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Intro to Classic XC Skiing (Part 3): Learning to Transfer Your Weight and Glide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ม.ค. 2021
- Transferring your weight from one ski to the next is the next step after pushing off in the diagonal striding technique. Then, immediately following that transfer of weight is the glide phase. In this video I talk about those two aspects of diagonal striding as a combined element because they are so connected to one another.
Between discussion and commentary about classic cross-country skiing technique with regard to pushing off, transferring your weight, and gliding, I include mini-demonstrations of the diagonal stride technique of classic cross-country skiing. My emphasis for these demonstrations is to provide you visual representations of the overall diagonal striding movement.
You’ll hear me say it many times, but classic cross-country skiing is deceptively complex. The reason I say this is due to the subtle marriage between cross-country ski gear and technique. So this introduction isn’t necessarily a how-to video but, rather, an informational piece that lays the groundwork for future tutorials. Because, without a basic understanding of the geometry and characteristics of a cross-country ski (and how they work together), it’s difficult to learn proper diagonal striding technique.
* Please note that I include accurate subtitles/closed captions for all of my videos, so if you're having a difficult time hearing me enable the "CC" option (bottom right of video player).
** You can change the speed of the video (slower/faster) by accessing the "Playback Speed" option via the settings gear icon (bottom right corner of the video player).
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Please note that I produced my series of articles and videos tagged “Cross-Country Skiing Explained” with the beginner or intermediate cross-country skier in mind. Therefore, I don’t intend to address racing-oriented philosophy, technique, or gear selection.
Classic Cross-Country Ski Components:
Introduction to Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 1)
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Geometry of Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 2)
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The Grip Zone of Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 3)
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Types of Bindings for Classic Cross-Country Skiing (Part 4)
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Ski Boots for Classic Cross-Country Skiing (Part 5)
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Classic Cross-Country Ski Poles (Part 6)
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FAQs about Classic Cross-Country Skiing
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Waxing Your “Waxless” Cross-Country Skis (for beginner and intermediate xc skiers):
Introduction to Waxing Your Waxless XC Skis
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Step-by-Step Waxing Tutorial
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Considerations for buying cross-country ski gear (new and beginner xc skiers):
Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1)
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Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 2)
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I've produced this collection of articles and videos about backcountry travel and exploration with the beginner and intermediate adventurer in mind. This is the demographic for whom I most often served while working in the Lake Tahoe outdoor recreation industry. In essence, these informational projects I create and publish are extensions of the many conversations we've had over the years.
Please note that, although I encourage you to venture out of your comfort zone, you need to know your limits and when to turn back. Tahoe Trail Guide and its contributors are not liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death. Always consult multiple sources when venturing into the backcountry. Always be prepared for the worst case scenario. Your safety is your responsibility.
Copyright © 2021 Jared Manninen
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another great teaching video, lots of fundamental points. Wish I’d had this when starting out. Still, many good thoughts. Like the ‘drive the knee’ one, will think on that next time out. Deserves many more views and likes! Great points for all levels of skier.
Thanks so much, as always, Bill :)
"Driving the knee" also subtly encourages a person to bend their leg a little when swinging it through for the glide phase. A lot of times people will tend to "slap" that trailing ski as they're trying to bring it forward to glide. I find that this is because they often are a little too straight-legged and, as a result, land their ski too early. I guess I already stated that in the video, but it's a thing that a lot people do (until they start to bend that knee).
Anyway, thanks for the feedback!
@@JaredManninen Hi Jared- thanks for the helpful videos! While I'm a beginner with cross country skis, I've been swimming for many years ("kick & glide" to me is how to teach breaststroke! haha) so I definitely appreciate the emphasis on nuances of proper body alignment. For me, I'm happy with good form vs. speed any day. That being said, I think I am running into the issue above^^ do you know if this would cause sore knees (I don't have existing knee problems but knees are sore after skiing)? I'm trying to pinpoint the problem so I can correct my technique to avoid injury
Hey Alex,
Thanks so much for comments and kind words 🤗
As far as sore knees go, I'm not sure what the cause would be in your case. I seldom get sore from cross-country skiing (mostly just fatigued). And without actually seeing you ski it would be hard for me to speculate.
That said, I have experienced occasionally on exceptionally cold days an achiness in my knees after skiing. Not actual knee pain though. Just like my joints were really cold. Usually it goes away soon after warming up.
If what you're experiencing is acute and specific, I'd look at your body position and movement to determine if you're doing something out of the ordinary. Maybe film yourself skiing back and forth and then do some movement analysis.
