Alignment Analysis?

[Eric267]

I’ve suffered from some of the same issues/symptoms. Have a pin in my right hip from when I was young which made my right leg slightly shorter than my left. Add in a broken left ankle 15 years ago and a broken left foot 7 years ago and my internal muscular canting is a little off. I get that hooky tip feeling on my left inside early season until I build the muscle back up. I’ve had to do a stretching/muscle building routine working from the feet up.

before I get deep into what Ive done maybe try something to see if we are on the same page.

With legs spread shoulder width apart and feet in a neutral position see how hard you can push your right Big toe into the ground without flexing your knees or leaning foreword. Then try with your left toe and see if you can push as hard as with your right without leaning foreword. Then sitting down Try to independently bend your toes in a bunch of different directions. Can you do the same on both feet?

For me it had something to do with the tendons/muscles In my ankles and how it controls my toes. When I’m unable to pressure my left big toe correctly I’ll compensate by putting too much pressure foreword on my boot to try to use my ankle to really get pressure on my big toe which can slightly puts me out of balance. New liners or footbeds feel great right away but will break in kinda wonky if I don’t build strength in the muscles independently of my ski boots.

 

[oldschoolskier]

@AmyPJ before you go and make changes do a self analysis of you gliding skills. On a freshly groomed flat run do a gliding run straight, let the skis float as relaxed as possible, shimmy is good but may be unnerving, it is what you are looking for.

Go back as quickly as possible so that you see your tracks. If the float/shimmy looks equal likely all is good and it just a matter of time to get used to the new set up.

If not (which I suspect), take photos and show this to your tech (boot/ski guy). It will show how the ski is dragging and canted. Though correct in a shop, in actual application wrong.

What is important you must ski in what feels good to what is right to make it work. Remember with tweaks like this it is about setting up perfect setup for physical deficiencies.

I won’t tell you whats wrong as you’ll likely see it as soon as you see your tracks. It is simple to understand when you see it.

Cheers,

 

[LiquidFeet]

I’m not sure about Schlopy, the drill I mentioned is sometimes called Teacup, because you put your hand on your hip with elbow out. Someone here posted video of Mikaela Shiffrin doing these on her recovery after she had the bad crash A few years back.

Schlopy drill = Teacup drill = Heisman drill = John Travolta drill (similar to the cover for Sat Nite Fever)

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Not kidding about the Rolfing. Maybe it's you that needs to change and not the boots.

 

[AmyPJ]

Not kidding about the Rolfing. Maybe it's you that needs to change and not the boots.

No Rolfers in Utah that I can see. I am going to find a functional PT, though. I have started some stretches already to try to even up my hips. It causes issues with MTB, too. Right turns, it's always the right turns.

@Eric267, that's interesting. I can put more downward pressure with my left big toe, interestingly. My left ankle also has less dorsiflexion.

@oldschoolskier, I should be able to find some shallow untracked this week after the weekend powder frenzy.

 

[Scrundy]

I have same problem with right turns also always have and probably always will , just never feels natural. I know it’s in my hip and a failure to commit, throw in the fact my back is shot from cutting wood and working in commercial printing business for
30+ years.
I’ve found on days when I am struggling my right leg gets pumped up way more then my left. So I am favoring my right leg even turning right. What has worked for me was to go to a moderate pitch and really work on committing my left hip. First larger radius turns paying attention to really putting weight on my left foot then shorter turns. I find I have to do a few times per season because I have a tendency to favor my right leg.
So true that harder flat conditions will show discrepancies in alignment. Try little things and hope for snow as the discrepancies disappear with just a little dump. What your going threw sounds like I’m looking in the mirror so very interested in what you find.

 

[AmyPJ]

I love all the feedback. It’s time to start doing some separation drills again. Last season, @utskier took my poles away in crud I think sometimes everyone gets so focused on my feet that all I do is hyper-focus on my feet. If I can unlock my twisted hips, I think my feet will respond favorably.

