Wild rear arm.

[twelsch42]

Besides pinching my pants near my rear hip, does anyone have any tips on how to tame a flailing rear arm?

When I keep my arms still it seems like I drive my shoulders harder? Is this right?

Thanks for any ideas.
T

[Ear dragger]

I think you're body position might be off. you may be in the "back seat", or letting the board ride you! (kidding) you're shoulders need to be more perpendicular to the board (of course it changes as you ride). In freestyle riding, one shoulder is set back and you kind of look over you're shoulder. I think alpine riding body position is more like a skiier. so when carving, the shoulders should follow where you're looking. heelside (for a goofy), you initiate, start to look up hill, or to the other side of the trail (of course more things are happening). the shoulders should twist as well, following you're head. the arms should be down near you're sides, elbows bent, kind of a "ready" position.
hope that helps, thats my :barf:for you!

[corey_dyck]

Grab onto the hem of your jacket and ride from your feet up. Just simple carves at first until this clicks in your head.

Then once you're comfortable with that and want to charge harder, put your rear hand on your front knee/shin/boot (during a heelside turn) depending on how deeply you are carving.

[Chris Houghton]

We call that rodeo style. Even if you can get your rear arm into your field of vision it will help. The other exercises mentioned earlier in the thread are even better, but probably more difficult to achieve at first. One step at a time.

[b0ardski]

The steeper the binding angles the more "skier like" the shoulders/upper body should be, as in skiing, if that hand is behind you can't pressure the edge to carve efficiently because it puts you in the back seat.
A practice drill that helped me & others is to pretend their is a bungee between your wrists (actually used in ski clinics), or between your rear hand and front knee. When that starts to click drive that rear hand toward the front boot mid-carve to really power the edge on heelsides.

Another exercise I use is to point in the direction you want to go with both hands. This might seem silly but you can't do it with one hand behind you.

[inkaholic]

Come ride for a day at Loveland with the LCI, we'll be able to see what you are doing and make adjustments to your technique that will help your overall riding. Sundays have more of the LCI out but Saturdays will have a few also. Looks like Seraph will be joining us this Sunday.

Ink

[benttech]

I think I had the same thing, when I finally got it through my head that to turn I had to use my hips, my upper body just followed. Once I was able to touch the snow with my trailing (outside) hand on the snow I think I got it.

[Mellow Yellow]

Hire Helmut Karvlow or Shred Gruumer to follow you around screaming "turn your fu&*%ing shoulders, quit dragging your rear arm" for a few sessions....

this actually may be the first advice I have ever posted on this site... look where you want to turn, your shoulders and arms will follow. Also if the rear arm continues to trail, try to bring it forward/reach for your front foot boot. (okay Jack and others, feel free to flame my advice) :flamethro

It would be smart to ride with someone that can watch your form and critique real time....

[piusthedrcarve]

Another exercise I use is to point in the direction you want to go with both hands. This might seem silly but you can't do it with one hand behind you.

That's exact drill I'd taught my students. More aggressively, I image myself punching to the direction I want to go with opposite arm.

[queequeg]

I develop this problem sometimes and have to deal with it. Two drills that have really helped:

- Sliding my hands up and down my body alternatively as I turn, such that I am reaching nearly to my foot with my outside hand (sky-facing) and nearly to my armpit with my inside hand (ground-facing). This one looks funny but it really helps square your hips and shoulders, also helps with Angulation of course.

- Grabbing my front knee and pulling it up to me with my downhill (skyfacing) hand (this will also get you out of the back seat if you are there).

[twelsch42]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I don't have a problem with carving my turns in general - it's more when things get sketchy (riding bumps, avoiding people, tired legs) that my arm starts getting a bit wild. It seems like I'm working on the right things.

I'd love to get out and ride w/ all you Loveland peeps - but I'm a mid-week kind of guy. And I rely on my buddies to get up to the mountain (MJ usually) and they're all skiers too...grr... Once the season gets going, I'll figure something out!

T

[softbootsailer]

Find One and do not Let Go... If you allow the hand to follow you are either doing Ballet, Art poses or
getting as you say, Tired...

[Jack Michaud]

http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/practice_drills.cfm

[NateW]

Reaching forward with my trailing hand did wonders for me. I'm not picky for toe-side turns, but I try to keep it forward in heelside turns (like, above my front knee). If I notice my heelsides getting sloppy, it's always because I've gotten lazy about this.