Getting rid of tip drag (skating)

While I'm old, fat, slow and have a bad knee, I've got good skate
technique, instructor level. Lately, tho, I've noticed that my tips
sometimes drag (bounce) once or twice after coming across after push
off. It seems after pushing off, my foot relaxes, the front of the boot
naturally drops a little and thus the ski tip is prone to touch down. I
notice this most with V-1, but it happens with other techniques as
well. Looking at video of Holmenkollen climbs in the 30K pursuit, I
noticed that Dario Cologna does the same thing, while most everyone
else gets enough lift to clear completely almost every time. I'm trying
to figure out where the correction is, i.e., what they're doing
differently. My sense watching the video is that there's some active
lifting of the whole foot going on, enough to clear (vs. just lifting
the toes, which forces one's weight back). Any thoughts from our
resident pros?

Gene

On Mar 6, 10:35*am, wrote:
While I'm old, fat, slow and have a bad knee, I've got good skate
technique, instructor level. Lately, tho, I've noticed that my tips
sometimes drag (bounce) once or twice after coming across after push
off. It seems after pushing off, my foot relaxes, the front of the boot
naturally drops a little and thus the ski tip is prone to touch down. I
notice this most with V-1, but it happens with other techniques as
well. Looking at video of Holmenkollen climbs in the 30K pursuit, I
noticed that Dario Cologna does the same thing, while most everyone
else gets enough lift to clear completely almost every time. I'm trying
to figure out where the correction is, i.e., what they're doing
differently. My sense watching the video is that there's some active
lifting of the whole foot going on, enough to clear (vs. just lifting
the toes, which forces one's weight back). *Any thoughts from our
resident pros?

Gene

From an older guy not a pro -- this sounds like it might be related to
'foot slap', which is caused by problem/weakness in the ankle and
muscles that lift the toes. Is this more pronounced on one foot than
the other. Do you notice that foot making more noise as you walk.
May be related -- or not.
Neill

Thanks, tho I don't think so to both replies. It can happen at any
speed and is not foot particular. While compensation over the decades
to a ruptured ACL/torn cartilege as a teen, back when docs didn't know
what purpose an ACL served, has led to an anatomical problem where one
lower leg points out (and can't be straightened) and pelvis/hip heights
are substantially different, looking at WC video shows that even the
best have to, or learned to, deal with this issue. My question is, how?

Gene


On Mon, 7 Mar 2011 04:36:20 -0800 (PST)
peterloom wrote:

On Mar 6, 10:35*am, wrote:
While I'm old, fat, slow and have a bad knee, I've got good skate
technique, instructor level. Lately, tho, I've noticed that my tips
sometimes drag (bounce) once or twice after coming across after push
off. It seems after pushing off, my foot relaxes, the front of the
boot naturally drops a little and thus the ski tip is prone to
touch down. I notice this most with V-1, but it happens with other
techniques as well. Looking at video of Holmenkollen climbs in the
30K pursuit, I noticed that Dario Cologna does the same thing,
while most everyone else gets enough lift to clear completely
almost every time. I'm trying to figure out where the correction
is, i.e., what they're doing differently. My sense watching the
video is that there's some active lifting of the whole foot going
on, enough to clear (vs. just lifting the toes, which forces one's
weight back). *Any thoughts from our resident pros?

Gene

From an older guy not a pro -- this sounds like it might be related to
'foot slap', which is caused by problem/weakness in the ankle and
muscles that lift the toes. Is this more pronounced on one foot than
the other. Do you notice that foot making more noise as you walk.
May be related -- or not.
Neill