 

[Scrundy]

I love all the feedback. It’s time to start doing some separation drills again. Last season, @utskier took my poles away in crud I think sometimes everyone gets so focused on my feet that all I do is hyper-focus on my feet. If I can unlock my twisted hips, I think my feet will respond favorably.

Yeah same here, I’ve noticed my first turn is the hardest after that I’m golden. Once Im committed it’s all good.

 

[AmyPJ]

A quick update: I was able to get an appointment with Matt Schiller at Park City Boot Room next week. I am really looking forward to meeting with him.

Today, I figured out I would describe my left foot/side as feeling like a bike wheel that's loose. I've got one wheel that's locked in and tight, and one that's loose.

 

[PNWRod]

You might want to check your foot bearings. I just replaced four of them on my jalopy cause they were really loose and whining really bad.

 

[AmyPJ]

@Josh Matta, I know you're a stickler for fore/aft balance. What are some things you see when someone is off to the aft side of things? @Noodler @razie?

I did an experiment and brought out my old Santa Ana 100s for Saturday's powder. They are the older version with no titanal, and are noodles but are very fun in untracked powder. They have Aattack 12s on them, whereas my Santa Ana 88s have (had) Squire demos, which have NEGATIVE delta IIRC. Interestingly, I felt much more balanced on the old skis. So much so that I took the Squires off of my 88s and mounted a pair of neon yellow Aattack2 13s on them! I definitely feel more centered and much prefer being closer to the ski, but still struggle to stay over the skis, among other things. The Aattacks, when measuring with a caliper, appear to be about 4mm higher in the heel than the toe. I used to dislike any delta on my bindings, but with the new boots, which are more upright and have less ramp, I think I might need to go in the other direction. My dislike of delta really began when I was in a pair of Head B5s. I honestly think I've been in so many boots in the past 4 years, I can never get things dialed in. I'm still REALLY happy with my Nordica Promachines (I added some padding over the tongue and instep which has taken up excess volume very well) and think I just need to get them dialed in. I've thought about putting a heel lift INSIDE the boot, but that does not have the same effect as heel lift OUTSIDE the boot. I don't want to push my heel out of the heel pocket, either.

 

[razie]

aft statically? just the way you stand in boots, where your hips are and how the body's staying in balance: how much you hunch forward etc. There isn't one "golden standard" because each body is different and organizes itself differently to stay in balance.

 

[ADKmel]

my 2cents: On the bad turning side, be conscious of Rolling your ankles and pretend there are Flashlights on your knees so you are shining the light on where you are going so you can DRIVE those tips thru the turn.

I wonder if this is from recovering from broken Tib-fib and favoring the strong side while injured side catches up?

 

[Seldomski]

@AmyPJ - what do you do for exercise in the off season?

I have found that working out in minimal gym shoes has stabilized my feet. It took a few months to adjust to very little support, but I think it has helped me develop muscles in my feet which has been good for my skiing.

 

[AmyPJ]

aft statically? just the way you stand in boots, where your hips are and how the body's staying in balance: how much you hunch forward etc. There isn't one "golden standard" because each body is different and organizes itself differently to stay in balance.

This makes total sense. We're all very different. All I know is I'm getting closer to finding center on my skis, so I think I'm heading in the right direction and am really ready for my appointment tomorrow.

my 2cents: On the bad turning side, be conscious of Rolling your ankles and pretend there are Flashlights on your knees so you are shining the light on where you are going so you can DRIVE those tips thru the turn.

I wonder if this is from recovering from broken Tib-fib and favoring the strong side while injured side catches up?

It could be part of the recovery--my body has definitely never been the same since BUT any pain I used to have in my right knee is all but subsided (could be hormone therapy, too!) I honestly don't know which side is my strong side any more. I did have a friend, who used to race (she freakin' RIPS) tell me last week to focus on my ankles, since focusing on my feet just made me focus on my...feet. And how my feet were moving around, which is unsettling to me.

@AmyPJ - what do you do for exercise in the off season?

I have found that working out in minimal gym shoes has stabilized my feet. It took a few months to adjust to very little support, but I think it has helped me develop muscles in my feet which has been good for my skiing.

