How to carve like Ted Ligety?

[cragginshred]

My first post was a wise ass thing but there's some truth in it. You carve at high angles the same way any you do low angles. You need early clean edge engagement, and you need to be comfortable at high speeds, but what you need most is good balance. If you have good balance and are comfortable at high speeds and high g loads and can initiate turns cleanly you are ready to start getting to higher edge angles. IME it's easier on short radius skis, not FIS GS skis. One if the limiting factors for balance is core strength, so maybe you need to spend some time in the gym, but even then you can't balance like Ligety unless you are an exceptional athlete. When I was young and fit I could easily drag my hands when I skied my cheater slalom skis (which is not the same as skiing like Ligety), not so much now.

dm

I check all the box's there coming from single slalom tournament waterskiing And I work 10 hours a day in an ortho PT gym doing core work all day with my patients!
Thanks!

 

[4ster]

What have you all got?

Once a skier has the basic stuff (Parallel shins, equal edge angles, shin tongue contact) & the ability to ski from the soles of the feet up, I have had great success with “Pole Drag” drills & their many variations (like Schlopy’s) to develop bigger & better angles.

Like mentioned above, the ability to get high edge angles early will allow you to regulate pressure & develop angles toward the turn apex.

I am purposely dragging knuckles here for the camera. It is difficult for me as I have been trained to keep my inside shoulder higher. Not sure it adds anything, in fact it seems that it would just make you lean in & square up

 

[dan ross]

My first post was a wise ass thing but there's some truth in it. You carve at high angles the same way any you do low angles. You need early clean edge engagement, and you need to be comfortable at high speeds, but what you need most is good balance. If you have good balance and are comfortable at high speeds and high g loads and can initiate turns cleanly you are ready to start getting to higher edge angles. IME it's easier on short radius skis, not FIS GS skis. One if the limiting factors for balance is core strength, so maybe you need to spend some time in the gym, but even then you can't balance like Ligety unless you are an exceptional athlete. When I was young and fit I could easily drag my hands when I skied my cheater slalom skis (which is not the same as skiing like Ligety), not so much now.

dm

Agree. Core strength and legs of steel - quads, glutes, hamstrings , flexors all need to be able to function without much fatigue. Even more so when attempting this on anything much rougher than corduroy . Nothing tests your strength like holding high speed, high G turns in chop. I couldn't get near that kind of angulation before my two hip replacements , now it’s likely a moot point. You kids go out there and have fun!
Ps.- “ palm dragging “? What are we, snowboarding?

 

[Dave Marshak]

Core strength and legs of steel - quads, glutes, hamstrings , flexors all need to be able to function without much fatigue.

I think the need for core strength to maintain balance is underrated, and leg strength is overrated for skiing. Fatigue will stop you sooner if your legs are not strong, but you will still be able to perform for a short time. Poor core strength will stop you before you start.

dm

 

[Shawn]

View attachment 191734

Oh, hell yes! Ted, is that you?

 

[dan ross]

I think the need for core strength to maintain balance is underrated, and leg strength is overrated for skiing. Fatigue will stop you sooner if your legs are not strong, but you will still be able to perform for a short time. Poor core strength will stop you before you start.

dm

I agree with core strength for balance but strength, especially the muscles surrounding the hip joint, are very important for balance. Currently I’m doing a lot of balance/strength training on my left leg in PT. I can stand on my old new hip ( one leg balance) for 4 +/- minutes pretty easily . My left leg, (new hip ) currently about 60 seconds. Same core, different leg. Those muscles aren’t nearly as strong as the other or as they need to be. If your
legs turn to jelly or can’t effectively hold an edge with enough reserve strength to adjust input and response in a high G turn, it’s not going to go well. But I get your point about core strength I just think you are only as strong as your weakest part. I’d be out skiing now if I could make an endless left turn.

 

[cragginshred]

I agree with core strength for balance but strength, especially the muscles surrounding the hip joint, are very important for balance. Currently I’m doing a lot of balance/strength training on my left leg in PT. I can stand on my old new hip ( one leg balance) for 4 +/- minutes pretty easily . My left leg, (new hip ) currently about 60 seconds. Same core, different leg. Those muscles aren’t nearly as strong as the other or as they need to be. If your
legs turn to jelly or can’t effectively hold an edge with enough reserve strength to adjust input and response in a high G turn, it’s not going to go well. But I get your point about core strength I just think you are only as strong as your weakest part. I’d be out skiing now if I could make an endless left turn.

I have 25 years PT ortho experience and need to do a video on high level core stuff -planks from Bosu with hip extension and abductor work with resisted side steps and Clam with feet elevated ect. Always good to expand and push your limits.

 

[dan ross]

I have 25 years PT ortho experience and need to do a video on high level core stuff -planks from Bosu with hip extension and abductor work with resisted side steps and Clam with feet elevated ect. Always good to expand and push your limits.

Doing clams with feet elevated and resisted side steps. The clams are a B@&#h.
Post the video

 

[ThomasD]

If you are extending your "downhill" leg you are way, way too late.

Yeah, that is a poor word choice, since the extension really should start when that ski is still physically uphill of the other.

I suppose we could call it the weighted ski.

Which brings up my pet peeve. All the photos of people carving are either apex or bottom of the turn. I suppose because it's more photogenic to the spectator. But to the doer where it is really at is much earlier in the turn.

