You might feel like a dork, but don't worry about it. Anyone that thinks you look weird probably can't ski anyway. With your new hand position, try also to keep your body square to the fall line at all times.

Go ski with JimG. at Hunter.

Re-read this thread (which you started... :lol:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/7345-terminal-intermediate.html

 

[hammer]

Hand position. That's going to be the biggest key for you right now. Don't let your hands drag behind you. Keep them in your peripheral vision at all times; hold them high (aim for your arms being parallel with the snow) and keep your arms away from your body. You might feel like a dork, but don't worry about it. Anyone that thinks you look weird probably can't ski anyway. With your new hand position, try also to keep your body square to the fall line at all times.

Go ski with JimG. at Hunter.

Re-read this thread (which you started... :lol:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/7345-terminal-intermediate.html

Thanks for the advice on the hand position; I know I've been a pain with these questions...

I took your advice and checked back on my previous thread :dunce:. I saw some good overall advice there but not too much on drills...I was mainly wondering if anyone has any ideas on drills that can help with stuff like back-seat issues, body position, etc.

As far as feeling like a dork is concerned, I think I need several more seasons under my belt before that goes away so that's not a factor.

 

[Greg]

I know I've been a pain with these questions...

NOT AT ALL! Keep them coming...

 

[RISkier]

You might consider picking up a book or two that would give drills. Breakthrough on the New Skis 3rd edition by Lito Tejada-Flores is a pretty good book on carving and gives some drills. The All Mountain Skier by Mark Elling has quite a few drills. I'd say lessons combined with mileage is the fastest way to improve. A good instructor can kind of hone in on the things you really need to work on and give drills specific to those needs.

 

[Paul]

I'm in the same boat as you, Hammer. This is about my 3rd season back on the slopes after a 20 year break. I just got new boots (Technica Vento 10 the only ones with a toe box wide enough for my Donald Duck feet) and got custom footbeds for them. I'm hoping that correcting some of the weird shite that my feet do will help. As many here have said, it all really starts there. The other thing I/we're doing is that we have season passes to somewhat nearby Ski Nutterbut. Paying up front kinda forces us to go, so I should be able to get in those precious miles. Aside from that I plan on taking lessons at least 3 times this year. One in the beginning of the season to hopefully correct what being off of skis for 8 months did. One in the middle, to guage improvement from the first, and one in late Feb 'cos we're going to the 'bush for a week, and I want to learn to ski bumps.

 

[Paul]

Oh yeah...drills!

I got one from an instructor at Ascutney last year.

Practice turns on a steep, but not too steep, groomer. When you turn, lift your uphill foot and point the shovel of the ski into the snow. The tail and waist should be off the ground, just the wide part of the shovel edge should be in the snow. While you are doing this, make sure you are turning your ankle so that you can just feel the ankle bone against the side of the boot. Use the small part of the ski thats in the snow to do your turn, it'll really crank you around. Keep doing this until you can link the turns, and keep alternating the lifting of the feet smoothly.

 

[ajl50]

As a guy with a big upper body I used to get "in the back seat" a lot. They two best things that helped me improve were learning to keep my hands up in front of me at all times, and never letting my shoulders face across the hill. This second one surprised me. On steep terrain I was getting my skis across the fall line to slow descent just fine, but I was also turning my body. This forced my back on my skis and it was trouble from there. Once I learned to stay square to the hill with my hands and shoulders I found I had a ton of control on steep trails.

 

[skiprob]

This site is loaded with drills.

http://www.skismarts.com/

Good Luck

 

[bigbog]

my $.01...

hammer...just a few...trying to keep it simple,

1)Toning up:
in abs, *quads/glutes(leg lifts/curls), calves(rising up & down from toes/ball of foot), back muscles via inverted 1/2 situps, regular situps while on the xxxx?(soft plastic, inflatable) Ball.
2)Flexibility: ..J-curls, C-curls...in a doorway.
3)Alignment in your boot:
Getting that yearly checkup from a boot-guy like Jeff!
(in/out of binding(ramp +/- ?...deltas/zeppas))

On snow...
Greg's hands..! oh yeah...a bigtime issue...
Having control of ones hips!!! (..always enjoy looking back at this..as if they have a mind of their own:lol: :lol:

Steve

 

[dmc]

This year I need to work on my fear...
When i head to JH this March, I'm going to do Corbetts with some speed rather then just dropping...

 

[Zindar]

You might consider picking up a book or two that would give drills. Breakthrough on the New Skis 3rd edition by Lito Tejada-Flores is a pretty good book on carving and gives some drills.

I was going to say the exact same thing. This is a good book and its easy and fun to read.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

This year I need to work on my fear...
When i head to JH this March, I'm going to do Corbetts with some speed rather then just dropping...

Just the fact u drop in there at all means u have no fear in my opinion..

 

[JimG.]

Thanks for the advice on the hand position; I know I've been a pain with these questions...

I took your advice and checked back on my previous thread :dunce:. I saw some good overall advice there but not too much on drills...I was mainly wondering if anyone has any ideas on drills that can help with stuff like back-seat issues, body position, etc.

As far as feeling like a dork is concerned, I think I need several more seasons under my belt before that goes away so that's not a factor.

1) Pick a comfortable slope; ski a run.
2) Next run on the same slope, hop up and down as you're skiing and turning. Make sure that the tips and tails of your skis are coming up off the snow an equal distance.
3) Next run on the same slope, shuffle your feet back and forth on the snow as you're skiing and turning.
4) Next run on the same slope, alternate picking your left and right foot up off the snow; as with the hopping, ensure that the tip and tail of the ski you are picking up come off the snow an equal distance. Take 2 or 3 runs using this drill and try to alternate feet more and more quickly each run.
5) Now go ski alot the rest of the day.

That'll fix your back seat issues. You're not going to be able to do any of these drills, especially the ones where the tip and tail must come up an equal distance, unless you are centered on your skis.

 

[dmc]

Just the fact u drop in there at all means u have no fear in my opinion..

No matter how good I think I am - I can always be better...

 

[JimG.]

This year I need to work on my fear...
When i head to JH this March, I'm going to do Corbetts with some speed rather then just dropping...

Although I will not be going to JH, I will be working on the same issue.

I want to do a Winter/very early Spring trip to Tux/GOS.

 

[dmc]

Although I will not be going to JH, I will be working on the same issue.

I want to do a Winter/very early Spring trip to Tux/GOS.

We're doing an AVI1 class(refresh for me) in December at Pinkham/Tucks...
Interested?

 

[JimG.]

We're doing an AVI1 class(refresh for me) in December at Pinkham/Tucks...
Interested?

Yes! I need basic avi training.

 

[dmc]

Yes! I need basic avi training.

Consider yourself in the loop...

 

[JimG.]

Consider yourself in the loop...

Nice!

I'm jaded...I don't get all hyped up buying our season passes anymore, but planning a ski trip of this kind really gets me going.

Soooooooooooooooooooooon!