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Static Balance Drills Worthwhile



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 8th 08, 04:51 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

I'm teaching a group of intermediate skiers and a question that comes
up repeatedly is what balance drills can be done to help their
skiing. Many of the students have seen pictures in magazines of
people standing on one leg with their eyes closed and related "ski
specific" balance drills.

I've always that these types of drills are essentially worthless. The
thinking is that balance is very motion specific so there's little to
no carry over from learning to balance on 1 static leg, to learning to
balance on a moving platform, like a ski.

But, I'm curious about what the counter-arguments are. Anybody?
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  #3  
Old February 8th 08, 02:14 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

Insofar as static balance exercises strengthen the muscles used in
x-c skiing, I think they help the process along. Eyes closed makes it
more 'dynamic.' In general, I'm not a fan of spending much time on
balance drills as a teaching method, especially with beginning and
intermediate skiers, because it reverses the order of skill development
and creates a no-win situation. Leaving aside genetics - and some are
more blessed than others - the best path to improved balance is
learning good technique and getting a lot of time on snow and
rollerskis. I tell my students that if an instructor tells them their
problem is balance, to take off in the other direction.



wrote:

I'm teaching a group of intermediate skiers and a question that comes
up repeatedly is what balance drills can be done to help their
skiing. Many of the students have seen pictures in magazines of
people standing on one leg with their eyes closed and related "ski
specific" balance drills.

I've always that these types of drills are essentially worthless. The
thinking is that balance is very motion specific so there's little to
no carry over from learning to balance on 1 static leg, to learning to
balance on a moving platform, like a ski.

But, I'm curious about what the counter-arguments are. Anybody?

  #4  
Old March 6th 08, 07:14 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Posts: n/a
Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

JonLPXC writes:

JonLPXC I'm teaching a group of intermediate skiers and a question that comes
JonLPXC up repeatedly is what balance drills can be done to help their
JonLPXC skiing. Many of the students have seen pictures in magazines of
JonLPXC people standing on one leg with their eyes closed and related "ski
JonLPXC specific" balance drills.

JonLPXC I've always that these types of drills are essentially worthless. The
JonLPXC thinking is that balance is very motion specific so there's little to
JonLPXC no carry over from learning to balance on 1 static leg, to learning to
JonLPXC balance on a moving platform, like a ski.

JonLPXC But, I'm curious about what the counter-arguments are. Anybody?

I have congenitally poor balance. The dryland balance exercises
in "The New Steady Ski" have helped my skiing quite a bit. Took
me from lousy to mediocre.


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)
  #5  
Old March 13th 08, 05:32 AM
Ed Miller Ed Miller is offline
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First recorded activity by SkiBanter: Feb 2007
Location: Hailey, Idaho
Posts: 18
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by View Post
I'm teaching a group of intermediate skiers and a question that comes
up repeatedly is what balance drills can be done to help their
skiing. Many of the students have seen pictures in magazines of
people standing on one leg with their eyes closed and related "ski
specific" balance drills.

I've always that these types of drills are essentially worthless. The
thinking is that balance is very motion specific so there's little to
no carry over from learning to balance on 1 static leg, to learning to
balance on a moving platform, like a ski.

But, I'm curious about what the counter-arguments are. Anybody?
Balance drills are supposed to help stimulate the proprioceptors. Specialized structures found in joints, muscles and tendons. These small organs are the peripheral termination of sensory nerves and provide feedback to our brains regarding body and limb positioning in space. Besides joints they are especial plentiful in the soles of feet, palms of hands and the genitals. Physical therapists use balance exercises a lot particularly to help people with recent joint surgery or major limb damage. They can also help stoke patients who's injury is in the brain and not peripherally, by increasing the sensory input to the brain and thus compensating for the central damage. These exercises are apart from strengthening the muscles, altho the exercises also do that to some extent. Its been found that even in normal, undamaged limbs this proprioceptive stimulation can heighten one's ability to use their limbs athletically. I believe the guy that wrote "Steady Ski" has a physical therapy background.
As a person who has had both knee ACL's repaired plus other, extensive surgery on one of my knees, I can say its helpful for me. As a physician I know that these organs do exist anatomically having learned about them in anatomy class. Its not pseudo science. The problem is that they have to be practiced faithfully and regularly to see progress. And they are somewhat BORING! I'd much rather be skiing. But, like working out in a gym, its one of the things you can do to ski faster, particularly for us older skiers. Maybe they help injured athletes more than young healthy ones. I don't know. If you believe the guy who wrote "Steady Ski" they're a panacea for everyone.
  #6  
Old March 14th 08, 02:14 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile


Balance, Schmalance.