 

[cragginshred]

Doing clams with feet elevated and resisted side steps. The clams are a B@&#h.
Post the video

That means you have a good PT, ..not all are sports based. Many treat geriatrics only and offer super basic exercises.

I need to do a plank vid for you all to see some cool variations and ways to ramp up intensity

 

[ThomasD]

...
Note^ always look uphill before starting out. Ted Ligety could be coming...

Hey man, what happened to you?
I got hit by some jerk on the slopes.
Aw, that sucks, you should sue him!

vs.

Hey man, what happened to you?
I got run over by Ted Liggety
Cool, is he going to sign your cast?

 

[dan ross]

That means you have a good PT, ..not all are sports based. Many treat geriatrics only and offer super basic exercises.

I need to do a plank vid for you all to see some cool variations and ways to ramp up intensityt

Yeah, my guy has worked with professional and Pac10 athletes. He asks how far do you want to go? He always makes them harder and doesn’t take it easy on me. Huge improvements from when I first came in. I actually look forward to it.

 

[Andy Mink]

It looks easy. Just fall all the way over until you hit snow, then back it off a millimeter.

 

[François Pugh]

It looks easy. Just fall all the way over until you hit snow, then back it off a millimeter.

I'm in with the falling part, but at my age, I prefer to fall a tinny bit (via old outside leg retraction in a high g turn with skis really turning across the hill) and add a mm more each time, and stop increasing it when I'm a mm off the snow.

 

[martyg]

Yeah, that is a poor word choice, since the extension really should start when that ski is still physically uphill of the other.

I suppose we could call it the weighted ski.

Which brings up my pet peeve. All the photos of people carving are either apex or bottom of the turn. I suppose because it's more photogenic to the spectator. But to the doer where it is really at is much earlier in the turn.

Pressure on the outside ski is nice in the first third of the turn, mandatory in the middle. If the outside ski is still being pressured at the bottom third it is an act of desperation.

Most shots that you see where the athlete is in the foreground, gate in background on a GS course, have the athlete accelerating out of the turn, and dumping pressure at that point.

 

[cragginshred]

Pressure on the outside ski is nice in the first third of the turn, mandatory in the middle. If the outside ski is still being pressured at the bottom third it is an act of desperation.

Most shots that you see where the athlete is in the foreground, gate in background on a GS course, have the athlete accelerating out of the turn, and dumping pressure at that point.

Interestingly your description is very similar to tournament style waterskiing (thread on this shortly) It's all about edge change from the cutting edge and being able to decelerate coming into the buoy or your flat fast and end up finishing the turn down course which makes you late the rest of the pass ending up in not running all 6 buoys

Here is Regina Jaquess the GOAT (in women's category)! Slo mo to see it happen. -32 off is a sick short line length and that's what she comes off the dock and and it only gets shorter each pass . Shorter the line the more difficult, harder the whip and the more punishing. Keep in mind the boat is on a cruise control and does not slow down at all. It's game on

Watch for the edge change -before the wake crossing your looking at the bottom of the ski (cutting edge) at the wake she releases the cut and now your looking at the top of the ski. The ski never goes flat. If you have ever skied the course you know this is very difficult to do. Can anyone tell us how to do this??

 

[Andy Mink]

Interestingly your description is very similar to tournament style waterskiing (thread on this shortly) It's all about edge change from the cutting edge and being able to decelerate coming into the buoy or your flat fast and end up finishing the turn down course which makes you late the rest of the pass ending up in not running all 6 buoys

Here is Regina Jaquess the GOAT! Slo mo to see it happen. -32 off is a sick short line length and that's what she comes off the dock and and it only gets shorter each pass . Shorter the line the more difficult, harder the whip and the more punishing. Keep in mind the boat is on a cruise control and does not slow down at all. It's game on

Watch for the edge change -before the wake crossing your looking at the bottom of the ski (cutting edge) at the wake she releases the cut and now your looking at the top of the ski. The ski never goes flat. If you have ever skied the course you know this is very difficult to do

That's cool. How does the line get shorter? Is that in separate runs or does it shorten during the run? Also, if the boat is on cruise control how does the timing work if everyone is going the same speed? Obviously I know nothing about water skiing!

 

[cragginshred]

That's cool. How does the line get shorter? Is that in separate runs or does it shorten during the run? Also, if the boat is on cruise control how does the timing work if everyone is going the same speed? Obviously I know nothing about water skiing!

It's a tournament rope with loops. 22, 28, 32, 35. 38 ect each makes it shorter and more difficult to get around all 6 buoys.

 

[4ster]

That's cool. How does the line get shorter? Is that in separate runs or does it shorten during the run? Also, if the boat is on cruise control how does the timing work if everyone is going the same speed? Obviously I know nothing about water skiing!

The rope is shortened after each successful pass of 6 bouy’s. Boat speed remains consistent at 34mph for women & seniors, 36mph for pro men. Bouy’s are also consistent. Wind & water texture are variables.
Slalom water skiing is a way underrated specialization. The best are remarkable athletes, just look at Regina!

 

[Andy Mink]

The rope is shortened after each successful pass of 6 bouy’s. Boat speed remains consistent at 34mph for women & seniors, 36mph for pro men. Bouy’s are also consistent. Wind & water texture are variables.
Slalom water skiing is a way underrated specialization. The best are remarkable athletes, just look at Regina!

How do you win? Assuming the boat is going a constant speed and each skier makes all passes shouldn't their times be the same?