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Greater Manchester |
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 #1 Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 30/08/2010 @ 19:42 |
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I've been riding about 6 months, though only at the Chillfactore so far, waiting for my first trip abroad. I think I'm getting better, and when I really really focus think that I'm starting to get things. However, I'm still aware that I seem to kick my back leg out, especially when turning from toe edge to heel edge - I quite often end up facing straight down the slope in a side slip position. If I really concentrate and keep looking over my shoulder I can make the turn a bit better, but I'm still not sure it's particularly good.
Any tips on what I should try to do to sort it out? I don't want to start developing bad habits that stick and make progressing harder. |
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| Posts: 770 |
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Forum Mod |
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South Yorkshire |
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| #2 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 30/08/2010 @ 21:04 |
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| In reply to post #1
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as a new rider now is a great time to fix those problems before they become habits.
Chill do a lesson called "guided practice" its given by their higher qualified guys and is designed to iron out any problems you might have.,
you could look into booking one of those.
Mini |
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www.skicourchevel.net
www.minimansell.com |
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| #3 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 31/08/2010 @ 10:11 |
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| In reply to post #1
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Coupla things...the indoor slopes aren't always great for getting the turns right just cos they are pretty short, so its hard to get your flow on
really get over the front of the board, weight your lead leg and focus on initiating the turn from there, but keep it on throughout the turn - don't take the weight off once the board starts turning |
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| #4 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 31/08/2010 @ 12:54 |
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| In reply to post #1
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Let me get this right:
you're traversing on your toe edge, start the turn and hit the fall line, then exit the turn on your heel edge.
And in this process you end up in a side-slip position?
If that's the case, your body movements have combined to put more pressure than you need on the heel edge - around the back foot. In doing so, the board has moved into a side-slip position, rather than decisively starting the next traverse...
I think the guy below me said to keep over the front of your board. As you start to move onto your heel edge and move out of the turn - keep more pressure than you currently are on the leading foot, (heel edge). Look in the direction that you're going to traverse - that should be diagonally down the slope.
You can even point in that direction if you want - because that will help to keep your shoulders aligned in that direction, which will help keep your hips aligned in that direction, which should stop you putting the non-needed pressure on your back foot, which is what's putting you into a side slip.
There's a DVD/book called "Go Snowboard". It's really cheap on Amazon, like £5 or something, and I think it's got some excellent exercises for developing linked turns into great carves.
There's a review about it here if you're interested.
Hope that helps, cheers, Gav |
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Afterbang Snowboarding Blog - keeping the snowboarding stoke going, all year round.
Two guides you might find useful: Learning to Snowboard and Getting Started with Snowboard Tricks |
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| Posts: 84 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #5 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 31/08/2010 @ 13:24 |
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| In reply to post #4
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Yeah that's pretty much what I mean. Thanks for the tips, will have a look at the dvd/ book later when I get home from work. |
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| Posts: 1271 |
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West Midlands |
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| #6 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 31/08/2010 @ 14:18 |
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| In reply to post #1
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Also try putting some extra forward lean on your highbacks. This may help reduce some of the pressure on your heels.  |
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- Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us -
- Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly - |
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| Posts: 84 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #7 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 02/09/2010 @ 07:42 |
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I went down again last night, really tried to focus on getting over my front foot and think I've made some really good progress, linking my turns was definitely smoother and by the end of the night I was having to think less about getting my weight on the front and just doing it. Gonna go again on the weekend to try and make it stick.
Cheers for the tips! |
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| #8 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 04/09/2010 @ 23:28 |
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Revision #1 (Last edited: 05/09/2010 @ 15:08) |
| In reply to post #7
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Please please please pay for a lesson! Dont listen to what some of these guys are saying!
The main reason your back leg is kicking out (windscreen wiping) is because you havn't got your weight evenly balanced, when your generally riding you should have 50% weight on each leg.*
Don't pressure your board, your not about to perform a trick. Just make sure you knees are well flexed! Flex into the beginning of the turn and extend your legs to complete it and assist you onto your new edge.
