Better movement Hinges on Balance - By Craig McNeil, As Published in Rocky Mountain News
PRESS ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. JANUARY 17, 2006
Better Movement Hinges on Balance
By Craig McNeil, As Published in Rocky Mountain News. January, 2006
Alignment in skiing is frequently discussed but often misunderstood.
One thing is certain, however: Skiing is all about balance, so the better your balance as you move, the more efficient you are when making turns.
Because of how we stand over our feet, most skiers favor one side over the other and, thus, rely on the dominant ski more than the other. Because one side does more work in the turn, balance in stance and turning ability is compromised.
There’s a simple way to test your alignment, but you should try it on a fall-line straight run that is flat and smooth so speed is not an issue.
Choose a focal point, then pick up one foot and try to ski straight toward that object. Any bias toward one edge or the other means you have an alignment issue. (For most skiers, the ski wants to track toward the big-toe edge.)
So what to do if you have an alignment issue?
There’s the Shim Balance System, a patented balancing process that instantly can improve a skier’s balance and, thus, performance.
The SBS system is designed to improve balance using preangled “balance shims” that fit between the liner and shell of a ski boot. The precanted rubber “balance shims” come in 12 angles, measured in half-degrees from .5 of a degree to 6 degrees, and will create an immediate change to the exact angle your ankle needs to balance most efficiently.
How this translates is perfect balance over your feet and equal edging from side to side. The SBS process is a quantifiable way to measure how you stand on your skis. It is not the same as grinding boots, shimming bindings or merely guessing based on the “plumb bob on the knee test.”
The SBS process, which is designed to position the foot properly within the boot, costs about $99. It takes about 15 minutes and includes a complete balance assessment, cuff alignment and custom fitting.
Test yourself for alignment
• Find a relatively flat, smooth part of a ski trail. Pick an object down the slope as a focal point.
• To test your alignment, lift one foot and ski; stand and balance on the other. The slope you use should be relatively flat and smooth, so speed is not an issue. (Be sure to look uphill to avoid other skiers.)
• If you are in a neutral stance, the ski should track straight toward the object of your focus. If your ski tracks to the big-toe or little-toe edge, have your alignment checked.
Get it corrected
• Do you have a dominant side or edge when you ski? As you stand and balance on one foot, the muscles in the lower leg “fire” to maintain balance.
• The Shim Balance System measures a bias to either the big-toe or little-toe side of your ski stance.
• As you seek to find your balance, you “dial in” your stance by adjusting the platform. In the neutral position, muscles in the lower leg work most efficiently.
Measure results
• When the foot is brought to neutral, the muscles in the lower leg “fire” most efficiently to help maintain balance. The platform adjusts the foot by degrees to a neutral stance.
• In this photo, the skier stands on the Shim Balance System, using the custom insole he or she will ski in to help further stabilize the foot.
• The SBS process improves dynamic balance using preangled “balance shims” that fit between the liner and the boot shell. The precanted rubber “balance shims” come in 12 angles, measured by half-degrees from .5 of a degree to 6 degrees, and will create an immediate change to the exact angle your ankle needs to balance most efficiently.
Wednesday: Custom boot liners.
For more information about The Foot Foundation and the Shim Balance System, visit www.footfoundation.com.
About Craig McNeil
Craig McNeil is a certified Primary Movements instructor with more than 30 years of teaching experience.