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Barefoot Skiing Turns and Positions

Posted on May 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

Learn Barefoot Handle Passing

“Patience means self-suffering.”

“Cowards can never be moral.”

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.”

“Full effort is full victory.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

“Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
That way if he gets angry…he will be a mile away…and barefoot.”

-unknown author

“Hi Lane,

How’s the season so far? I’m ready to see you set a new trick record. I have a question about a problem I have had for years. When I do front to backs (both 1 foot and 2 foot) the hand that I release to go to the back position is lazy and does not grab the handle in the back position. I have to make a second effort to get the handle. I almost always make the turn but the bad handle transfer makes for a sloppy turn. Even when reaching for the handle is the ONLY thing I think about before the turn, that darn hand does not go all the way for the handle. Only after a second effort to grab the handle do I ride away backwards. This makes f to f 360′s almost impossible. I have done 1,000,000 turns on dog paws and do not have even a hint of a lazy hand!! The problem is only when barefoot. Should I just live with sloppy turns (there are no points for good style!) or is there some drills I can do? Drills? Dry land practice? Exercises? Brain surgery? Ect… It seems I have tried everything. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE MYSELF REACH FOR THE HANDLE AND CLEAN UP MY TURNS? I need a miracle.

Your old friend,
Mark Wells

Mark, you are definitely not alone and this is a great question. I have always believed that with all barefooting, “it is not the surface turn that is difficult, only the starting and ending positions that are difficult.”

-Lanemus Maximus

I actually see this problem a lot in advanced skiers. The solution is in the position. I would be very suspicious of your starting position, your and your http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/info/ne6.htm

This is the single biggest problem that attributes to a What is really happening to you is that when you are getting to the back position, you are not in a position. Instead you are temporarily vulnerable because you have that comes from keeping the pull in your hips.

The fact that you can take another swipe at the handle tells me several things;

#1 Your eyes are up-very good.

#2 You have good balance-very good

#3 You are standing high with your upper and lower body-the opposite of very good.

#4 Your legs are wide!… THIS is a killer of all that is good in the correct position.

#5 You have practiced perfecting this problem until it has become comfortable to turn this way-I know you are not happy about it, but you have trained it into your subconscious-not good.

Here is another great rule that I try to live by for myself and my students:

NEVER MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE MORE THAN THREE TIMES IN A ROW!!!!!

“But Lane Dawg,” you ask, “I never TRY to repeat the same mistake!”

I understand your intentions are good, but the problem is that “practice does not make perfect…it makes permanent.”

If you repeat your mistake without getting results, change it to or even Go to where you can be in your happy place. You need to build the correct muscle memory without beating your body until it expects to repeat the same mistakes. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/trainingaids.html#

Let me get back to solving this problem.

#1 Always make sure to turn at or below the PERFECT position

95% of the people who do surface turns start too high and turn too high!

“Live low and prosper.”

-Lanemus Maximus

#2 I always try to keep my chest out and my shoulders back during all my skiing. Keeping my shoulders behind my butt during the entire set-up for the or is critical.

You are very likely to be bending forward [and letting your hips go back] as you go into your turn.

By keeping your shoulders back and your hips forward you keep the pull in the hips which makes you twice as powerful. When you bend over and let your elbows get away from you, the pull goes from your hips to your shoulders and you are no longer in control.

If you review my articles on the Front to back and One-foot Turns you will find my tips on keeping the handle in close to your body. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/info/ne15.htm

http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/info/ne21.htm

#3 It takes a lot of concentration, but it is critical for me to keep my chest expanded forward in between my elbows so that my elbows and chest do not get separated in my set-up.

#4

Try using a small Gatorade bottle next to your cup as you practice these turns. If you can keep it without dropping it, you will be well on your way. I also like to squeeze my armpits into my ribs once I am in the correct position so that when I finish the turn, my handle is close to my body!

#5 I never stop working to push my butt towards the handle and squeezing my hip flexors. This cannot be over stated!

#6 Reduce the practice time and aggravation by 87.2% and come down to paradise where miracles are made!

I have greatly reduced the amount of time that I teach, but it is still possible to those who are serious about their success.

Order the best instructional video on the planet http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/videos.html

Expect a Miracle!

