USSA Sport Education Coaches Tip of the Week: May 28 2013
Each week the USSA Sport Education Department will post a Coaches Tip of the Week. The information will rotate through the ski and snowboard disciplines so check back each week to see the newest tip!
Takeoff and Landing in Freestyle Aerial Skiing
{This is an excerpt taken from the USSA Level 100 Aerial presentation written by Chris Seeman}
Teaching a young athlete a strong takeoff with proper mechanics is a skill that will support them the rest of their acrobatic skiing career. This skill is the basis for many advanced acrobatic maneuvers.
The skill is made up of two basic maneuvers:
- As the athlete approaches the jump, their feet should be shoulder width apart (athletic stance). The shoulders need to be forward over the balls of the feet. Hands should be reaching toward the top of the jump. Vision should be focused above the jump, at or near the horizon.
- When the athlete begins to ride up the jump, their body needs to extend or "pop" with full extension at the end of the jump. It is important that the shoulders remain over the balls of the feet through full extension. The extension can have as much "explosiveness" as the athlete is able to generate, while remaining in balance.
Once the take off skill is performed consistently, the athlete can move on to other maneuvers. For non-rotational maneuvers the athlete should wait until they leave the jump before they begin the maneuver they are performing. During the maneuver make sure the athlete keeps their vision level with the horizon through the apex of the jump.
As the athlete begins to prepare for the landing, the athlete needs to reach down the landing area with their hands and shift their vision to the bottom of the landing area. A slight absorption and balanced four point landing is ideal.