So far this season I've re-discovered that the foot pullback move is very effective in maintaining fore-aft balance especially at turn initiation. What are some drills that focus on foot pullback? It seems like stork turns, when done correctly help.
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Foot pullback drills?
- Thread starter Prosper
- Start date
I start with something simple. I do not think about bending my knees but more flexing the ankles, this helps me a ton with being stacked on the skis.
Stork drill as modified...lift the tail of the new inside ski only an inch or two off the snow, and strongly pull that foot back, way back, at the same time. Start on a very easy run making as many short turns as you can do smoothly. Gradually increase the pitch of the run and your speed as you continue to practice. I don't think of bending any joint, just the strong pullback all the way from turn initiation until it's time to initiate the next turn.
Storks can be good with an emphasis on heel back, not just tail up. But honestly, I view that drill as a bit incomplete since it's missing a focus on tipping. There is a drill from another system that adds in tipping of that lifted free ski, so you get benefit for the fore/aft management and lateral balance.
This site also has some good stuff: http://www.effectiveskiing.com/Session/Tipping_and_keeping_the_feet_underneath
This site also has some good stuff: http://www.effectiveskiing.com/Session/Tipping_and_keeping_the_feet_underneath
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Tracers. You lift the inside ski and tip it to little toe side to draw a line in the snow with the ski tip. You have to pull it back to work.
But that’s inside ski.
Both would be dolphins. They call the turns but they can be less turns than crab turns.
But that’s inside ski.
Both would be dolphins. They call the turns but they can be less turns than crab turns.
Thread Starter
TS
Sounds like a combo of
and
I'll give it a try next time out. Thanks!
Find that it's easier to get a feel for the pullback move on a pitch that's uneven. A small ridge or a groomer line - anything that will get the skis off the snow, say, 2-5cm. Turn back and forth across the ridge/line pulling the feet back as the skis lift off the snow so the tips touch 1st.
Can also be done on tiny bumps on groomers that start to appear as skiers track out the cord. Although a ridge/line is better as it allows even turns.
Can also be done on tiny bumps on groomers that start to appear as skiers track out the cord. Although a ridge/line is better as it allows even turns.
And here's some of the "secret sauce"...
Although foot pullback is a great way to get re-centered (especially a double-foot move), you don't really have to make it so "active", like it's this separate movement in your ski turns.
If your fore/aft stance alignment is in fairly good shape, and you use inside leg retraction in your turns, then the pullback just becomes part of the inside leg retraction. I like to think "heel to ass", but use whatever works for you. The key is that the inside hip and inside knee, are not pulled back, just the foot. So that's why it's good to think of it as a leg curl movement.
By curling your inside leg with the retraction, you minimize tip lead, which keeps that foot back into transition. When your weight transfers to that leg in transition, you're already pulled back. There is no separate pullback move needed. I screwed up my skiing for years thinking I had to violently do a hard pullback. That actually creates a whole host of other problems if you make that part of every turn. So be careful. The goal is just to ski in balance and maintain the correct fore/aft position. It's actually easy to overdo this.
Although foot pullback is a great way to get re-centered (especially a double-foot move), you don't really have to make it so "active", like it's this separate movement in your ski turns.
If your fore/aft stance alignment is in fairly good shape, and you use inside leg retraction in your turns, then the pullback just becomes part of the inside leg retraction. I like to think "heel to ass", but use whatever works for you. The key is that the inside hip and inside knee, are not pulled back, just the foot. So that's why it's good to think of it as a leg curl movement.
By curling your inside leg with the retraction, you minimize tip lead, which keeps that foot back into transition. When your weight transfers to that leg in transition, you're already pulled back. There is no separate pullback move needed. I screwed up my skiing for years thinking I had to violently do a hard pullback. That actually creates a whole host of other problems if you make that part of every turn. So be careful. The goal is just to ski in balance and maintain the correct fore/aft position. It's actually easy to overdo this.
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You’re going to have to lift the tail more than one inch. (Not sure a 1 inch lift gives any pull back at all) But it depends on the ski, and it’s self regulating in a sense because the tip either makes a mark or it doesn’t.
I haven’t tried it with ginormous tip skis like Rossi Forza 70 or Head hammerhead rally.
You should feel a fair amount of tension in the closing ankle joint of the lifted ski.
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They're a bit hard to do, but dolphin turns were the best drill to get me to understand fore/aft. The movement itself is also decently useful in actual skiing situations, as it can be used as a recovery move in bad situations.
Dolphins are hard work on a smooth groomer. Especially for a bit older folk with (likely) less sturdy core/abs. Ridges/bumps makes 'em easier.
Hop on some Tele gear for 10 min!!! You'll be workin' that pull back in no time! LOL 
I wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone wanting to feel and learn the subtilties of fore/aft and lateral balance while dynamically moving down mountain on snow with skis. Bonus points if you use leather boots and 3 pins. Very few folks will take the recommendation however, and you can't blame them with limited ski time and the expense of another category of ski gear, but the few that do when they get back on their alpine gear, the light up of recognition in their face tells the story--almost instantly jumps them to a new level with their alpine gear.Hop on some Tele gear for 10 min!!! You'll be workin' that pull back in no time! LOL
Exactly! You feel like Superman/woman when you get back on your alpine gear. A total uptick in your proprioception.
FYI for anyone wanting to try it, in modern Tele, don't over do it on the knee drop. No need. It's just style points. I use Old School 22 Designs Hammerheads so my heel lift is adjustable. I adjust them to feel more similar to alpine depending on what I'm trying to achieve at that moment and conditions. Ice = adj less heel lift, Pow = more heel lift. I also have a "Telebry Plate" which makes the bindings DIN rating releasable w/ brakes.
I got the idea of starting to learn Tele from a buddy eons ago. He would ski w/ us on Tele gear as the other guys said that we wouldn't be able to keep up w/ him if he were on alpine... and that's coming from ex patrollers and instructors. This guy was a Beast! It's a nice option when skiing and hanging w/ people that are less experienced. It keeps those days interesting especially when you're more experienced on snow, but trying to keep up w/ them rather than the other way around. When I started Tele, I found that back to beginner was a good thing for my brain.
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Thread Starter
TS
I've tried dolphin turns. My big toes and big toenails take a bit of a beating with getting the tips off of the snow. Any suggestions on how to make it less traumatizing?
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Cut the nails, make sure lower cuff buckle is snug, lengthen toe box. There’s a chance there’s too much space where the leg shank meets the foot, allowing movement.
Use a ridge/bump to launch. Only need small irregularities to make it much easier - timing.
Yep - to drill pullbacks don't need to do the 1st part of the dolphin.
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While foot pullback drills are overall skill enhancers, I am puzzled at why this seems to be a leading prescribed fix for errant initiation balance and inside edging issues when in fact, what we should be working on is a proper shortening of the inside leg combined with dorsiflexion.
Try this:
Stand next to a wall and extend your right arm so that your palm is flat against the wall. Next, raise your right knee with out invoking any other unnecessary muscle groups. You should see that your right foot has fallen back under your butt and your toes are pointing down. Now, just dorsiflex your ankle. What you need to work on is implementing and managing this movement pattern throughout the carving process.
Shortening the inside leg will not work to maintain fore aft balance without pulling the foot back