Coach my video (don't hold back)

[skispray]

Just starting off the season and would love to get some feedback so that I'm practicing the right changes from the get-go. I seem to struggle finishing offside turns and getting into a strong pulling position afterwards. Not sure if that's due to rollers or technique. Please let me know what I need to be focusing on!

 

 

[gregy]

I think your dipping your shoulder and letting your hips fall back some on the offside. Nice skiing for drysuit weather though. I'd say on the offside, try to push your hips forward more as you reach out the handle then try to ski your hips to the handle as you came out of the turn. You also have something going on when going from good side to offside where your opening up and letting the handle out and high off the wake.

[jhughes]

Looks cleaner than most of my -28s so feel free to ignore this. I like the nice boat height on the gate. That's what's making these passes for you. You can see how high the rope comes up on the side of the boat in the glide/move out. Then throughout the pass you can see the rope is barely getting to those "Malibu" plaques on each interior side panel of the boat, much less angle in the course than on the glide. Running really tight to the turn balls like you're running -39 as a result, not much room for error.

 

What I can't tell due to the drysuit is how straight the arms are. My theory is that you're giving up direction out to the ball with some bent arms here and there, same thing I'm working on. Fundamental mechanics stuff at this point.

[UWSkier]

That's some really nice skiing actually. I agree with @gregy about you dipping your shoulder a bit. You're throwing your head and shoulders to the inside to try to crank the ski around instead of keeping a head up, shoulders level approach through the turn.

 

 

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

@skispray your skiing looks awesome, especially for being in a dry suit. Building on what's been said above. Into offside, when you change edges you tend to stand up quickly and ride a flat ski along with letting your arms go straight. This does a couple of things; it puts you on a straight line to the buoy and all the width you created from your pull behind the boat you just gave back to the boat.

 

As for the finish if you can fix your approach into the buoy it will help a lot of the issues you see at the finish of the turn. One thing I will say is always remember to ski from the bottom up and not from the top down.

 

I'd recommend taking a look into the thread I posted and read what I wrote, it will go more into depth.

Level Head. Level Shoulders

 

[jakecuz23]

Just my opinion so feel free to disregard it, but I think your form is fine. I think your bigger issue is you have no width in the course. You look to be on the taller taller side as a person (5'11 ish?) and at 28 off you should have the reach and rope to be getting more wide in the course. You are barely outside of your 1 ball. I think if you improved you path and kept your width, you would have an easier time.

[wart]

28 off, cool, puts you the, hmmm, top 10% (?) of those try the slalom course, in a dry suit no less.

 

All the advice, above, is correct. But wow that’s a lot to remember.

I’ll suggest @jakecuz23 is on the right track.

 

At your point in development, a rock solid, stacked position, directly behind the boat is the most important fundamental to lock into your skiing.

 

This will improve your width, make you early to the ball, everything will feel easier... by trying harder.

 

So, how to do this? Everyone can probably come up with suggestions that have worked of them.

Here’s some that have worked for me...

Video (you already have this covered)

When working on your stacked position, don’t chase balls, turn when it feels right. (Oh, and 6 stacks and turns missing balls, is better than making 3, when practicing.)

At 28 off (or maybe 22 off if it feels safer), how far outside the buoy-line can you get? (2’, 4’?)

 

How to feel stacked?

Dry land, tie the handle to something, and practice. Repeat (directly) behind the boat (carefully).

 

 

 

[liquid d]

To ski wide, you must start wide. You'll notice you drift back quite a bit on the gate before you make a turn for the gate. Don't fall into the turn for your gate; ski into it. You'll find you will start sooner and from "higher" up on the boat. With the increased angle coming from you being up on the boat, you won't get that flat spot that Cole mentions, and it will give you a tad more speed in the turn. You'll notice the abrupt finish to your turns diminish and voila...you'll be earlier and wider for the next turn.

...and another nod to level the head. Post some vid in a month...would be nice to see the progression. Good Luck!