Drills-Techniques for keeping a wide stance? Telemark...

[TheWheel]

Is there a silver bullet? When making Alpine turns I have no issues but when I drop a knee on my wider skis I start banging tips. Wider is 135mm plus tip width. I'll get caught up occasionally but it's mostly nerve wracking and ski wrecking. Suggestions, comments and ball busting welcome.

[James]

I have the same problem and like you it is mostly when I am in a tele stance but not as much when I am in an alpine stance. For me it is because I am knock kneed and with a tele stance the extra flex in the knees makes me A-frame in the legs which puts my skis on the inside edge which then causes them to come together. I have worked really hard to fix this for years and have made some progress by just forcing my knees apart especially the inside or rear knee. The rear knee is easier to force out since it is flexed more and you can just rotate your femur out.

In the early season my abductor and peroneus muscles are sore after I ski from the effort of keeping my legs further apart. I have never really noticed your stance being out of alignment but have not really looked that hard. It is pretty easy to spot if you know what to look for. I know some people who have personal bio mechanics that make them severely A- Frame or bowlegged can get their bindings shimmed. I would be hesitant to do this for reasons I won't dwell on here but it may be appropriate for some.

It is really hard to say if this is the same for you and the only drill I have ever done to help with this is to put a balloon between your knees and ski with it. It is harder to do then you might think and a bit painful for me. You will also look like an idiot which may or may not be new for some of us.

Edited to add: Another thought. I have some 145 tip 125 waist skis for sale on this site. Spend a few days on those and you will either kill yourself or have no problem with those measly 135 tip skis.

[QuiverQueen]

...the only drill I have ever done to help with this is to put a balloon between your knees and ski with it. It is harder to do then you might think and a bit painful for me. You will also look like an idiot which may or may not be new for some of us.

Bingo. Yes, it looks idiotic and is probably best done on a slope without too many other people to observe you, but that is the drill that finally helped me feel what getting onto the inside edge with a wider stance really felt like. You want a balloon inflated to about the size of a large honeydew melon. Tie a string onto the end of the balloon and a clothespin or carabiner onto the free end to stick into a pocket so you don't lose the whole shebang when it pops out from between your legs. Repeatedly.

While this is exaggerated somewhat and is not how we ski, it can be helpful. I haven't seen this drill used in several years, but I think it's a good one. Fun to play with, anyhow.

One other thing you might try is to ski with increasingly larger diameters of imaginary fruit between your feet (have at it, guys!). Have a friend watch and see if their estimation matches yours. Chances are that you feel like you are skiing with feet way wider than what you really are. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[QuiverQueen]

One last thought: if you ever move to a tele system with brakes (Telebry, NTN), the feedback can be instantaneous and harsh if your feet get too close together. Nothing like getting brakes tangled as your feet pass. You won't do it too many more times.

[QuiverQueen]

HA!!!! I'm not a Junior Member anymore!! The magic number must be 30 posts. Damn. Made my day. Thanks Wheel!

[James]

He skis on NTN.

[TheWheel]

And he finally fixed his boot issues. The boys at the LL sport shop rock.

So the balloon drill sounds intriguing but my word what a pain. I'll try a combo of rotating the femur out and the balloon/fruit imagery tomorrow. Great conditions at the moment for drills.

Thanks boys and girls.

[James]

I am sure we men can think of a few things between our legs that is more intriguing.

[TheWheel]

You of all people to take it to the gutter.

[riser3]

another knock-kneed skier here. It sucks. It causes my skis to want to snowplow.

[climbhoser]

I always taught what I called "Cowboy Drills." Go down a really low angle slope like a cat track or mellow mellow green. Skis flat, get your stance way wide like a cowboy that just spent all day in the saddle. Even better is imagine that you're on the horse still. Skis still flat slowly drop into a tele stance...remember, it is exaggeratedly wide...like insanely wide. Now just slowly tip both skis on edge and ride the rail a bit. Go back to flat and the skis will naturally flow towards downhill and you can tip the other way.

Do this for a run and suddenly skiing with a wider stance will feel normal!

[TheWheel]

That's a good one Hoser. Thanks.