Is this the start of a bad habit or a good habit??

[ISP6ball]

I think my preturn is relatively good and the early part of my turn is good (for me), but it seems like I lose angle on the last part of my turn.  When skiing the course this ends up putting me behind in getting to the next ball.  While out free skiing the other day I decided I was going to try and figure out how to get a more aggressive angle in my turns.

One time, when I was working on getting a more aggressive angle, I pushed a little bit on my back leg at the end of my turn.  It felt like I was just giving a little "snap" of pressure to my back leg, and then I would transition back in to a balanced stance after the turn was finished.  It appeared like it helped finish out my turn.  I started to work on doing that through each turn and it felt like I was getting a more aggressive angle on the finishing part of my turns.

Prior to working on this technique (be it good or bad), I was relatively balanced on my feet through my turn.  I haven't put this techninque in to practice out on the course yet.  Is this a bad habit or a good habit to work on?  Thanks

  

[MrJones]

My vote would be bad. Any time you move your weight to you heels you are moving "away from the boat" and/or direction you want to be going. You feel load which makes you "feel" like you are getting ahead of the game, but it is actually not what you want.

I would suggest keeping the balanced stance with a focus on momentum moving forward through the turn and tweak your fin to get a bit more angle. There are a lot of fin guys on here who can offer help. WIth no more than what you have mentioned I would suggest a bit shallower.

My .02

sj

[Horton]

Ditto what Jones says

[Old MS Accout]

When or where are you loosing angle? are you getting a wheelie that is stalling you or are you just not getting any outward momentum? If you can get around the ball without your ski stopping or really slowing down then it is just angle. If you feel the ski wont get into the direction that you ant it to go, then it may be fin position. The ski has to finish its turn in order to gain the angle you need without going otf. Try to get off your pull and into your edge change sooner which will help you back side the ball insted of going deep past the ball and then not feeling like you can gain the angle needed. Edge cahnge sooner, carry out to the ball with some extention and back side the ball without slowing down.      

[ISP6ball]

I don't know if its a matter of me loosing angle as much as it's a matter of me not having a very tight angle.  Sometimes it feels more like a shallow arc vs a steep arc.  Does that make any sense?

 I will try and get some video of it so maybe you guys can disect my form a little better.  It sounds like i'll ditch the bad form and work on my edge change a little more.  I guess if that doesn't work i'll maybe make a fin adjustment. 

 

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Poor angle frequently starts at the gates.  If you are narrow on your gate pullout, you will be narrow and turning downcourse at 1, which will carry on throught the course unless youget a monster turn somewhere.   The same goes for free skiing - you have to get width to generate angle, or you will have to 'kick' the turn like you mentioned (bad habit).

 

Without seeing you ski, or better descriptions of what is going on, being too narrow on the gates is my best guess.

[RichardDoane]

"Start Narrow - Stay Narrow" is one of the coaching cliches that is true. There's no substitute for a good pull out, well timed gate & 1 ball to start your pass.