How to Carve Like a Pro

Is he coming around too much with his downhill shoulder/arm and hence preventing proper angulation at knees and hips?

I'm a student, not an expert, and trying to get it right hence it's more a question from me on what I "think" the right answer is.

It seems to me like he collapses his upper body (trunk) too much onto his legs? Or am I nuts. More of that going on than getting the hips into the hill? Obviously the guy is a very very very good skier. I liked his mogul skiing the best.

How about one sequence his head is over his inside ski and the other his head is over his outside ski?  Balance on the inside edge of the outside ski!  Pretty simple stuff!?

Seems to me in the first sequence he's demonstrating what happens with your pressure mostly on the inside ski. The drill shown at the end is likely to help move the pressure to the outside ski, but that's not the way I'd like to see people learn it. Especially lifting the ski that high! It throws all kinds of compensations into the mix. Interestingly, I find that skiing on the inside ski only can be really helpful in moving the body inside in the turn, and something that can actually help with this process. The real issue from my perspective is that the inside ski is directly under the body. If you allow your skis to move more outside, the pressure naturally moves to the outside ski, and your center takes that shorter path down the mountain.

Looks to me like there is too much tip lead on the inside ski In addition to or because of the previous observations. More ankle flex on the inside ski seems to have a positive outcome in the "good" example.

Square and leaning in, falling on the inside ski because of it, outside ski loses pressure and tracks away as a result.  All the other ugly stuff is just a byproduct.

The inside ski lift drill at the end is an attempt to rectify the leaning in issue, and teach him to angulate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick 

Square and leaning in, falling on the inside ski because of it, outside ski loses pressure and tracks away as a result.  All the other ugly stuff is just a byproduct.

 

The inside ski lift drill at the end is an attempt to rectify the leaning in issue, and teach him to angulate.

Leaning in? I'm trying to understand what you mean by that. For my eyes, he's not moving his body far enough into the turn and leaving his skis under his hips instead of out to the side. He's also not allowing that inside leg to collapse so that the pressure will move outside to the inside edge of the outside ski. But, it seems to me that I would be unlikely to describe the situation in the first sequence as "leaning in." Since you are so much more experienced than I am in seeing these issues, can you help me understand it better, please? I'd really appreciate it!

Steve, the bottom of the turn loss of pressure on the outside ski, and resultant widening of the stance and the outside ski tracking away, is a direct result of poor angulation.  That's what I mean by "leaning in".  The inside hand and shoulder drop towards the snow, and pressure moves to the inside foot/ski.  It's clear to see in the bottom left image in tdk6's side by side montage comparison.  Outside ski pressure is gone.  

Some might be deceived into thinking the wider stance he goes into the turn with has something to do with the loss of outside ski pressure, but it's not the case.  One can very easily maintain outside ski balance when employing a wide stance, you just need to angulate properly (See my photo below).  It's when too much leaning happens that outside ski balance loss happens, such as it does in the OP video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick 

 

 

Quote ssh:

Leaning in? I'm trying to understand what you mean by that. For my eyes, he's not moving his body far enough into the turn and leaving his skis under his hips instead of out to the side. He's also not allowing that inside leg to collapse so that the pressure will move outside to the inside edge of the outside ski. But, it seems to me that I would be unlikely to describe the situation in the first sequence as "leaning in." Since you are so much more experienced than I am in seeing these issues, can you help me understand it better, please? I'd really appreciate it!

 

 

Steve, the bottom of the turn loss of pressure on the outside ski, and resultant widening of the stance and the outside ski tracking away, is a direct result of poor angulation.  That's what I mean by "leaning in".  The inside hand and shoulder drop towards the snow, and pressure moves to the inside foot/ski.  It's clear to see in the bottom left image in tdk6's side by side montage comparison.  Outside ski pressure is gone.  

 

Some might be deceived into thinking the wider stance he goes into the turn with has something to do with the loss of outside ski pressure, but it's not the case.  One can very easily maintain outside ski balance when employing a wide stance, you just need to angulate properly (See my photo below).  It's when too much leaning happens that outside ski balance loss happens, such as it does in the OP video.

 

 

You can most diffently angulate while in a wide stance, but the majority of people in a wide stance have it because its a cause of their lateral balance being to far  inside at some point in the turn some of the time.
 

BTW but whats up with the speed suits and no helmet thing?

I want to wear the dorkiest, most un funcitional piece of clothing I can aka speed suit. The speed suit's  one purpose is to go fast in a race course, except I am not actually racing and I am not wearing a helmet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

 

You can most diffently angulate while in a wide stance, but the majority of people in a wide stance have it because its a cause of their lateral balance being to far  inside at some point in the turn some of the time.

 

 

 

 

In a roundabout way there can be some truth to that.  But then, it's also a chicken/egg thing.  People will go to a stance wider than optimal when they don't trust their lateral balance skills.  It's kind of like having a training wheel.  The inside foot is kept under the hips, so it's always there as a backup to fall on in case of a lateral balance loss.   

Then again, sometimes a wider stance is just a byproduct of individual body type and alignment.  Everyones functional stance width will vary a little.  Few, though, will resemble the stance in my photo above.  It's just an angulation, flexion/extension, and edge angle drill.

There, fixed it for ya!  

I used those pants in all the Building Blocks DVDs, to clearly show important body lines in my demos.   

I wore a coat because we were out there filming, day in and day out,  all day long, and only wearing a suit is bloody cold!

I don't wear a helmet because I'm an old fart, and set in my ways.  Do as I say, not as I do.  When I race Downhill, I do dust off and use one.  

He ahs a solid block of ice instead of a right leg?

tdk, the trick is that you've reversed the images.   Blue to red, and red to blue.  

Sorry, my friend!  

I'll remain silent for a bit, to not spoil the rest of the exercise. 

The leg shaft is upright in the boot on his left hand leg.

and if you trace vertical lines from the head and the waist there would be more distance between them in the "true" bad example.

Yeah he seems a bit "crouchy" to me.  I don't think he's getting his inside leg outside of his upper body enough either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdk6 

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxammo 

The leg shaft is upright in the boot on his left hand leg.

Excellent observation . If its what I think it is. Correct me if Im wrong. In the bad (not flipped) to the left his leg is totally straight. In the right hand frame he is driving his knee into the turn. The result is higher edge angle.

 

See, I didn't have to say a word.   I knew you were seeing that, tdk.  Well done pdxammo.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdk6 


Excellent observation . If its what I think it is. Correct me if Im wrong. In the bad (not flipped) to the left his leg is totally straight. In the right hand frame he is driving his knee into the turn. The result is higher edge angle.

 

Hey there, 
 

...are you sure? I've circled in your doctored image where I think the knee is flexing... OTOH I'm not very good with anatomy... I'm sure from a side view his flexion or lack thereof would be more apparent

Like this guy, I find myself widening my stance progressively as I angulate/counter in the midst of long GS carved turns and the pressure on the outside ski builds. Is that the best form?

PS: Rick, you would be amazed at how far apart my feet are now (I hear your voice reverberating in my helmet....)

David