I offer a contrary approach. In my experience, balance on skis is
much more a function of proper body position than native balance. If
you are in the right position, then balance is relatively easy. When
body position is not right, then all the balance drills in the world
are not much help. If you are going to do "balance" drills, work on
finding the right body position rather than "standing on one leg with
eyes closed."

Ski Exuberantly,

Hank

Mammoth Lakes, California
  #7  
Old March 15th 08, 12:09 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

w6sx@arrl net writes:

w6sx@arrl Balance, Schmalance.

w6sx@arrl I offer a contrary approach. In my experience, balance on skis is
w6sx@arrl much more a function of proper body position than native balance. If
w6sx@arrl you are in the right position, then balance is relatively easy. When
w6sx@arrl body position is not right, then all the balance drills in the world
w6sx@arrl are not much help. If you are going to do "balance" drills, work on
w6sx@arrl finding the right body position rather than "standing on one leg with
w6sx@arrl eyes closed."

I do not think your approach is contray, but complimentary. I do
most of my dryland balance exercises in ski positions. Knee forward,
arms moving as if poling... There is no doubt that these dryland
exercises have helped me on the snow. But without paying attention
to skiing form, they would not have helped much.

w6sx@arrl Ski Exuberantly,

w6sx@arrl Hank

w6sx@arrl Mammoth Lakes, California


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)
  #8  
Old March 17th 08, 01:52 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

The thing that bugs me is instructors who tell students that their
problem is lack of balance. It's bad teaching in every way possible.

rm

wrote:

w6sx@arrl net writes:


w6sx@arrl Balance, Schmalance.

w6sx@arrl I offer a contrary approach. In my experience, balance on skis is
w6sx@arrl much more a function of proper body position than native balance. If
w6sx@arrl you are in the right position, then balance is relatively easy. When
w6sx@arrl body position is not right, then all the balance drills in the world
w6sx@arrl are not much help. If you are going to do "balance" drills, work on
w6sx@arrl finding the right body position rather than "standing on one leg with
w6sx@arrl eyes closed."

I do not think your approach is contray, but complimentary. I do
most of my dryland balance exercises in ski positions. Knee forward,
arms moving as if poling... There is no doubt that these dryland
exercises have helped me on the snow. But without paying attention
to skiing form, they would not have helped much.

w6sx@arrl Ski Exuberantly,

w6sx@arrl Hank

w6sx@arrl Mammoth Lakes, California


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)

  #9  
Old March 29th 08, 02:48 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

romie writes:

romie The thing that bugs me is instructors who tell students that their
romie problem is lack of balance. It's bad teaching in every way possible.

What if their core problem is poor balance? I think that if a teacher
identifies that correctly, it is good teaching.

romie rm

wrote:


w6sx@arrl net writes:


w6sx@arrl Balance, Schmalance.

w6sx@arrl I offer a contrary approach. In my experience, balance on skis is
w6sx@arrl much more a function of proper body position than native balance. If
w6sx@arrl you are in the right position, then balance is relatively easy. When
w6sx@arrl body position is not right, then all the balance drills in the world
w6sx@arrl are not much help. If you are going to do "balance" drills, work on
w6sx@arrl finding the right body position rather than "standing on one leg with
w6sx@arrl eyes closed."

I do not think your approach is contray, but complimentary. I do
most of my dryland balance exercises in ski positions. Knee forward,
arms moving as if poling... There is no doubt that these dryland
exercises have helped me on the snow. But without paying attention
to skiing form, they would not have helped much.

w6sx@arrl Ski Exuberantly,

w6sx@arrl Hank

w6sx@arrl Mammoth Lakes, California


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)



--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)
  #10  
Old March 29th 08, 04:50 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
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Posts: 74
Default Static Balance Drills Worthwhile

wrote:

romie writes:


romie The thing that bugs me is instructors who tell students that their
romie problem is lack of balance. It's bad teaching in every way possible.

What if their core problem is poor balance? I think that if a teacher
identifies that correctly, it is good teaching.


First of all, if poor balance is really the problem on same basic
level, perhaps genetic or anatomical, and I think that's the only level
on which a teacher has any right to tell them that balance is the
problem, then they are likely in the wrong sport if proficiency is the
goal. But you probably wouldn't have to tell them that; they would have
already told you. If, on the other hand, they are in that great middle
that most of us are, then telling them they won't get better until they
solve the balance problem creates a catch-22. They've come to you to
learn to ski decently and you've just told them they can't unless they
go through this long process of doing balance drills. So either they
do the rational thing and go try another sport with a little bit more
immediate gratification, or they keep plugging away because they are
that unusual hard-headed individual who perseveres because that's what
their gut tells them to do. That's the type that sooner or later
figures out, on their own or maybe from a different instructor, that
improving balance is a by-product of learning and practicing good ski
technique and of strengthening the appropriate muscles through a
variety of other activities.

RM
 




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