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#1
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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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#2
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Static Balance Drills Worthwhile
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#3
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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
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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...) |
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Quote:
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
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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 |
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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
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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
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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
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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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