New boots and feeling off balance

[jetski]

Hey everyone,
New member here!
I need help getting my boots dialed. I recently got fit for new boots (head raptor rs) from a well regarded boot fitter near me. I’m really happy with the fit but my fore aft balance feels off in them. Specifically I feel like they are blocking me from extending as much as my body wants to. And it’s easier to hit that back seat feeling of no return where I lose balance for a second. I feel it most in the bumps and when hitting drops. Almost like I’m forced to be more “compact” than I want to. I don’t notice it as much on groomers with my old gs skis. I’m thinking I have more forward lean than I need/want.
So I guess my question is, what can I do to decrease forward lean in a non permanent way?

I tried taking the spoiler out and didn’t like it. I had to crank the cuff buckles really tight to take up the space which made the boot feel to wall like and almost too upright.
I’ve seen people put shims in front of their liner tongues. What does that achieve? Would a thinner spoiler help be a middle ground between the current thick one and none at all?
For what it’s worth I’m 6’4” with fairly skinny calf’s and legs relatively short for my height. And my ankles have a lot of dorsiflexion.

Ultimately I’ll be going back to the boot fitter to address it, but I want to spit ball ideas before any permanent changes are made.

 

[onenerdykid]

What is the boot you had before and did it feel the same/better/worse?

 

[jetski]

What is the boot you had before and did it feel the same/better/worse?

I had tecnica mach 1 130 lv’s last season. I never really loved them but I think I preferred the position they put me in.

 

[Rod9301]

If you put something thick in front of your liner, against the shell tongue it will take space without changing the forward lean. Then you can take out the back spoiler which will reduce the forward lean angle

 

[GregK]

What bindings are on the skis? Too much delta maybe adding to the issue.

 

[jetski]

If you put something thick in front of your liner, against the shell tongue it will take space without changing the forward lean. Then you can take out the back spoiler which will reduce the forward lean angle

I shoved a piece of cardboard in front of the tongue and tossed the spoiler. Felt good. I think that’s the ticket.

What bindings are on the skis? Too much delta maybe adding to the issue.

Pretty much wardens all around except the race skis. Not sure what’s on those but they are all heads.

 

[johnnyvw]

I went through something similar 4 years ago. I ended up returning the boots and staying on my old ones for the rest of the season (I lost a good part of the season trying to get the new ones to work). The next year I got a different pair that worked perfectly.

 

[cantunamunch]

(I lost a good part of the season trying to get the new ones to work). The next year I got a different pair that worked perfectly.

Hah. I actually got my bad boots working too well and wound up staying with them for 4 seasons instead of two weeks.

#failingsoftlyisworsethanfailinghard
#feathersoftfailsareworstofall

 

[Andy Mink]

You're feeling the difference between the Technica at 14° forward lean and the Raptor's 17° lean. The Mach 1 has a ramp angle of 4.5°, the Raptor of 5°. You're definitely more to the front of the ski in the Raptors and likely compensate by sitting back slightly to get the feel of what you had in the Technicas. I went through the same thing going from Technica Cochise to Raptors a few years back. Raptors are great boots but pretty aggressive in the forward lean department. I found I did like bindings with a negative delta (think Marker demos) in my Raptors. When I got my current Fischer at 14° I felt like I was going to fall over backwards with those same bindings!

 

[Wilhelmson]

Sounds like the shop will make a few adjustments for you. I had old boots with big heels so just skied the new ones until I adjusted to them.

 

[Nobody]

Same here. Two seasons ago, the 2019-2020, I switched mid season from Tecnica R9.8 f.i. 110 to Dalbello DRS 110...I immediately was told by coaches that I was leaning a bit too much backward and was extending mostly upward rather than forward/inside (of the turn) as it was asked by some exercises...
The solution was to get back to the Tecnica shell but to use the Dalbello liners. I thought that maybe the Dalbello were stiffer than the Tecnica and thus I needed time to get used to it. This because also in GS gates (where I ski with a pair of Dalbellos DRS WC f.i. SS) I felt I was in the backseat and imputed it to the boots being stiffer than what I was used to.
Last year I started immediately on the Dalbellos and did not feel the same. But this year again I was told I wslas extending too vertically and being too upright...so I guess I have some work to do to get back I the correct "position" and movement pattern.
But....what if, what if I could help/quicken this by modding the boots? Was already thinking of taking off the rear spoiler ( in both Dalbellos) and this thread is firming up.my idea. So it is settled, I shall remove the rear spoiler and see how it goes...