Barefoot Water Skiing Tips

Posted on May 3, 2013 | Leave a comment

Coaches Barefoot Water Skiing for Kids

“The successful man has enthusiasm. Good work is never done in cold blood; heat is needed to forge anything. Every great achievement is the story of a flaming heart.” – Harry Truman

Would you be interested in advice on coaching yours or other kids to barefoot? If you are, then you will love this News from Brent Benoist is one of the most successful father coaches in barefoot water skiing today. Brent’s sons, Billy and Brody, have destroyed most of the National Junior Boys records out there and are excellent examples of how athletes should handle success and failure.

Before letting you jump into this great advice, I want to remind you that those of you who would like to download my FREE E-Book which includes the first 23 News from THE EDGE articles, I have created the following link that you can go to without resigning-up for the newsletter; http://www.thefootersedge.com/

Teaching Skills to Kids by Brent Benoist

Small Steps

Make sure that you don’t ask too much of a child. As a teacher, you must keep your students motivated. Try to break down the skills into the fundamental parts, and make the correct execution of the parts (not the whole skill) the goal of the teaching session. Complicated skills should be taught in parts, for example: first teach the correct position, then teach the movement.

Time/age rule

Limit skill-coaching sessions by the time/age rule. That is, “in general”, if a boy is 12 years old he can pay attention (and enjoy himself) for about 12 minutes. (Girls tend to have a little longer attention span.) So if you are teaching a new skill, work on it with him for about 12 minutes and then move on to something else.

For 4 year olds, work with them for about 4 minutes, then let someone else ski, and go back to working with them later.

If the student is having success, and enjoying the session, then you can give him some extra time.

Just don’t keep beating a dead horse, that is, when something is not working, move on!

Types of Learners

Try to determine which type of learner that you are working with. Some children learn better by seeing, others by hearing, and others by doing.

So try everything!

First demonstrate the skill that you are trying to teach so they can see it. Second, tell them how to do the skill so they hear the explanation. Finally let them demonstrate the skill themselves. Then put them in the water and let them attempt to demonstrate the skill on the water.

You May Need Professional Help

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of seeking help from the professional skiers. The cost of going to a ski school for a week may seem expensive, but in the long run, learning from professional coaches costs less, and produces better results more quickly than trying to “figure out” the proper techniques on your own. Sometimes a coach needs some coaching too. So I recommend seeking out a great ski school and having the coach and student attend together.

My kids and I go for lessons at the FootersEdge Training Center and I take notes while Lane is coaching my boys.

Then the kids get to see dad working on new tricks, and that helps to keep us all motivated.

The real value of water skiing is that it can be a sport for the whole family to enjoy.

Only one Coach

Remember the old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth”? Only one person should be coaching.

If you have 4 people in the boat telling the skier what he needs to do, he will not be able to focus on anything. I have at many times had to stop parents from coaching “with” me.

If someone else insists on coaching, then I shut up. This, by the way, is something that other coaches have had to tell me at times. So, knowing the rule and it’s value, I don’t take it personal, I just sit quietly. Anyone who has a comment or advice for the student that the coach may be missing should tell the coach, and then he can tell the skier.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Everyone likes a coach who is happy, excited, and enthusiastic. Your attitude as a teacher, or coach is the most important way to keep your kids excited about learning something new, and their excitement will motivate them to learn exponentially.

Remember this, a happy, and excited attitude is a choice that we as teachers and coaches must make, it is not the result of how our day is going! When you get into the boat, make sure you leave any bad attitudes on the dock.

Temperature Threshold

When working with kids in cold weather, please give them a break.

Hypothermia is a function of body mass, and the lower the body mass, the more quickly a person is affected by cold water. So, keep this in mind.

Make sure that kids have good wetsuits, drysuits to keep them warm. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/wetsuits.html

Keep the sessions shorter in the winter and when the kids look like they aren’t having fun, then take them out.

I have found that my kids love to ski in a waterski drysuit. Apparently there is something special about the new type of cold weather armor.

Applaud, Award Accomplishments, and Have Fun

Applaud everything, and let the kids have a few runs everyday where they can do whatever they want to do. At our house, we usually do a brother-brother, or father-son ski around the lake at the end of the training session. The boys love this and we always make a big deal out of it.