I've experienced various knee issues over the course of my life due to sports and other physical activity. But xc skiing has always been low impact and mostly helpful for strengthening my knees. So start with determining the specificity of the pain, then perform some movement analysis. Obviously, if it becomes a persistent problem consult your doctor.
Anyway, sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Good luck, and let me know how it all goes.
@@JaredManninen thank you!
Thank you for videos. It’s been two years since the last comment on these videos 1-3 and I am flashed because your information and rhetoric is so engaging. It’s wonderful. I’ll be watching more.
Awesome! Thanks so much for tuning in, and for the kind words :) I try to make most of my videos to be "evergreen" (useful for years to come and not specific to a certain time period). Once you begin to understand the mechanics of the skis and how to move your body (so that they make the skis go forward), it's hard to beat the experience! Having the freedom of movement that comes with cross-country skiing is quite addicting ;)
Thanks again for watching, and for the comment!
Jared, your instructions are fantastic for me. I recently took up XC skiing and love the style and nuance of classic diagonal skiing. Your explanations of balance and body movement has really helped me. Thanks for making these videos available and I love your passion for classic technique.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Kevin! I appreciate the feedback :)
Yes, I love classic skiing in all its nuances. What I really love about it is that it's so versatile. You can diagonal stride, for example, in nearly any terrain. Well, any terrain that doesn't include over a foot of fresh snow - haha!
Thanks again for tuning in and for the comment. Let me know if you ever have any specific questions!
Great video. The long shots of you skiing back and forth were very helpful to me. I'm still very unsure of my own technique, and I try to mimic you, and it really helps that I can see more than a few strides.
I really appreciate that feedback, Paulina :)
I often wonder if it's helpful for people to just watch me ski back and forth. But I know that I'm a visual learner, so I find a lot of benefit in watching others perform certain movements and techniques over and over and from different angles. So, again, I'm glad that you also find this approach to be helpful for yourself.
Thanks again, and let me know if you ever have any questions :)
Your knowledge is very helpful to me thank you so much!!!
Thank you, Xavier! I appreciate the kind words :)
Let me know if you ever have any questions.
I like your explanations .I better see xc ski as a working prossess to be à little bit better than i was yesterday.Thanks for sharing your love for this way of life.
I really appreciate the kind words and feedback :) And glad I could be of service! Yes, learning to cross-country ski can take a long time even with a lot of practice. But that is one thing that I love about it, which is that there's always something that you can be working on and developing. It's not just something that you can pick up over a weekend, for example.
Again, thanks for tuning in and commenting. Let me know if you ever have any questions :)
I got enlightened by your explanations!! As u said it is deceiving/confusing to watch people skiing..I cant even see how and where their legs/feet/arms/shoulders/poles are moving..!! I was so discouraged!! But now that your explanations made it clear to me, I would give it another try again and hope that I can see some improvement in my practice and could finally skii one day soon!! Thank you so much for your amazing wholehearted works!!
Hey Hang,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Glad I could be of service 🤗
Yes, classic xc skiing is deceptively complex. Just keep at it, though. It's so rewarding once things start to click and you achieve continuous forward motion 👍
Let me know if you ever have any questions!
No-nonsense, patient teaching. Thank you very much!
Thank you again, Thomas! I appreciate the positive feedback 🤗
omg I wish I'd found your videos years ago - or at least 3 days ago before I made it out for my first ski of the season - I went back out yesterday and after getting home and feeling totally beat up from the experience I suspected that I must be doing something very wrong to be feeling so wrecked and after watching your video I have a very good sense of all the wrongs I've been committing - I really like the patient and thorough explanations of the body mechanics of it all and I also appreciate the shots of you skiing back and forth - I am a visual learner so your instruction combined with seeing you in motion really helps me with the intuitive understanding - plus seeing you in motion definitely has me craving another go at the snow... as soon as my trashed muscles recover from me bullying my through yesterdays 7 miles O backcountry ;-p
Thank You Very Much for sharing your knowledge :-)
Thank you so much for the kind words 🤗 Glad you're finding value in my work, and that I can inspire you to get back out there 👍
Yeah, xc skiing is deceptively complex. It's one thing to walk and shuffle around on them. It's a whole other thing to develop effective technique. But learning technique doesn't happen in one or two sessions, so be patient with yourself and keep working at it.
Learning to be properly balanced on one leg is key. Once you establish that functional alignment on one leg, you'll be able to incorporate all the other elements into diagonal striding. Again, though, you just need to put the miles and reps in.
