Hand grip position on handle ?

[Glydon]

Ok I have been slalom skiing for 31 years this summer and since joining BOS have been "told" I am gripping my handle wrong and after looking at images online of several of the top left foot forward skiers I took note that indeed they have there left palm facing "down" ... I have tried switching but MAN it feels weird ... interestingly enough one of the best LFF skiers of all time Lucky Lowe has the same grip left palm "up" as I . Does it make that much of a difference? , should I stick with trying to break this old habit ? Thanks in advance .

[OldboyII]

The friend of mine, very good skier, is LFF. He holds left palm up, starts with the ski pointed right and with the rope on left side of ski. If I could ever ski like him I'll say I reached much more than I could count on. :)

[braindamage]

I made the switch about 2 yrs ago. It really helped my offside, which surprised me because I didn’t think it would make a difference. It took about 3-4 times out before it felt reasonably normal. Sometimes I forget which way is “right”.

 

It was worth it.

[dnewton]

I was backwards a month ago and have already made the conversion and PB'd since. Now it feels awkward the old way. I would suggest a day of free skiing to make the change. It only helped me.

[supergadget]

Need to switch!

I did it.

Just go for it in one day.

It’s possible to do it all at once.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I bat with my left foot front, have my left front foot on my ski, and hold my ski bar like I would my bat.

[vtmecheng]

I switched last year, it felt weird for a while but now it's muscle memory. Give it time.

[sodbuster88]

I switched a few years ago and can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner. It completely helps open and square my shoulders to the boat on my left-to-right pull. Was very weird to begin with but that gave way to huge benefits.

[OscawanaSkier]

When I asked Seth Stisher the same question after I realized I was holding the handle “goofy” he told me to wait until the beginning of the new season. Wasn’t worth the time lost mid-season, and switching is easy at beginning of season when muscles are still rebuilding getting in shape. Worked for me!

[D3dude]

It may have just been me...but I never had elbow tendinitis until I switched which I attributed to skiing the other way along time and skiing shorter lines the new way caused some problems but I never went back except during times of extreme pain and no pain with old grip

 

[Texas6]

I switched about 8 years ago - it was strangely difficult to do, but worth it long term. Took me about 3-5 sets to feel normal

[skiboyny]

I switched a few years back. Did it in the off season. Practiced leaning on a pole with the new position. By spring It felt pretty normal. Not sure it made much of a difference one way or another to my scores though.

[Bookm_dano]

https://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/12740/hand-position-poll

Survey about this a while back.... Wife and I both switched (she rff, me lff... Both 'wrong' grip) after suggestion from some champion skiers that were coaching in Acapulco. Took only a day or two to get used to it..definitely helps your offside.

[Rednucleus]

New to the club, just finished reading the 'Misconceptions' page; great stuff till I saw my handle hold has been upside down for 3 decades! I'm RFF, throw & kick left handed but bat & golf right handed; so hold my handle like I bat and golf, with right hand on top

[Drago]

Most lefties that jump or jumped have left palm up, several set world records (lucky, klp(?), kjellander).

Maybe try switching and see if it helps, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

[Drago]

& Rodgers ... I'm beginning to think it's the correct grip!

[Gloersen]

and notable RFF's include KOJ, April, Mike Morgan (right palm up).

If a switch is attempted, for some it comes quick, but may require patience/perseverance, otherwise; ditto above.

[gapullin]

I'm LFF, ski with my left palm up, because its the same way I hold a bat, hockey stick, or golf club (I do all of those "left", and no, I am not left handed). There is no way I can comfortably shift my grip, there's too much muscle memory to maintain it as is. I'm not a professional, nor an instructor, so I may not be recognizing something, but I fail to realize the importance of "the proper grip". In the turn, when one hand is off the handle, the remaining hand rotates to the natural position for the turn. The only place I can see it making a difference is in the pull behind the boat going from left to right, but I don't feel I struggle here.

[liquid d]

By changing your grip to the "correct way", it mainly affects your toeside turn. It brings the part of the handle your left hand grabs about 6 inches closer to your hip/left hand. It will help stop breaking at the waist on your offiside/toeside turn, because you're not having to reach for it (especially if the ski suddenly decels at the finish of the turn).

If that's not a major problem for you, then it probably won't make much difference.

[JackQ]

I switched for an entire season did not make a difference. At end of season for comparison I switched back to right palm up (RFF) for one set, immediately felt more comfortable and never tried again to use the “right” grip.

 

Changing did not reduce tedancy to break on my offside or improve my pull from my offside, but that is one of the few things i do well anyway.

 

 

It is worth trying but dont think it is a big deal.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

@gyldon I skied with the wrong grip until I was about 16 and Nick Parsons was the one who finally told me a reason to switch. It vastly improved my offside and wouldn't break at the waist anymore like @JackQ states above. It was the best thing I ever did for my skiing. It takes some sets to get used to, but after that you'll never know you had the wrong grip.

[A_B]

Lucky Lowe could probably outski most folks if he grabbed the handle with both palms facing down...

 

Take your bridle and attach it to a basement pole or something about 3-4 feet off the ground. Hold correctly and lean back to resemble an offside pull. Then go back to "incorrect" grip, and see if the way your right arm drops down and allows your right shoulder to be more locked in and stronger. If it doesn't do anything for you, then stay incorrect.

 

If you make the switch, just hook up the rope as above and do pullups until you are tired everyday. It will make the feel easier to adapt to and get in some pre-season work.

 

 

[gapullin]

@liquid d thanks for the explanation, makes some sense, I'll give it a try come May once the ice comes off the lake.