Feedback on my riding
Since many here commented something on your back arm.
Here’s an exercise that you can try to make you more conscious of where your arms are in your turn and limit the ability to use them…
try holding your hands together and in front of you, maybe wrapping fingers around the elbows and arms tight against your waist….
and also arms behind you. clasp your hands together behind you… over your butt… and ride that way. it opens up your shoulders… of course you won’t normally ride this way. but it will immobilize your arms… in 2 different ways and make you more conscious of what other body movements you are doing… or now needing to do to make your turns!
It appears to me that you are using your arm to help more from edge to edge.. and I agree with Jeremy too that you are using them to counter balance within the turn when reaching out in front of you.
It is nice just to hear someone describe to you what you are doing… or what it appears what you are doing. I think that alone is helpful.
Ask yourself the same questions that I’m pointing out… what are you doing to start the turn? what body movement. and what movements to control the turn… what is the front leg doing… how about the back leg. how about each knee? when and where are you rotating or are you?
All interesting things to consider when analyzing your own riding.
@snowslider: Wow, thanks a lot for the detail analysis snowslider.
This movement could also contribute to rotational movements and assist the board to skid rather than hold an edge and carve… but it doesn’t look like a carved turn is your intended turn in this clip
I was actually trying to practice my carving in this clip. But as a lot has mentioned, I need to use higher edge angle and more angulation.
Another thing you are doing when going from heel to toe edge. is rising up from a low position to a more tall position which is reducing the weight off the board and helping you initiate the turn
Do you mean up-unweighting? I always try to remind myself doing that but for some reason when I ride I can’t do it really well. Another problem that I have is after I rise up, it’s hard for me to get low again. Is there something I’m doing wrong? And I also find it hard to up-unweight on my on my heelside (down-unweight for some reason is much easier).
One thing I don’t see is a lot of independent use of your legs
This is the first time I see this being mention for regular turning. Could you elaborate more on this? What’s the purpose of individual leg action?
on your toe edge press your hips toward the snow….. and open your hips up rather than bend over
What do you mean by pressing the hips toward the snow and opening the hips?
Again, thanks a bunch for the detail analysis. Really appreciate it.
unweighting either up or down… good to hear you know these terms but they can be quite confusing. you can unweight with up movements and with down movements. I gather that you understand that. At which points of which turns do you want to do that… hmmm we’ll….
I’d say experiment with doing the exact opposite that you feel most comfortable doing. LOL seriously. it will either make you decide that it’s the better way… or it will solidify in your head that the way you are doing it is better… but just don’t try it on a handful of turns and give up… really try to make it happen with the REVERSE of what you want… sounds like a fun couple of runs, eh!
When is it best to use these movements? Hard to say it does depend on skidding vs carving and the performance level of the turn you are looking for… for example we can bring up the old terms of cross-under and cross-over styles of turns… when the body crosses over the board to change edges or vice versa. experiment with each way. I prefer the cross under style it keeps me low and squatty. it keeps my knees and hips bent. but at times I’m in a taller position and I need to change angled. I don’t start with squatting to the only position I know how to change edges in… see where I’m going? stay versatile.
rising up and not being able to get down again. I’d say it is the timing you are using in that movement. you may have missed the “sweet spot” on getting back to your low position. perhaps you are rising up too much?
You can either be at your lowest inbetween turns… or in the “belly” of each turn. try out each way.
I prefer the way it feels when I’m short in-between the turns and extended out in the “belly”
Elaborate on independent use of your legs… I think I started to get into this with an exercise idea diddnt I… talking about rotation in the middle of the turn, this would require you to push one leg out in front of you while you pull the other one back underneath you to make the board turn… this movement alone is one of many ways to make the board change direction that it it pointing. this can be a way to initiate a turn… though not the most effective, it helps understand some ways to use each leg differently. just don’t let the back leg trail. it’s got a purpose, it’s not just a follower.
There are also downward pressure that you can manage too. I’m guessing that your weight is focused on being centered over both feet equally. there can be benefit from having more weight on one foot vs the other at different times in the turn… experiment with which foot when.
Pressing hips toward snow.
I’d say pressing your knees toward the snow actually and opening up your hips. in more of a “hump” position. this will help the body lean over a bit more. Inclination as it was previously described.
Thanks for the clarification! Will definitely keep these tips in mind and try it out next time I ride.
Thanks for the clarification! Will definitely keep these tips in mind and try it out next time I ride.
Cool, I know I dropped a lot of info and I may not have done the best at explaining it, but it will at least give you some things to think about and consider on your next day on snow.
I still hope others have additional thoughts because I learn too reading comments from others.
Skip….
check out the topic in Rider Feedback titled “help on big moguls” and check out Aidy’s comments. they are currently the last post in that thread. he uses the phrase “independent leg steering” read up on that and consider yet another way that you can be using your 2 legs independently of one another!!! so much fun to be had!
@snowslider: Yepp, I read that. I’ve tried the leg steering as Jeremy taught me that before when riding moguls. But I always thought even with the steering the back leg still should follow the front leg? It’s always in my mind that having the back leg moving differently than the front is like “sweeping” your back leg back and forth and therefore not turning properly (because you’re sliding around and not using the sidecut?)? Haha, sorry its just sometimes it’s confusing.
You need to go for a ride with an instructor mate. There’s only so much you can do with text on a computer screen.
Where are u and who are u riding with?
Do u know any instructors or coaches?
He can go riding with rider! I think…
It is great reading this thread. Making me think about my own riding and what I do. Thanks for posting everyone
yeah same here i think i might ask for comments on my riding and god know i need it the video i am going to post will be 9th time snowboarding in my entire life….
@Andy: Riding in whistler, that was filmed on Jersey Cream at Blackcomb. Usually ride with Jeremy :D. I’m going to take my CASI level 1 instructor course on March 30th so I need to get better and hopefully I pass.
great thread! I’m going to practice this stuff tomorrow since my turns suck
Gamblor is just being a humble guy.
ha ha, I wish. If you look at my vids you’ll see that my arms are flapping everywhere
You might be a bird?????
I noticed ya toeside carvin when we were ridin, skip!!!!! Nice style imo!!!!! 