# Am I cheating???



## Guest (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi all, I wanted some advise on my technique. I have a feeling I'm going to be told what I don't want to hear but anyway.

I want to know if I am performing a toe side turn in such a way that will stop me from progressing.

Where I'm up to: 

Done the usual lessons and I'm confident on a board (just bought an omatic boron 154, spi bindings and 32 lashed ft's). Took the board out for the first time at the weekend at the chill factore and after gettin used the the initial "quickness" of the new board I loved it!! Got a slightly shorter board to make my turns easier before moving to a longer stiffer board. I can walk on flats using buttering..... The basics are down more or less.

I wanted to speed up my turns and having spent enough money on lessons developed my own thing.

My heel turn as with most people is solid, I can get out of a toe side turn quickly but not the other way round. I started bringing my back foot into play more. I sort of switch my edge quickly by bringing my back foot round rather than what was taught by slowly point the board down slope, then turn with just the front foot then repeat ( that I found only works for me at slower speeds). It's more of a mini jump than a push with the back foot. I'm not just skidding into stops, the board doesn't level off, it is mostly facing down slope.....if that makes sense.

The up shot is, if I want to go faster but in a controlled way, and get edge to edge quickly is that the way to do it?
??
Without doing this I feel I have to slow right down to perform a linked turn. I don't catch my edges when doing it my way as well which is a bonus!

Any comments or advise will be gratefully accepted


Thanks

Ant


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

It's hard to understand what you are trying to say. A video would be the best possible option.

From what I understand, you are using your back foot to hop out of your heel side turns. This is an actual method called "hop turning". It is normally used for sketchy and steep terrain such as with mogul fields. The problem with this method for normal riding will be fatigue. You're going to wear yourself out quicker than needed. You need to learn the basic fundamentals of snowboarding before you develop your own techniques and style. If you get too used to improper technique, it will be hard to correct it.

My friend said it well when he was teaching me easier edge transitions:

Imagine that you are balancing a ball in the middle of your board. You want to cradle the ball by rocking back and forth from your toe edge to heel edge. Too much tail skidding and you will throw the ball out from the center. This will take some getting used to, but it teaches you great technique. Edge transitioning is more about using your lower body than it is leaning. Leaning comes more into play when you start initiating more aggressive turns/carves.

I know Snowolf will be able to describe the proper technique better than me. I suggest you follow his instructions when he chimes in.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Just to add on...

If in fact you tend to lean back while riding downhill, it is going to feel real sketchy when you concentrate on centering yourself over the board. This will give you the sensation that you are about to fall forward when you are starting out. This is why the vast majority of beginners have problems with centering their weight over the board. It is an unnatural feeling for human beings to lean into direction of the downward slope. You'll get used to it after some practice. You basically have to condition your senses to the feeling. Same idea goes for gaining speed.


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi, thank you both for the replies. I know it must be difficult to understand my description so I'll try and sort a vid out. It sounds like I'm hop turning though......

Just to add, although my heel turn is stronger, I am linking turns well but only when performing slower open turns.

I want to know how to perform quicker, closed turns. I'm not leaning back, I'm ok at keepin my weight on my front foot. Is the same technique for performing open turns used to execute quick closed turns?? And is the back foot a "brake" only? 

My description of an open turn would be:

board at 12 o clock, heel down and turn, board back to 12 o clock, toe down and turn ( again if that makes sense ) I just don't see how you could do that a speed or am I wrong. Maybe I'm turning too much when I do turn perhaps, and I should keep the board facing more down slope? 

Thanks in advance, I'm really grateful for the free advise!!!!


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## Guest (Apr 28, 2010)

Ha, I was watching these vids yesterday on my way home from work, how bizzare.

After watchin them, I feel like I'm performing a dynamic skidded turn more than a hop turn.

I think your right, and what you've said does actually make a lot of sense.

I think I need to see a video of myself really so I can see what I'm doing.

Thanks again for the advise. As soon as I get a vid this weekend I'll upload it.


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