Thanks again for the really positive feedback! I'm a visual learner, too, which probably contributes to me including a lot of repetition in my videos. Let me know if you ever have any questions ☺️
Really appreciate these instructional videos. Thanks for them!
You're welcome, Scott! Thanks so much for the positive feedback :)
These videos are great! I just started teaching and find these extremely helpful!
Excellent, Anne! Glad I could be of service. Congratulations, by the way :)
Thanks for this! Greetings from Norway.
Thank you, Alex! I totally appreciate you tuning in and providing feedback :)
Greetings from Lake Tahoe!
Love the videos, anyway to give beginners tips on turning and stopping?
Yes... All tutorials and teachers focus on going but often nothing is said about steering, turning while in motion outside the track, the various ways of stopping, moving in and out of the track while in motion, etc. I've had to learn through trial and error... mostly error. Would have loved some tutorials or some of my previous teachers to have talked about these points.
Hey Hunter,
Thanks so much for the kind words :)
Based on your request and Alex's (down below), I'll put together another video by next week covering turning and stopping when running classic cross-country skis. Thanks for the idea and encouragement!
Hey Alex,
Thanks so much for the comment and additional encouragement of this idea for another tutorial (stopping, turning, getting in and out of the tracks smoothly). As I told Hunter (above), I'll put together a video by next week discussing and demonstrating this subject.
Thanks again for the idea and encouragement :)
Totally agree, skis designed to slide, so they do. Stopping, slowing and turning another deal. Alpine skis at least I can control, but cross country scare the #### out when it starts to go downhill!
I'll do my best to put together a video by next week about stopping and turning on xc skis. Thanks for the additional feedback 👍
Great video, thank you for creating it! I’m brand new to cross country skiing, so will be checking out your library. Happy New Year! 🥳
Hey Nicole,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Glad I could be of service, and even more glad that you're getting into xc skiing :)
Let me know if you ever have any questions!
Thanks. Magnificent 😊👍
Thank you, Jim :) I appreciate the kind words!
Knee forward, where I was not doing and having trouble landing the forward foot forward, ha! I spent the whole this season trying to achieve that. It was said how much foot forward represented the level of the skier. Got to go out and try out. Thanks very much. Great videos.
Thanks for the kind words, Jean! Glad I could be of service. And I'm even more glad you're out working on your technique!
Let me know if you have other questions :)
I am practicing on dry land, and noted the flexed knee makes the standing (gliding) leg totally independent of the other, and carry out all the "recovery" until the forward foot lands. So subtle but important for me to improve. Will report when the trail get improved enough to practice again
Hey Jean,
Yeah, after your weight is fully transferred to the gliding leg (slightly flexed knee and leg bearing all of your weight while gliding), your trailing leg then gets a momentary break. This rhythm definitely helps you pace yourself while traveling longer distances.
Glad to hear that you're working on it!
Indeed. I had knee-forward focus tryouts in the track (had to snowshoe my own tracks in 2 feet snow), and whola it worked. I was actually doing diagonal striding as I dreamed of!
With the forward knee flexed, it actually got relaxed and just swang forward, as far forward as I can manage 😀. It's not only feeling faster, but also easier as the swing leg got a rest. I think I would enjoy much more the classic skiing from now on. Much appreciate your help 🙏, Jared.
@@jeanwong9638 Awesome, Jean! So glad you're gaining some personal insight in your technique. It's so much fun to have command of our movements so that we can actually make the necessary changes in order to become more efficient and effective in our application of technique.
Thanks again for all of the positive feedback!
This is the 3rd time I've watched this! I'm going to practice this in the roadway near my lot..its flat there...
I very much appreciate your viewership! And I hope you have success working on weight transfer and gliding (on one leg!).
Do you find that kick and glide is energy efficient for long days or multi day trips? I'm getting into bc xc as more of a winter backpacking thing and I'm curious what pace or technique is most sustainable for multiple long days.
Hey Justin,
Thanks for watching, and for the great question!
As far as backcountry travel on xc skis goes, usually it's going to be a mix of diagonal striding and slogging/walking. You just can't stride everywhere (i.e. in deep snow or really rutted out and icy snow). But when the opportunity presents itself to diagonal stride, I take it in a heartbeat. That's why I run xc skis rather than snowshoes, after all :)
Kicking and gliding is clearly more aerobic than just walking along with cross-country skis. But it's a more efficient way to travel (as you're capitalizing on the glide phase) and you're going to reach your destination faster (meaning less exposure). Obviously you have to guard against overheating and excessive sweating while keeping up the pace, but you're bound to get warm and sweat no matter what.