*When your first taught to ride you will have probably been told to put more weight onto your lead foot, this is to try and boost your confidence and stop any hesitation. Its a very large misconception that you should have more weight on your front foot. Make sure its 50/50 distributed! |
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Lake Louise, Canada - Snowboard Instructor |
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| #9 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 05/09/2010 @ 14:10 |
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| In reply to post #8
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if your booked at a resort, sort some lessons for when you are there, personally i dont think lessons in a dome will ever be as productive as in a resort because of the limited lenth of run.
wieght on your front foot will start the turn but keeping all the wieght forward throughout the turn will cause the rear to slip as there isnt enough pressure for the edge to hold.
i have the same prob but only very slightly, toe edge turn fine, but on heel edge i have a very slight wash. had a few lessons with snowboard coach in bansko and it vastly improved, a good tip i was given was to wheelie out of my heelside turn to keep the rear edge under pressure, it helped to get the feeling of the edge holding its line and make sure you bend your ankles and knees. |
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| Posts: 84 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #10 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 06/09/2010 @ 19:56 |
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| In reply to post #9
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OK I guess I really do need that lesson heh, just getting confused from the conflicting advice!
Guess when it comes down to it, really need someone to watch me and see what my flaws are. |
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| #11 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 06/09/2010 @ 23:20 |
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| In reply to post #10
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Good choice buddy, Ive been riding for 10 years and seen this too many times to count. With the advice some of these people are giving you, they are setting you up for disaster!
There are tons of excercises to help correct washing out, but they arn't the easiest things to explain on a forum.
I dont know what your abilities are but the place to start is on your stance and balance working your way up to pivoting and timing & coordination. Sliding 360's really help. Its all about transferring your weight onto your legs while keeping that stable body position. Try it on a mellow slope, its really going to make you feel how much weight you need to transfer to get the board to work for you. |
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Lake Louise, Canada - Snowboard Instructor |
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| #12 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 07/09/2010 @ 12:13 |
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| In reply to post #11
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Just read threw this thread and some of the things i'm hearing are a bit shocking. i've been teaching for about 7years.
As with snoproi agree that the answer is not all about getting all over the front ot the board. I'd also promote a mor central stance. the guys that fall into this trap i don't blame.
Aprehension is common among new boarders and so getting told to move weight onto thier front foot is not a bad thing as a task within a lesson in order for them to move from being all on the tail to generally central.
I don't agree that its 50/50 all the way however and i'm sure you didn't mean for that be an all encompassing mantra.
Get a lesson and a good instructor and all will become clear. |
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# Why tread carefully threw life only to arrive safely at death............?! |
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| Posts: 9038 |
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Forum Mod |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #13 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 07/09/2010 @ 13:06 |
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I think Mini hit the nail on the head with the first response. The guided practice at Chill Factor-e sounds like the ideal thing to help iron out any problems. |
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| #14 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 07/09/2010 @ 13:50 |
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Revision #1 (Last edited: 07/09/2010 @ 20:56) |
| In reply to post #12
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Yep, completely agree!
Yeh with the 50/50 weight distribution I meant as a general standing stance with weight equally distributed. Obviously weight distibution has to change when your riding to initiate and complete turns. Didn't come accross right... Planes of balance change over the course of a turn |
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Lake Louise, Canada - Snowboard Instructor |
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| #15 Re: Trying to stop my back leg kicking out Posted 07/09/2010 @ 19:11 |
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| In reply to post #14
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QUOTE (snopro - 07/09/2010 @ 13:50) Yeh with the 50/50 weight distribution I meant as a general standing stance with weight equally distributed. Obviously weight distibution has to change when your riding to initiate and complete turns.
I'm curious then what the orthodoxy is here - precisely how does the current orthodoxy describe any weight shifts in an advanced (predominantly carved) turn? I know what I do in various types of terrain; I'm just curious as to what you teach beginners. |
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