# Keeping Upper Body 'Quiet' tips or exercises??



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

amputate both arms, stick your hands in your pockets, super glue your elbows to your ribs, grab yo saggin bitties. Of course ur riding with shoulders and hips closed. Snowolf clued me in on the drill of just cruising a mellow run and then swining your arms in opposite directions and how that effects your riding and now I much more conscious of keeping my trailing arm closed or over-rotated closed when going toeside.


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## Soggysnow (Sep 11, 2012)

Snowolf said:


> In freestyle and ultra dynamic riding, upper/lower body separation is needed but don`t mistake this for leading with the upper body which is not the best way to ride.



I think if anything my back hand is fairly good unless i hit bumpy/chopped up terrain. In regular mountain riding my front arm is pretty quiet but I find tat occasionally I twist from the waist.

In freestyle I def am front arm flapper.
I try and keep my front arm to my side but out just a little to guide the landing, but it ends up doing its own thing.

Cutting arms off might be my best option? ;-p


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

People have mentioned grabbing and holding the outside of your pants legs to keep your arms at your sides.

I'd also recommend getting someone to video you riding. Watching yourself, while cringe-inducing, can be very educational. If you don't have someone to do that, get a Contour and make a frankenpole out of a hockey stick. 










I did this one of myself last year: 






and it helped me to see that I was using very little edge.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

If you are holding a pole-cam, you are unlikely to be doing weird 'normal wrong shit' with your back arm though eh*?










*note: that 'eh' is the Kiwi version, not Canadian


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

grafta said:


> If you are holding a pole-cam, you are unlikely to be doing weird 'normal wrong shit' with your back arm though eh*?
> 
> *note: that 'eh' is the Kiwi version, not Canadian


Yeah I could tell because you typed it different 

You're right, when holding the pole, I am a lot more careful about staying square, staying quiet, etc. So it's both a diagnostic AND a treatment.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

Donutz said:


> You're right, when holding the pole, I am a lot more careful about staying square, staying quiet, etc. So it's both a diagnostic AND a treatment.


BUT HOW WUD U EVEN KNO?!

Ha, yeah you're onto something there.

I feel like every time a camera comes out I ride different, ie 'proper'. Def a great diagnostic though. Gotta get on that stuff asap


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## liner (Jan 8, 2013)

Snowolf said:


> One of the easiest "drills" for training a rider who flails or rides with the "mystery date" (rear hand sticking straight out over the toe edge of the board) is to *ride with your hands holding onto the hem of your jacket or pant leg. Do not let go unless you are going to eat shit and need to regain balance and then get right back to hanging on.
> *
> Use of upper body is a huge problem and a terrible habit that new riders get into to and the "mystery date" is a huge impediment to good toeside turn initiation.
> 
> In freestyle and ultra dynamic riding, upper/lower body separation is needed but don`t mistake this for leading with the upper body which is not the best way to ride.




+1 for on the bottom of the jacket.

A more extreme methodology a co-worker showed me was to take your forward hand and put in on you rear shoulder(left hand on your right shoulder if your regular and vice-versa), and your rear hand behind your back. 

With this weird positioning of the arms, you feel more stress in the upper body when you use it, thus making yourself very aware when you do. You should only use this as a "self check" and not as a full on riding style.

WARNING!!! if you eat shit backwards, holding your hands behind your back is a fantastic way to dislocated your shoulder. I rider very comfortably with my hands back, but the second I think im losing balance they go right back in front. So just be aware.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

liner said:


> +1 for on the bottom of the jacket.
> 
> A more extreme methodology a co-worker showed me was to take your forward hand and put in on you rear shoulder(left hand on your right shoulder if your regular and vice-versa), and your rear hand behind your back.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a good way to get nicely into the back seat, while being well rotated over your heel edge, perfect for a solid downhill catch, eating shit dislocating your shoulder and gaining a tidy concussion :thumbsup:


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## Soggysnow (Sep 11, 2012)

Hey thanks for the advice, Ill watch the videos when I get home from work (blocked)
I think maybe grabbing bottom of jacket might be the best option. I did an exercise with roxy camp last year that made us think more about shoulders or closing and opening 'front pocket back pocket' (front arm in conjunction with turns) which I sometimes use if I find I have lost rhythm
I am by no means a beginner, just have gotten into some pretty bad habits that need fine tuning.

My main concern is my flying arms on jumps. Imagine sucking up a deep breath. I think that what I do with my upper body. It means that my arms are not staying to my sides or they are but I look ridiculous.
It happens more when I am trying to use my lower body to get pop oddly enough, not so much when I don't try (but am in air with straighter legs instead)
Also happens with Indy grabs, front arm wanders.
Im a bit stuck.


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## liner (Jan 8, 2013)

As far as not doing the windmill, do grabs. They compact your center of mass, and you'll want to be using them anyway.


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## Soggysnow (Sep 11, 2012)

Went up today, another infuriating day of feeling like I'm going backwards.
I watched other ppl on the lift and noticed a few were doing what I did last week on the same jumps. I was landing tail first (new bad habit)

So today I focused on my arms. Ok but not going far/fast enough. 
Next run combined trying to tame upper body (remember its not just my arms but whole upper), putting weight forward for more even landing.
Well I made it to a good spot on landing but now something is going on with that. I'm landing flat, but slapping rather than absorbing or stomping the landing.
Next run same but my arms have gone (not just behind or in front as usual but up argh). Not sure if its because I am not used to landing so far down the landing and not so close to the knuckle?

Now I have lots of problems. I try and fix something, other things crop up I don't know why I seem to be taking steps backwards. It's not that difficult is it? I have watched SO many vids and read so much instruction to get it clear in my head before going on the hill. But when i get on the hill...
I'm getting really angry and frustrated and wish I had someone to help me out in person.
I feel so out of touch.

I have been takIng note of my riding on hill in general, my arms are quiet unless I hit unseen/expected bumps. Still not riding nearly as fast as I'd like to though.

The only good news, for some reason my backside 180s off natural features have been coming easy and clean


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

I don't know that the problems you're having are all that unusual. I'm just really getting into jumps, and I've had the "leaning too far back", the "leaning too far forward and windmilling", the "turning to face downhill", knuckling, washouts, rear arm going up over my head, legs trying to stretch down to the snow as soon as I take off, etc etc etc etc etc bleah! I think there are technical issues and psychological issues (fear) and it's hard to separate them. My plan is to simply keep working at it (because jumps are fun) and gradually get comfortable enough and skilled enough that I can start paring out the stupid stuff. Today I mastered compression and extension on the run-up, which paid off huge. But despite any number of attempts, I could not bring my board up for a grab. Reflexes just won't allow it yet.


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## Soggysnow (Sep 11, 2012)

Next time you are up in whis give me a holla.


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