All of that said, the efficiency of diagonal striding is directly based on the person's skills and technique. For example, if the person doesn't have good technique they're going to be inefficient and burn a lot of extra energy. So if you know what you're doing, it's great. If you don't, learn.
Whenever I see stories about people traversing Antarctica on xc skis I'm usually both amazed and dumbfounded. I'm amazed that they accomplished such an incredible feet. But then I'm dumbfounded when they show clips of the person skiing and it's obvious that they don't know how to diagonal stride. I always wonder how many days they could've shaved off of their time if only they knew how to cross-country ski.
It's like Roald Amundsen said of his successful first bid to reach the South Pole in 1911, "the skiing was partly good, partly bad." At the time, Captain Robert Falcon Scott (who ultimately died in his attempt) was still 300 miles (out of 720 total miles) behind the Norwegian expedition to the South Pole. This was because the Norwegians knew how to cross-country ski and the British didn't. It was a success for the Norwegians and absolute tragedy for the British.
I have many friends who xc ski exclusively at groomed xc ski resorts and many others who only ski in the backcountry. And seldom do they meet in the middle. My friends who ski well on groomed terrain often don't realize they can apply that to the backcountry. And my other friends who only ski in the backcountry seldom learn to actually learn to properly diagonal stride. It's unfortunate because it all translates and overlaps. Technique is always the way to go (over gear selection).
Anyway, that's my two cents. Get great at diagonal striding and go wherever you want with speed and efficiency :)
Again, thanks for tuning in, and contributing to the conversation. I really appreciate it :)
Good form, but you compress the set ski down and drive the glide ski forward. Pay special attention to the maximum moment point when your glide ski passes the set ski
Hey Mark,
I appreciate you watching, and for the feedback. However, I'm thoroughly confused now. haha!
Are you saying that I am "compressing the set ski down and driving the glide ski forward" and that is incorrect? Or that "compressing the set ski down and driving the glide ski forward" is correct, but I'm not doing it?
And I've never heard anyone use the phrase "maximum moment point when your glide ski passes the set ski." My fellow instructors and I always say "match, plus," meaning when driving the glide ski forward that we're looking for the skier to "match" their feet "plus" move the glide foot/ski slightly further forward (depending on terrain, conditions, etc.) of the set ski before landing on the glide ski. Basically, don't land the glide ski behind or right at the set ski otherwise the skier is going to slap the glide ski straight down and not really make any forward progress.
Anyway, I'm just looking for some clarification. Thanks!
Great info. Thanks a lot. I have a question. When I do diagonal and get up to some speed and start to get tired, I tend to switch to slide on both skis and just push with poles on both sides for few strides and go back to diagonal strides. It helps me to catch my breath. Do you incorporate two leg slides with hands push in your diagonal strides?
Thanks for watching, and for the nice feedback!
I think what you're asking is whether or not I incorporate "double poling" technique with diagonal striding. Just to clarify, I'm double poling in this video (th-cam.com/video/FnhRdhAN3mM/w-d-xo.html) at the 51 second mark. If this is what you're referring to when you say "two leg slides with hands push," the answer is yes!
Double poling simplifies your technique when you find that you're gaining a lot of speed, particularly on lower angle downhills or small hills and on the flats if the snow is fast.
Let me know if that was what you were talking about, and if you want additional information or clarification.
Again, thanks for tuning in and for the question!
@@JaredManninen great thanks. Double poling, that the name .
You're welcome 🤗
I went out yesterday for the first time after seeing your videos and saw a vast improvement. Just one thing I’m still not clear on, when landing and pushing off, what part of my foot should I be concentrating on. Should I be pushing off with the ball of my foot?
Hey Dina,
So glad my videos helped! And I'm glad you've been able to get outside :)
As far as the position of your foot for pushing off and gliding goes, I generally just say stick to the front half of your foot. One of my mentors who's been racing and coaching for decades says that technically the location you want to zero in on is the front of the arch or, rather, just behind the ball of the foot. I don't have the background knowledge of why that's the spot so I just stick with saying the front half of the foot.
I think the ball of the foot is a bit too far forward, though, and can cause you to be too much on your tippy toes. You may find your foot feels strained in this position for prolonged periods of time. And, the ball of the foot is less surface area so it doesn't make for as stable of a platform when gliding.
At the other end of the spectrum is being flat-footed, which simply puts your weight too far back on your skis.
