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The Switch

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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
Does anyone else find it nearly impossible to stagger skis when skiing switch?

I can carve switch fine both ways, I can speed check fine(no switch pizza or anything), I can hit features switch/ride out of them switch and I can see well enough to know where I'm going and everything. But I can't stagger my skis for shit and apparently that is very wrong haha.

When I stagger them, I just end up opening my hips and making aggressively sharp turns and get too far on my edge and wash out. It also really hurts my hip flexors lmao.

So like if I can see and carve fine, is it a big deal? I constantly see people saying that you have to stagger them but it makes it 100x harder for me. So I dont know. Should I just do it how I know how to do it or is it actually worth taking the time to figure out the other way?
Feb 17 2016 4:28PM
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zakattack66
Posts: 185 - Karma: 577
You just slide one foot in front of you. It really opens up your field of view.
Feb 17 2016 4:30PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
zakattack66You just slide one foot in front of you. It really opens up your field of view.


yeah, I do that and then I fall/:
Feb 17 2016 4:33PM
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rememberscott
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 5,201
no stagger no swagger. sorry ming you're just a weirdo
Feb 17 2016 4:33PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
MinggDoes anyone else find it nearly impossible to stagger skis when skiing switch?

I can carve switch fine both ways, I can speed check fine(no switch pizza or anything), I can hit features switch/ride out of them switch and I can see well enough to know where I'm going and everything. But I can't stagger my skis for shit and apparently that is very wrong haha.

When I stagger them, I just end up opening my hips and making aggressively sharp turns and get too far on my edge and wash out. It also really hurts my hip flexors lmao.

So like if I can see and carve fine, is it a big deal? I constantly see people saying that you have to stagger them but it makes it 100x harder for me. So I dont know. Should I just do it how I know how to do it or is it actually worth taking the time to figure out the other way?


I'll show you at the Gathering.

You've probably got it right, just need to position your body a touch differently. The stagger often initiates a turn, which is where you get your carve from. HOwever, you likely are just slightly tweaking your body too much somewhere.
Feb 17 2016 4:37PM
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Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,343
skiing switch without staggering is the equivalent of pushing mongo
Feb 17 2016 4:37PM
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K-Dot.
Posts: 3739 - Karma: 7,738
Forward pressure on your boots and really think about driving the ski as if you were skiing forward. It comes with practice, I'm still not amazing at switch but damn it's fun in pow to do a switch slash.
Feb 17 2016 4:44PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,113
Staggering while skiing switch is just natural for me, keeping my legs even with each other feels weird AF. I naturally look over my left shoulder, so mega stagger and over my right is less but I don't understand how you "carve" without your legs being staggered...
Feb 17 2016 4:52PM
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gnar_whal
Posts: 1286 - Karma: 3,787
How do you carve without them being staggered
Feb 17 2016 5:00PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
eheathbut I don't understand how you "carve" without your legs being staggered...


gnar_whalHow do you carve without them being staggered


I just shift my weight/ lean to the side haha. I don't know I just do it lol.
Feb 17 2016 5:18PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
eheathStaggering while skiing switch is just natural for me, keeping my legs even with each other feels weird AF. I naturally look over my left shoulder, so mega stagger and over my right is less but I don't understand how you "carve" without your legs being staggered...


i stagger when im skiing forward and not turning. more comfortable to me, i just do it without noticing really
Feb 17 2016 5:37PM
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ascent_studios
Posts: 2157 - Karma: 4,580
Mr.BishopI'll show you at the Gathering.


Speaking of the gathering, when is it?
Feb 17 2016 5:46PM
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-emile-
Posts: 6613 - Karma: 8,592
what's staggering ? like having one foot in front of the other ?
Feb 17 2016 6:05PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13084 - Karma: 18,731
I think I know the problem. You might be leaning a little on your interior ski while switch. The high speed switch carve can derail when not enough force is applied to the exterior leg. Try releasing more weight off the interior ski.

A second idea to smoothen out a turn switch is a more pronounced lead change. It will set the hips into a more natural relaxed state while making more aggressive turns.

hope it helps
Feb 17 2016 6:25PM
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Pole-Less
Posts: 197 - Karma: 543
You might be staggering them so much that you are crossing your skis. I started by learning to turn in a switch snowplow, and put more weight on my outside foot, more than pushing your foot out. But, when skiing switch frenchfry pushing the outside foot directly backwards while adding pressure will turn you. Your hips shouldn't move too much and just turn your shoulders enough to move your head to turn.
Feb 17 2016 6:49PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
ben_collinsSpeaking of the gathering, when is it?


