Where to look....

[Jetsetr]

Ok, here’s a VERY basic question....

 

After making the turn after the ball, where should you be looking?

Back of the boat, horizon ahead of the boat or the next ball?

Obviously at some point you need to pick up the ball, so at what point do you do that?

TIA!!!

[Andre]

Some will say never look across the rope until behind the boat.

Some look at the boat transom or pylon...Some look 15 feet in front of the next bouy...Some look for the next boat guides.

For me, i spot the bouy after second wake,which may be too early...

[foxriverat]

I think you need to experiment and find what works best for you. I find looking at the back of the boat helps keep me open to the boat and with me still working on my bad form helps me. My friends look before the bouy. I have tried that and I end up leading with my shoulder on my off side and then getting bent at the wake.

[Wish]

eyes up and focused on something other then the ball u are rounding. Whatever that may be I believe is a personal preference. Nate looks cross course very early coming into an off side ball and much later on his on side. So not only diff targets for diff people but perhaps diff from one side to the next. But the best never look down. Got some race car training from the Fin Whisperer. Lots of talk of eyes look well past the turn and where you want the car to end up at the finish of the turn and then look ahead of that. Basically peripheral vision takes care of what's immediatly in front of you and your vision is 2 steps ahead. Hard to do sometimes. Found myself looking down to see that I was gonna clear the "curb" with my tire. Corners felt stubid fast but car was stubid slow. Eyes up and planning ahead with them made the the car corner fast in the turn but feel slow motion in my head. Much better that ways

[PatM]

For a couple of years I tried to look down course til past centerline. Skied a couple of sets with Andy Mapple and first thing he said to me is 'where do you want to go?'-'look where you want to be'. So I try to look at the next buoy coming into the turn and across after.

[Jetsetr]

That’s kinda the same as riding MX...look where you want to go early...don’t look where you’re going...

[Rich]

As soon as your 2nd hand is on the handle look right down the line into the pylon, Watch the pylon through centerline, That will give you the power you need off the 2nd wake, Past white water pick up the ball, at the ball look straight ahead, repeat...

[andjules]

I think it depends on a little on what you're working on, and what your common faults are.

I tend to rush the turn, so at the apex, I try to look down the buoy line for a moment.

I've seen some skiers who load too hard and a coach has told them to look at the pylon and it's helped them. However, for most -15 offers learning the course (and learning to lean aggressively enough), I still think the old fashioned advice of picking a tree across the lake and pulling for it works.

For me, I ski best if — after I complete the turn — I try to look 20' early and 5' wide of the next ball. When I do that (not often enough!), some part of my brain that I'm not aware of magically gets my body to do things that help me get there.

[ski6jones]

Whatever you look at make sure it's something that will always be there. Bouys, boats and pylons are good. Trees, grills and rocks don't translate well from site to site.

[Jetsetr]

Thanks for all the responses...Thanks @Rich....clear and straightforward...

I know it’s not a “one size fits all” type of question...but it gives me a place to start.

[Chef23]

I was taught to look cross course but that was a long time ago. I know where I look on the pullout but not where I look in the course.

[The_MS]

Whatever April does

[ScottScott]

Obviously there are some different schools of thought. Most I have heard seem to support looking at or before the next ball. April Coble teaches to look for the next ball really early (and if you watch video of her you can see her turning her head across course very early.) I've heard Nate Smith comment about looking for the next ball (maybe with some differences on one side of course or the other as @Wish stated earlier.) Jodi Fisher likes to think of this, along with most other aspects of position, with everything being in alignment....looking across course, upcourse of the next ball (where you want to be headed as was commented that Andy did.)

[The_MS]

When I grab the handle out of 1 I will look at 2 ball until I lose it behind the boat. I look to shoreline for width until I see it again.

[Deke]

@MS I was thinking about those who look for the next ball. If you are looking as you round the ball, the next one is ahead of the boat. Right?

[The_MS]

Correct. You willl lose site when boat covers it

[Wish]

You lose site of it but not it's location. It's a spit second and you pick it up off the back of the boat without doing anything. It's like driving your car when tracking a fixed object, your eyes will not lose what you are tracking regardless of what objects pass between. The hardest part is picking it up in front of the boat.

[The_MS]

I need to make sure to look to shoreline or I don’t get width/direction as I cross wakes

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Ask Rossi "Vision"