RDY_2_Carve Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 After seeing some videos of myself I've realized that my heelside is trash! Note to self: Just because you are making pretty trenches does not mean you don't look like a poser! Sorry Rob Stevens-I'm not posting the videos on here! Maybe after I fix this problem I'll post a before and after video... ;) Any basic tips to help me get off the toilet? Something straight forward and basic that I can focus on right before I start my run would be ideal. Definately not looking to get overwhelmed! One liners like "focus on looking uphill to keep your body facing the nose" are prime examples of what I'm looking for. I plan on taking a handful of these tidbits of information and focusing on each one individually. P.S. I spent a good hour last night re-reading all the tech articles on the subject. Good stuff P.S.S. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Realize that your knees are simply there for shock absorption - not to "get low". People who sit on the toilet usually try to sink down into the carve with their knees first, before actually tipping the board up on edge. So do it the other way - tip the board up first, bend you knees second. Not that you should ever be riding with straight knees, but I think you know what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Disclaimer: I'm not an instructor or a coach, nor do I play one on TV. I'm just telling you something that worked for me. Try the "Pencil Pinching" drill on Jack's practice drills page: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/practice_drills.cfm If you try to do this while sitting on the toilet, one of the following happens: 1) Your weight goes over the tail and your board slides out from underneath you. :p 2) You pinch at the belly instead of at the side, just above the hip, and your butt slides off the back of the toilet, which demonstrates that you need to try the drill again only pinching at the side 3) You make the necessary adjustment to your body position, are no longer sitting on the toilet, and probably hook up a beautiful heelside I can see how this drill wouldn't click for everyone but it worked for me. The key is to not do #2 and pinch at the belly and stick your butt out even more. I found it helpful to think to myself "jam your ribs into your hip bone". If I find my technique sloppy on a steeper run I frequently use this drill to get my mojo back. It's usually my heelside that goes to **** on steeper stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgang Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 the following is a satirical comment. the writer of the following does not premote and demote the above style of riding......that said I love sitting on the toilet it gets with away from the wife and kids for awhile. on the serious side. I do the same thing I am going to check out that article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Sometimes, if I look down the fall line when I'm in the end of a heel turn, my head and shoulders get pulled forward, because that's where I'm looking. I find I keep my back straighter if I'm already looking to the SIDE of the run, when I'm at the apex. That seems to be the deal for better style on the heels. My lower body isn't doing anything different... My ass goes to the inside and the board goes on edge. The only reason you look like you're ass is sticking out is because you might be letting turn forces pull your shoulders outside. I think MikeT has a good one, too, thinking about a bit of "pelvic tilt". Some core strenth (hip bones to rib cage, internally rotating by compressing your lower abdominals) would keep your whole body "stacked" a bit better. For "muscle memory", do some wall sits with your feet out from the wall a couple of board widths, having both hip and shoulder on the wall at the same time. Really make it tough by going into a slightly "inclined" position by bringing your hip forward through internal rotation, off the wall, while your shoulder stays in place supporting you. Just to re-inforce things more, you could look to the side, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 I'm not posting the videos on here! So I will not post my suggestions here. What a speech?! Dont' you think that seeing you could help us to help you? If you don't post it, you don't need just an instructor: you need a magician that can guess what you are (not) doing on your board... Boh?!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 So I will not post my suggestions here.What a speech?! Dont' you think that seeing you could help us to help you? If you don't post it, you don't need just an instructor: you need a magician that can guess what you are (not) doing on your board... Boh?!... Richard-It's embarrasing to say the least. I do understand where you're coming from though. I'm ashamed after two years on plates that I ride like a tool. I guess I should be content since I've only been on snow for three years now, but at the same time I know I should be further along than this. This is the year I was hoping to get into the intermidiate level but I'm not even close. Honestly my toe side is not much better than my heelside but I'm trying to keep it simple by focusing on one thing at a time. I know for a fact that I'm sitting on the toilet and counter-rotating so I figured I'd address that first. IMHO if I post a video my riding is going to get ripped to shreds (in a good way). I'm not so sure that trying to take in that much information at once is really going to help me. I already feel somewhat overloaded reading the tech articles so I think I'm just going to start over and do some norm carves and try to take baby steps to break some of these bad habits I've formed. Actually if Jack saw the video that's probably what he'd suggest for me anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 I can understand your point of view but, if you don't show yourself here where many many people can suggest something to you, where could you post it? I mean: you are talking about "toilet" but maybe that, watching you, someone can discover some major problems that leads you to such position! Such position could not be the cause but just...the consequence of something wrong. You're right: don't focus on too many things. But posting the video, could help us to suggest you the MAIN thing to focus on while you could focus on something that is just marginal. Hope that this explains better my point of view. All of us have many things that is better not to show. I post my best pictures but you can bet on the fact I've got many terrible ones. I practice my technique on the best slope, but you can bet on the fact that difficult one makes my imperfections in the technique comes up. So... less shame can helps to improve in a shorter time your riding. ;-) I'm now riding since 1992-1993... and I thing I'm at 60% of my way for riding at a good level... Regards, Richard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 What against the toilet seat? If you watch racers many are allways on the toilet seat during backside carves. If you are really low with your knees why shouldn't you? I agree its better to be able carve both ways, but in a GS race course I feel much more comfortable breaking at the waist than not. Its much easier to put in a drift when your on the toilet seat and you don't lock into the carve. Breaking at the waist enables me to perfectly ride around the triangle flag because its so easy