We also practice to see who can go the farthest. After skiing, I try to do something like go out for ice-cream, or in the winter, we have hot chocolate waiting at home.

We want everyone to have a chance to achieve their own miracles!

Expect a Miracle!

Foolproof Method For How to Front-to-Back Without Falling

Posted on April 26, 2013 | Leave a comment

“Fool-Proof, Step-By-Step System For NAILING Your First Front-To-Back Without Falling…”

Knowledge is powerful. Any problem you have incan be solved if you have the right information broken down into

The knowledge I about to give you is so simple, that it is often overlooked.

Most will never understand its significance because it is viewed as too simple to work on compared to

After mastering Posture and Glide, the single most important lesson you must learn is the incredible leverage over your skiing you can have when you learn to ski in the Power Band!

What is the Power Band?

It is quite simply learning to ski with the pull of the boat coming into the strongest part of your body…the hips.

It is the position in which you gain the most power with the least effort.

It is the position in which you finally feel that you are not in a tug of war, but rather a place of quiet dominance!

It is the same in all water sports, golf, wrestling, and snowboarding.

My is now licensed by me to be used in many other sports including martial arts and Snowboarding…

Why?

Because it is so powerful and so simple…and it works incredibly fast.

How do you get your skiing into the PowerBand?

Check out my pictures on my Barefoot Position’s page at
http://www.thefootersedge.com/positions.htm
and look at pictures #1 and #4.

Learn to ski in these positions and you have unlocked your potential to do the

My top to bottom form has been discussed in great detail in my Trauma Center (http://www.thefootersedge.com/traumacenter/index2.htm)

Here is your homework…

You can OWN this stuff so make it happen faster rather than slower!

Master getting your hips into the handle forward while skiing in and you will become a surface turning machine.

Master your form on dry land. Master your form on FOOT SKIS. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/trainingaids.html#

Master your form on your feet!

Check out the success story in my Barefoot Blog on your Member’s Page at http://www.thefootersedge.com/members

Expect a Miracle!

Barefoot Water Skiing Tips and Tricks

Posted on April 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

”Feel The Power Of The Barefoot Skiing Flip – KING of All Barefooting Tricks”

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.”

-Soren Kierkegaard

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

-John Quincy Adams

Everyone who can stand barefooting… for some unknown reason… thinks themight be the next most logical step in their barefooting career…

The following HALO of armor is recommended if you like all your body parts right where they are;

#1 Great front one foots,toe-holds on the long line

#2 Great tumbleturns on the long line

#3 Wake and surface hops

#4 Very strong, very tough, hard to bluff!

#5 My two-hour instructional video http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/2hour_dvd.html

#6 The World Best Barefoot SuperSuit and IronMan Shorts

#7 The Super Fly High … IF you want to make it 60% easier than on pylon height and 30% easier than performed on a tower… Not everyone WANTS the easier road

Several tips will help you before ever attempting this on your feet.

#1 lots of dry-land practice

#2 do them on the until you are the king. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/trainingaids.html

#3 NEW APPROACH: If you have a boat that allows you to ski off the boom on a 10-foot rope without being pummeled by chine spray, I recommend doing this first on Foot Skis there, then on your feet.

You will need to foot AWAY from the boat towards the side you want to flip.

#4 It is not a bad idea to try these techniques I am about to teach you and then letting go on the landing a couple of times to keep from getting injured.

#5 Video yourself to get the most out of your practice sessions.

#6 The very best gift you can give yourself is longevity.

The flip requires;

#1 Good vision

#2 A hard pull [at the right time] with great handle placement.

#3 Explosive strength

#4 Great

# 5 You also need a great grip and a commitment to keeping the handle when you get smacked in the back. The first challenge is to move the rope where it is out of the way and in a safe place so you have room to flip. If you do not move the handle, you could end up flipping and putting your head or arm through the handle. This would be a BAD thing!

Your next decision is to decide how you are going to hold the handle. I recommend that both hands be touching each other in either a baseball grip or palms down grip. If you decide to use a baseball grip, slide your hands to one end with the excess part of the handle pointing down so it stays out of your way! (Big tip!)