I mountain bike a LOT, do dead lifts (often in socks!) planks, squats, push ups. Same as during ski season, although not as diligently during ski season since skiing takes up a lot more time in the day. I'll keep at the socks/barefoot thing because having muscle support in the feet can't be a bad thing for sure.

I had a former freestyle/mogul competitive skier tell me on Sunday to work on "mogul turns". Do as many turns in a short distance (pick a spot) as I could. It was awesome for centering me but also made it very clear I'm still not aligned quite right, BUT the diverging tips with this drill and the different bindings is reduced by a lot. Even if physically I am a bit crooked, I don't need my equipment exacerbating that. I ski with a lot of people who are VERY good skiers, very efficient, who don't work out. Ever. I don't think this is a fitness issue. I swear, once I get it all dialed in, I'll stay in these boots for as long as humanly possible, and buy the same bindings forever.

 

[cantunamunch]

Hey, have you ridden the magic carpet recently?

T-bars are no good for the sort of front/back sensation exploration I'm thinking of.

 

[ADKmel]

This makes total sense. We're all very different. All I know is I'm getting closer to finding center on my skis, so I think I'm heading in the right direction and am really ready for my appointment tomorrow.


It could be part of the recovery--my body has definitely never been the same since BUT any pain I used to have in my right knee is all but subsided (could be hormone therapy, too!) I honestly don't know which side is my strong side any more. I did have a friend, who used to race (she freakin' RIPS) tell me last week to focus on my ankles, since focusing on my feet just made me focus on my...feet. And how my feet were moving around, which is unsettling to me.

I mountain bike a LOT, do dead lifts (often in socks!) planks, squats, push ups. Same as during ski season, although not as diligently during ski season since skiing takes up a lot more time in the day. I'll keep at the socks/barefoot thing because having muscle support in the feet can't be a bad thing for sure.

I had a former freestyle/mogul competitive skier tell me on Sunday to work on "mogul turns". Do as many turns in a short distance (pick a spot) as I could. It was awesome for centering me but also made it very clear I'm still not aligned quite right, BUT the diverging tips with this drill and the different bindings is reduced by a lot. Even if physically I am a bit crooked, I don't need my equipment exacerbating that. I ski with a lot of people who are VERY good skiers, very efficient, who don't work out. Ever. I don't think this is a fitness issue. I swear, once I get it all dialed in, I'll stay in these boots for as long as humanly possible, and buy the same bindings forever.

I agree it's not a fitness thing.. Maybe if you go to green trail with enough pitch to do linked turns Only concentrating on the "Tracking" of your skis- Via Roll the ankles and Think about the knees being your directional (Flash lights) think about aiming those knees into the next turn
also Think about the pressure on the Front of the skis.

I wonder if maybe your'e not finishing the turn so the ski gets wonky.. Go without poles- Keep those hands out in front.
you mentioned balance. skiing we are human gyroscopes and constantly getting taller, getting smaller, forward side to side to adjust to the Terrain our body angle/position changes constantly.

To find your balance- jump up and land on skis Pretend you're going to catch a medicine ball. Or as we ladies only know how to do.. porta pottie stance: on your skis pretend you're using that bad Toilet we can't sit down on.. That position is usually Very Balanced. From that Have your DH try to (gently) push you over (hip bump) Feel how you flex your thighs and how your feet feel to stop the tip over.
You should feel very stable and not be able to be 'pushed over' Try to SKI Like that yes with ankles, knees and hip joints bent that far.
You Should Feel the power you have in your feet/legs and the entire edge of the ski.

don't forget to feel the BIg toe/Little toe if you want to feel your feet.

If you are concentrating on your feet- Where is the Pressure? (not in your heels- that could make the tips pop the wheelie)
Have you tried "cowboy turns" looks and feels goofy . Make your stance as WIDE as possible to see if you can make RR tracks in that
mode then you lessen the space between your legs (hope this makes sense)

I think once you feel yourself turning with the entire ski engaged the light bulb and smile and I got it will happen.
Wish I was closer I'd play with you with ideas.

