Posture and Timing Issues

[LisaJ]

OK-I'm back after a couple more weekends of practice on my wakeboard. Two things I'm really struggling with and end up exhausted before I've executed them correctly: 1st, I can NOT get comfortable on my toeside edge. My board wants to porposide on me if the water has any turbulence to it at all and makes me uncomfortable and hightail it back over to my heelside. 2nd-my timing at the wake for my heelside jumps is NOT right. I can not clear the wake and I end up back in the boat with my upperbody strength gone. I usually pull about 20 minutes/per session twice/day on the weekends. Below is a short youtube video of me trying to jump the wake. I don't like where my hips are on my toeside edge and can't figure out why they are poked out behind me. I feel like I'm going to fall over on my face sometimes if I edge onto my toe anymore than I do.

http://youtu.be/278DA8tqVw4

Any suggestions welcomed! I want to do this!!!!

Thanks, Lisa

[LYNRDSKYNRD]

Okay just watched your video

Heelside:
1st most of the time you are coming of your edge early and flattening the board out as you go up the wake. Its called a progressive edge which means it starts slow and should get progressively faster as you approach the wake. You want your cut to be fastest as you go up the wake and then continue edging through the top of the wake.
2nd you are absorbing alot of the line tension and energy of the cut by bending (actually squating) your knees as you go over the wake. As you reach the top of the wake you want to stand tall and push off. Think of getting up out of a chair that same motion of pushing upwards with your legs. You last cut was pretty good and you didn't bend your knees that's why you got close. Harder cut and push up with your legs when you get to the top of the wake.

[maristardd]

How about getting an instructor to ride along? They'll see a lot of things and can help not only correct things, but give you some drills that can emphasize helpful things. I've done that the last few sessions to ramp up on wakeboarding and it's helped me a lot.

I can pass along what we've been working recently on that may help.
- look towards the wake before you cut towards it, not after
- as you go to the wake, have your edge get progressively harder, so if scale 1-5, it is 1 when just after you cut, working up to 5 as you are going up wake
- arms straight with hands low (waist high) as you go into wake
- pushing/standing with your legs as you go up wake (pushing in middle of wake, not top/lip)
- on toe side which is much harder for me as well, practice cutting toe side with arms straight/low and almost around back to your hips. And making sure to cut both on way up and landing, not riding board flat.

- my instructor also had me practicing riding switch, where once you do that a little (with how uncomfortable that it), you realize how much easier even toeside feels.

- regarding clearing wake on heelside, maybe also it's little bit the boat speed? Some of your wake looks like mine around 16/17 mph where it wider and nice to practice, but at 22 it gets narrower where easier to clear.

Hope any of this helps, FWIW. I'm 47 getting into wakeboarding - I can snowboard and ski, but haven't really been on waterskis for 30 years. I was able to get up on a wakeboard w/o much help, but the instructor can really accelerate you through the learning curve, even for just a session.

[LisaJ]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate you taking the time to view my video. I didn't realize until I watched the video myself that I wasn't doing a progressive edge but exactly the opposite (which I think may be driven by a little bit of fear-you know UH OH here comes the wake....I want to to do...not I don't...yes I do...no I don't). I'm 49 years old and just started wakeboarding in June after not skiing for 30 years as well. But, I do love it and want to progress for sure. An instructor is an excellent idea and that will keep me from continuing bad habits. And I've said all along that the wake behind my new boat looks SO WIDE!!! I pull at 19.4 mph behind my Maristar 215 with 50% Balast on port and starboard sides. Much faster and I lose my confidence trying to edge out on my toe for the set up to cut back. Anybody instructors out there in the Lake Tillery, NC area reading this post....I'd love to hear from you.

Lisa

[LYNRDSKYNRD]

What is your rope length at 19.4 mph?

Did a quick search and came up with this

http://www.beachbumskiandsurf.com/lessons.html

[LisaJ]

My rope is around 55' or so

[snork]

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[snork]

Looks like a slalom rope and handle
Check your message

[maristardd]

I'll see if I can get a shot next time of my wake at 16 and 22, its a pretty big difference on width (94 Maristar 225, no ballast). BTW, at those speeds my stock speedometer is useless, I'm using a Garmin GPS on the dash, but you may be much newer / better speedo, in case you are basing speed off a non-gps speedometer.

[ricford]

What size board are you using. It's hard to tell from the video, but it almost looks too small for you. That may be part of the porpoising problem. If you could cut out a little farther on your toe side it would give you more time for a good solid edge into the wake generating more speed. As you are cutting out on your toe side try and get your hips more forward on the board. It seems you have too much weight on your back foot. I've attached a shot of my daughter. See the hip position. Hips to the handle.