This handle position is critical and difficult to hold. Once you have started your rotation, the pull comes from a different direction much like a tumble turn, so you will have to push the handle to keep it in this critical position. http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/handles-ropes.html

**Lane Dawg Bower’s patented RECOMPRESSION Technique REVEALED!**

This new technology is critical for two skills so far as I can tell; front and back surface hops and flips! NOW is the time to initiate my patented RECOMPRESSION technique! This will ensure that upon your landing that your feet will hit the water in something close to a

As the handle touches your hip you should be rocking forward in front of your feet with your eyes open, your handle in its happy place, and your head at about the same height as your handle (above the water).

As your feet come off the water, you have achieved the critical upside down position where you must initiate the RECOMPRESSION Technique. Think of it as recoiling BACK into a ball!

You should end up landing just past your shoulder blades to ensure a rounded landing on the curve of you back. You should be keeping your ankle flex to be sure you are ready to ski out.

Click here to Learn How to Properly Practice the Foot Position for the Ultra Mega Glide. Get ready for a hard pull ensuring you have maintained the CRITICAL 911 FLIP HANDLE POSITION!

Would you like to see a Barefooting Flip Miracle In ACTION? Check out what we accomplished with this student in just ONE DAY at TheFootersEdge.com Barefoot Training Center…

<embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4106048" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300"></embed>

Expect a Miracle!

Barefoot Water Skiing Tips and Tricks

Posted on April 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Learning the Butt Glide

for

Barefoot Skiing

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most
certain way to succeed is to always try just one
more time.”
-Thomas Edison

This article is for those of you who would like to learn to be a successful barefooter on the 5-foot rope or even behind the boat! In addition, this position is critical to learning the properly. I have seen many advanced barefooters who would be well advised to revisit this essential skill!

The correct progression to learning how to barefoot in the safest possible way is as follows:

#1 Learn to Using my No Fall Barefooting Method shown at http://www.thefootersedge.com/1hourbarefooting/

#2 Learn the Front Deep Water Start shown at http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/first_time_barefooters.html and also extensively on my 2 Hour Instructional video (http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/2hour_dvd.html)

To learn the properly, it is critical that you have the best barefoot shorts available. I guarantee the World’s Best Barefoot Suit and Shorts which you can see at http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/wetsuits.html

The critical elements for the butt glide are:

#1 legs are perfectly straight, knees touching

#2 toes are pointed

#3 legs are beneath the rope

#4 handle is between your hip and the end of your wetsuit with your knuckles pressed onto your legs

#5 balance position on butt with your feet the same height
as your head

#6 no part of your back is on the water (only tailbone)

#7 eyes open (squinted if necessary) so they can see over knees

Only when you can sit comfortably in this position can you truly prepare yourself for the next stage of learning the three-point which you master on dry land using my article and training featured in my article, and which you can read in my Trauma Center under “First TimeBarefooters,” at http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/first_time_barefooters.html

The reason that so many barefooters have learned to barefoot at The Footer’s Edge Training Center here in Winter Haven, FL is because I guide them through the steps of learning each of these steps separately in order to eliminate the hard falls that come so easily to those who are not trained properly. This is one of my greatest teaching secrets and the best way to keep beginners learning without falling!!!

“Baby Steps are the Key to the No Fall Barefooting Technique”

Most barefooters push beginners too hard and try to get them to stand before they can crawl (or butt glide). It is critical that the new barefooter learns to ride comfortably on their butt up and down the lake with enough confidence that they can relax, smile, and even talk with the boat driver!

I also recommend learning this start with a barefoot wakes handle (15 inch Barefoot Handle) which is easy to learn than using any other handle because there is less tuff on the handle to get between the barefooter’s knees! You can see this handle in my online ProShop at http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/index.html

Once you have mastered the butt glide position, you should also be comfortable in the same butt glide position with your feet OFF of the rope and about six inches off the water.

The handle must remain at your hip! Once you can ride in this position, you can learn the windshield wipers and my patented which are featured on my Instructionalvideo at http://www.thefootersedge.com/equipment/2hour_dvd.html

Expect a Miracle!