to adjust the radius. Skiers in SL/GS also allways break at the waist and do a little counter rotation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 racers many are allways on the toilet seat during backside carves. If you are really low with your knees why shouldn't you? I would underline the difference between bend at the waist and sitting on the toilet. The sitting on the toilet occurs usually when your legs are almost straight while your torso is bent at the waist a lot; most of the times, with counter rotation and shoulders mor back than the waist. Bend at the waist is not wrong in advance: you have to watch how the rest of your body is aligned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 I agree with RicHard, if you want the correct feedback, a good teacher needs to understand exactly what you look like before, during, and after when you feel like you are "sitting on the toilet". And to know your motivation: what were you trying to do in that part of the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted January 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Ok guys I give in. The Video is processing on Google so it'll be a bit. In the meantime here's a pic of me at SES 06 which is pretty much a prime example. Thank you Scott Firestone for the pic (I don't have many)! Wish I had some to be proud of though...Be gentle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Sorry, I don't really understand the difference (I really don't want to hijack your thread. But for me the following picture is a prime example of sittin on the toilet. However I do quite well riding like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted January 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Here's the video link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trikerdad Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 There are a lot of more qualified people than me to comment on what you're doing but, here's my two cents worth. You wanted simple things to concentrate on. 1: Keep your hands in front of you at all times, picture a ski pole held between them parallel to the snow. Your right hand waving behind you should be across your board on your heelside. 2: Tell yourself to look, look, look your turns, both toe and heelside. Every time I get sloppy it's because I'm looking down the fall line instead of where I would go if I continued my turn. While standing in the lift line, see how far you can see behind you over your heelside shoulder then try to duplicate it on the hill. You'll find your butt over the board and your turns snapping around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 The sitting on the toilet occurs usually when your legs are almost straight ummm.... then it would be called something other than "sitting". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 gotta be brief because it's bedtime. You are counter-rotating at the waist. It is subtle, but it's there. The board goes left, but your upper body doesn't. At the end of your toeside turn, look way around in the direction of the next turn you're about to make, and make sure you can <i>see</i> your back hand somewhere in your peripheral vision throughout the transition and the heelside carve. Think of pointing your front knee where you want to go, and follow through with the back knee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahcarver Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 R2C: Keep the outside arm down and in front of your field of view. This has been overly discussed in other threads and it is a recurring problem among the community. Trikerdad nails this in suggesting that you picture a ski pole held parallel between your hands. Years ago, long before I remotely knew what I the hell I was doing (and not that I do now), I taught my 3 cubs to use 'imaginary handlebars' in front of them when they initiated a turn. What it did for them was to help them not to counter-rotate at the waist and shoulders and it kept them off of the tails of their boards. Also, heads up! A newbie (and some of us oldsters) wants to look at the tip of the board (...and I find myself slipping into this filthy habit when I'm tired and need to get off the hill) keep your head up and look in the direction of the turn. You are probably getting some edge chatter from time to time on your heelsides. To correct this, outside arm down, look in the direction of your turn, keep applying pressure on the tongues of your boots to initiate the turn; feed the board underneath your feet (kinda like you'd feed a dollar bill through a change machine) and finish the turn with your weight beginning to pressure the tail. Also, go to oldsnowboards.com and read The Core Four by the Delaney Bros. as a primer for all-around riding. This, or eating like a supermodel, will keep you off of the toilet. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I get video currently unavailable?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gabor Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Hi, I found the videos not so bad. Yes, does not look nice but way better than really sitting on the toilet. Go to the articles section and read "the norm II" and "Practice drills". I think the shoulders level to the slope (you fail to do it on frontside carves) and back hand touching front boot on backsides should help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Here's the video link Aaaaahhhh, that's good. So, as far as I know, the problem on the backside are your legs too straight (they don't follow the happening of the curve) and, on the frontside, counter-rotation. I would start to work on the frontside because the counter-rotation leads you in a wrong position on the backside curve. Let me see better and I'll be back... I'm running, now, with my job! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 ummm.... then it would be called something other than "sitting". I said "almost", something like you are in a "public" toilet and don't want to touch anything! ;-) So you are bent at the waist but with legs not so bent! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicHard Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Ok guys I give in. The Video is processing on Google so it'll be a bit. In the meantime here's a pic of me at SES 06 which is pretty much a prime example. Thank you Scott Firestone for the pic (I don't have many)! Wish I had some to be proud of though...Be gentle! The Picture doesn't look so bad. I would correct (after your counter rotation on the frontside carve!): back hand lower, front hand upper and less leaning into the curve with your torso (more upright). :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I found the videos not so bad. Yes, does not look nice but way better than really sitting on the toilet. no, this is classic toilet sitting. Very common, nothing that can't be corrected. But the only thing that's missing is the Sunday paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Buggs Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 the only thing that's missing is the Sunday paper. :lol: No expert here but it looks like your hips are working against you in the Heel side. That is a classic part of the learning curve. One of the walls people have to break through. It will happen for you soon because you are aware of it. Not nearly as bad as you made it sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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