Feb 27-28!!(:
Feb 17 2016 6:51PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9297 - Karma: 7,719
once you learn how to stagger you'll realize skiing switch is a lot easier and it really helps initiate the turn. It sounds lame, but you can practice just standing up without skis on and looking over your shoulder. Put one leg about a foot in front of the other and put most of your pressure on your front foot. Just typing this makes me wish i was skiing switch right now
Feb 17 2016 6:59PM
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cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
MinggI just shift my weight/ lean to the side haha. I don't know I just do it lol.


then your not actually carving
Feb 17 2016 7:16PM
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cdip
Posts: 1563 - Karma: 2,449
MinggI just shift my weight/ lean to the side haha. I don't know I just do it lol.


then your not actually carving
Feb 17 2016 7:16PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
cdipthen your not actually carving


I'm still like on my edges though. Like I'm not just turning with a flat base or snowplowing or anything like that... I just don't stagger my skis as much lol
Feb 17 2016 7:37PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,113
MinggI'm still like on my edges though. Like I'm not just turning with a flat base or snowplowing or anything like that... I just don't stagger my skis as much lol


Youre probably just sliding, you literally can't carve without staggering your skis, forward or backwards.
Feb 17 2016 8:51PM
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CameraWiz
Posts: 735 - Karma: 2,112
You obviously haven't mastered the switch.
Feb 17 2016 8:55PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
MinggFeb 27-28!!(:


why the fuck is this downvoted?
Feb 17 2016 8:58PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
eheathYoure probably just sliding, you literally can't carve without staggering your skis, forward or backwards.


I mean I probably am not doing it 100% right to people's standards but I definitely like turn on my edges and everything. Its not like i'm sliding down side to side lmao.
Feb 17 2016 9:00PM
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jdfreeski2
Posts: 210 - Karma: 439
Minggyeah, I do that and then I fall/:


Put pressure on the front of your boots
Feb 17 2016 9:09PM
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L0gic
Posts: 576 - Karma: 2,290
Peter.i stagger when im skiing forward and not turning. more comfortable to me, i just do it without noticing really


Haha I do this too, it just seems natural to have one hip slightly behind the other
Feb 17 2016 9:21PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
practice going slow on something fairly flat and just sliding the turns with staggering your skis. As you get more comfortable, get more speed and carve em.
It's a lot easier to get used to new little changes when you're going slow with no consequences from reverting or catching an edge.
Feb 17 2016 9:55PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,633
ben_collinsSpeaking of the gathering, when is it?


27/28 Loon Mountain baby. Going to be EPIC.
Feb 17 2016 10:53PM
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ascent_studios
Posts: 2157 - Karma: 4,580
Mr.Bishop27/28 Loon Mountain baby. Going to be EPIC.


Sweet I'll try to make it!
Feb 17 2016 10:53PM
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brotherdad
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 13,067
Fuck speedchecks anyway. Pin it to win it.
Feb 18 2016 1:40AM
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AGOF
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 3,602
eheathYoure probably just sliding, you literally can't carve without staggering your skis, forward or backwards.


Well this is just wrong. Every bit of race training I've ever received says not to stagger your skis, it's a way to cheat to get the carve, but it won't carve as well. Wayyy more likely to slip out. Staggering switch is likely the same, it's just really hard to see without staggering and opening up your stance
Feb 18 2016 10:03AM
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Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,343
A-cAllEvery bit of race training I've ever received says not to stagger your skis


How much of that race training were you facing uphill?
Feb 18 2016 10:28AM
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AGOF
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 3,602
Randy_QuenchHow much of that race training were you facing uphill?


Well the post I replied to said you need to stagger forward or switch. So I guess reading comprehension helps
Feb 18 2016 12:15PM
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User1
Posts: 402 - Karma: 2,217
Mr.BishopHOwever


I see what you did there
Feb 18 2016 4:08PM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
What I've concluded from this is that Mingg is going to attempt a switch backflip :)
Feb 18 2016 8:34PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
Okay so today I tried to stagger them and I could get going (while still facing uphill) but then as soon as I turned my head/shoulders to look down hill It forced me into a revert/speed check. ):

I'm frustrated and I think that I'm perfectly content with the way I was skiing switch before haha. Even if it is the equivalent of pushing mingo haha
Feb 19 2016 8:37PM
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Lucas
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 1,575
Minggmingo


Skiing switch without staggering skis is now mingo
Feb 20 2016 1:30PM
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hemlockjibber8
Posts: 5977 - Karma: 3,549
LucasSkiing switch without staggering skis is now mingo


You mean, like, it's, like, called Minggo.
Feb 20 2016 1:40PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13978 - Karma: 49,320
LucasSkiing switch without staggering skis is now mingo


hahaha god damn it.
Feb 20 2016 1:46PM
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.Rybak.
Posts: 9017 - Karma: 9,864
MinggOkay so today I tried to stagger them and I could get going (while still facing uphill) but then as soon as I turned my head/shoulders to look down hill It forced me into a revert/speed check. ):

I'm frustrated and I think that I'm perfectly content with the way I was skiing switch before haha. Even if it is the equivalent of pushing mingo haha


I do the same thing when I look over my left shoulder. The trick is to make sure you are still keeping pressure on the balls of your feet so you don't start to slide out and revert back. I can carve/stagger completely fine or without trying over my right shoulder though.
Feb 20 2016 2:18PM
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bdarb207
Posts: 3057 - Karma: 438
hard to tell without seeing how you're actually doing it. When you stagger them, you arent so much actually turning with your hips like skiing forward, its more rocking your boots side to side to initiate turns, like 'puring the milk out' I don't know if that makes sense.

I can't imagine how you can ski competently switch and look behind you without staggering your feet? Looking behind you should pull your feet the way they need to, then you just pick the side youre more comfortable with and keep turning both ways looking over that shoulder.
Feb 20 2016 2:52PM
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