"I want
things to be difficult. It is more fun to win with handicaps. If
you have the best players and no problems and you win, it's not
very intriguing."
Here we go. I
have been flooded with requests for surface turns articles. I have
decided to answer the call and purposely placed this one after my
Ultra Mega Glide article from #14. You are about to enter the
world that separates great barefooters from good barefooters. It
is by far the greatest challenge in barefooting that you will have
to conquer and I am 100% certain that I can help you to achieve
your own personal greatness along with some miracles!
There are three
principles that are critical to your success in the surface turn
world.
Although I am
quite certain that you will gloss over #1, it is quintessential!
I will not say any more except that you should use video analysis
ad nauseum to see that you maintain position throughout the entire
set-up!!!!!!! (see the front to
back on our 2 hour instructional video)
Rhythm is the
next critical element to a great set-up. By the way, any great trick
requires a separate practice-fest of the correct set-up before unleashing
the hounds!! Keep the Big Dawgs on the porch with some MAJOR dry
land practice until you have mastered this set-up.
Rhythm is critical
to building the momentum needed to create the right amount of energy
to have a great surface turn. [I will be focusing this article on
the front-to-back 180 turn as that is where the most requests have
been. The back to front is identical except there is no Rhythm for
the set-up.]
The FIRST key
to a great Rhythm is to create a smooth and continuous movement
that is in no way "jerky"! It should never hesitate at
either the bottom or the top of the down and up motion. It should
be at a speed that is energetic, but not spastic. If it is too slow,
it is useless for creating the right energy. It should be explosive
to the point that does not deteriorate your Posture and Glide and POWER BAND.
The SECOND key
to a great Rhythm is to limit it's lower and upper limits. While
dry land practicing, have someone watch the bottom edge of your
butt while you set your limits! The key to making this turn great
is to get a great Rhythm without deteriorating your position WITHIN
your correct limits. The limits are from the top of your calf (UPPER
LIMIT) to the bottom of your calf (BOTTOM LIMIT). This will take
tremendous practice and video analysis to perfect. Once you have
perfected this on dry land you will be ready add the final element....
The THIRD and
ultra critical element is the beauty of a QUIET UPPER BODY! What
does this mean? It means simply that your upper body remains free
from any forward or backwards motion, and it also means that once
you have locked in your Posture and Glide and POWER BAND, that your
upper body is removed from creating any initial motion towards the
back. The greatest help to you will be the understanding that in
ALL turns, "the upper body never turns before your lower body!"
This is simply the biggest problem (after position) that I see in
beginners and 'experts' in their turns. It is just natural to try
to move your upper body first to the back position. It is also easier
to think that if you could just get around backwards quickly that
you could correct the "other" problems later. WRONG! Moving
your upper body first equals massive pain. You can believe me now
or call me with your own personal story of injury later.
I could go on
forever here, but I gotta get ready to get a set in before a catch
a plane to my next traveling clinic-traveling from one small town
to the next to solve the worlds problems with some motivation and
Posture, Glide, and THE POWER BAND!
Start in the
position that I have worked so hard to get you to understand. The
only difference is that in the "SURFACE TURN MODE" you
need to keep your elbows closer to your body AT ALL TIMES! Without
going above or below the LIMITS I prescribed, create a smooth and
powerful RHYTHM, and then when your release your hand from the handle
make sure your hips are the FIRST thing to move and that they lead
the turn.
Tips: #1 keep
your eyes forward and up while your hips begin turning.
Please help me
out and forward this to as many footers or even potential footersas you can. This will help to make this newsletter a BIG
success! We want everyone to have a GREAT chance to achieve their
own miracles!
I am available
to personally help you achieve your skiing goals by calling877-685-6270 or
visit our website @ http:www.thefootersedge.com.
Feel free to email me personally with any requests that you have
and I will try to make time to help you achieve your true potential!
Expect a Miracle!
Lane "Dawg" Bowers
The Footer's Edge Training Center lane@lanedawg.com http://www.thefootersedge.com
877 685-6270 <----------Call Me!
863 557-8871 <----------Direct Line
Fax: 509 756-4343