You have come a long way in skiing so don't beat your self up, you're doing great!
And I think Everyone has a "bad" side that mis behaves.. I know I do..

 

[moreoutdoorYuri]

interesting thread OP, given that so many varied things are discussed, considered and possible. Hopefully I can say my point in some positive manner.
Everything mentioned is in play. How much of that is actually significant depends...
We all are imperfect beings in an imperfect world - Thankfully! Perfection is not part of this universe and even so, highly over rated.
Equipment, physiology, technique - any combination of all these - way too many variables, if some narrowing down doesn't happen.
That something which needs attention. Equipment - you seem to be unhappy with your current boots/fit/synergy.
Would be worth sorting that as best possible. The current variety of skis adds another large variable - width, rise/rocker, flex and also binding position add huge variables as to how the ski, skis for you.
Physiology - we're all less than the perfect machines - address as much as known, work around the niggly things.
Technique /balance as dynamic processes.
Skiing is hardly static (nothing new there), so trying to 'improve' our weaknesses is a very personal thing.
The only thing you've really offered in the way of 'technique' is a static photo, a brief moment.
So its not really realistic to expect defining ideas...
But here's what I see...
Your head and vision seem to be aimed in the direction your left ski is going. your shoulders are square to that left ski direction. Your hips are also square to that direction - thats the direction your entire body orientation is directed.
The left ski is also engaged only from Mid-Forebody and back to tail. That may be due to ski design or boot/binding placement, no way to determine from pic. If the ski is a tip/tail rise/rocker design, then on the kind of surface you seem to be on, you're likely edge directional control is mostly mid-fore to Mid-tail - a small and sensitive length of edge. In any case, the pressure to the ski seems 'back' at that moment in time.
Balance and pressure are both gross and fine, even when held in stiff modern boots.
But I can offer one 'tip' to consider, be aware of.
Driving the ski by pressuring the Ball of Foot, of the outside ski (in this case left). This is mostly fine motor control inside the boot, not a major shift of the body. Done from a balanced stance. Driving the ski from the Ball of Foot keeps the ski engaged. Then everything else comes in play, separation, finish, transition to the other side. It's one of those "when you feel it, you will know..." very hard to do (Ball O Foot pressure) when your weight is even a little back/off balance.
I'm not espousing PMTS - don't know much about it. Pressuring the Ball O Foot has been 'around' since the early 70's days of modern boots & skis...
give it a try... its free, can be easy... works then deal with separation and body directional control
hope that can help

 

[AmyPJ]

Mel, so awesome for you to chime in! Trust me when I say the L3 husband has been drilling me with this stuff for three years now, and I literally canNOT get the feel for it. The closest I got was when I demoed the Santa Ana 88s last winter which is why I bought them! I have yet to be able to replicate that feeling.

@moreoutdoorYuri, yes, I over rotate when turning left. I've been working hard on this but it's hit or miss. Again, chicken or egg issue. A result of my fractured tibial plateau 5 years ago? Hard to know. This is not a new issue in these new boots. In fact, these boots have overall been the best pair I've been in in 4 seasons. As to the big toe/ball of foot pressure. I was given a drill to do that by an examiner 2 years ago. In these boots, with the flat bindings, it would open my ankle up so much I'd get thrown back. I was playing with it yesterday with the bindings with more delta, and it was working better, which is one reason I think my fore/aft is off.

Hoping to get some answers tomorrow!

 

[ADKmel]

I'd Ditch the poles for a few runs, ski with your hands on your hips, then with them forward always in your vision.
Sometimes over rotating is due to dropping an arm (back) or swinging arm forward early, Poles can and do interrupt the turn, being hurried or late in your turns may be causing this.. Try rail roading feeling the carving of the skis and really finish your turn, By OVER finishing them, make the skis go Up hill. Relax and let the ski do the work. knowing you did "feel" it, It's there.
and Good Old Falling leaf drill is great for fore/aft balance and making skis behave.. Most of All Have Fun!