One way you can visualize your foot placement is to pretend that there's a cracker between the heel of your boot and the heel plate of the binding. The trick, then, is to not crush the cracker. Keep in mind when making space for that cracker, you only need just enough to avoid crushing it (i.e. on the ball of your foot you'd probably have too much space between heel and ski). This foot positioning will keep you light on your feet and always moving forward.
Hope that helps!
Hi there is a lot of interesting real dynamics in your explanations, and after following your tips, my diagonal stride has improved a step ahead in a matter of minutes after putting into practise yesterday on the trail. Coming back to Christophe Schouwey observation, my understanding is that when we push off with let's say the right leg for the glide phase, the left arm goes at the same time forward and part of our body weight is thus transferred to that pole which unweighs and disengage the grip zone of the gliding right ski from the snow which in turn helps with the glide. So this arm keeps moving back until in its last phase we use it as leverage to push off with the left leg this time.
Is that right? or there is room for improvement?
Hey Anil,
Thanks again for the feedback. And I'm so glad you were able to make some changes to your technique in a way that allowed you to ski better :)
As far as your question about poling while diagonal striding goes, it's hard for me to exactly understand what you mean. It would probably be much easier for me to understand if we were actually on the snow together.
That said, I'll give you some brief feedback and you can take it or leave it. Essentially, I don't think too hard about poling. The arm swing should come naturally and in harmony with your leg movement. When I'm initiating a pole plant (my opposite arm forward to my gliding ski, the same motion as we walk or run), I do apply pressure to the pole using my core (i.e. like a very slight crunch) as well as some arm strength. But I don't necessarily think of the pressure that I apply to the pole as being a weight transfer or as a means of unweighting my ski. I'm sure some people probably do analyze it to that degree. I don't. Essentially, the diagonal striding motion shouldn't be a whole lot different if I removed my poles. So, I just see the poles as adding more propulsion to my already stable platform (legs).
Anyway, let me know if any of that makes sense.
Thanks again for the comments/questions :)
I'm having trouble with foot n pole placement.
If I'm pushing off with right foot should left pole be planted and helping with push off?
Thanks
Thanks for the comment, and thanks for tuning in :)
Yes, opposite hand/foot should be working together. Your arm swing/pole plants should feel natural, similar to walking and running. If it feels weird or your timing feels off, I recommend skiing with out the poles (hold them in your hand to get comfortable with the swing weight) for awhile. Just let your arms swing naturally. A lot of times I find that people's poling and timing with the poles tends to self-correct going uphill as well.
Mostly, if you're having any timing issues it's probably a result of thinking a little too much. Just let your arms swing naturally and in sync with your steps. Again, it should feel similar to how you swing your arms when walking and running.
Let me know if that clarifies things (or makes it more confusing - haha).
@@JaredManninen thanks for getting back to me. I'm enjoying the videos. First time on xc skiing. The glide and over thinking definitely screws me up a little with foot/pole placement. I guess it makes sense if I pushed off with same foot and pole then I would be lopsided.
The snowplow and turns downhill have me on my butt haha.
@@happytrails8595 Cross-country skiing is definitely an adventure no matter how skilled you become ... especially on the downhills!
Good luck, and keep at it :)
@@JaredManninen I'm out here in the adirondacks 👍 figured I would start with xc skiing before telemark haha
@@happytrails8595 Sounds like a plan!
I took one lesson and purchased a set up. I can move pretty well on the snow but I think my poor technique will inhibit my progression. It seems like I can't time my placement/pushing properly. I keep finding myself poling on the same side that I am kicking with. It seems so awkward...
Thanks for the comment, Lori. And glad you took a lesson :)
You'd be surprised at how many people struggle to initially figure out the timing between poling and pushing off. Once you stop thinking about it, though, it'll begin to feel more natural.
I will often begin my lessons (with beginners) without using the xc ski poles at all. Or if we are holding them, I'll just have the person grip the pole in the middle (so that they're carrying them but not actually using them) and work on lower body movement and timing. That way the person can feel the weight of the ski poles in their hands as they swing their arms naturally, but not have to worry about figuring out the timing of when to plant the tip in the snow (and use it to push off). I'd recommend trying that for a short time each ski session before actually skiing.
Your arms should always just swing naturally from the shoulder as if you were walking or running (in that they should swing opposite of the legs). Left leg goes forward, right arm swings forward. Right leg goes forward, left arm swings forward.
Again, once you stop thinking about it and let your body move naturally you'll be fine. Thanks again for the comment, and let me know if you have any other questions!
@@JaredManninen -thank you so much for taking the time to reply your advice is similar to what the instructor had told me I guess I just need to give it more time I think I’ll practice in my backyard when I get home from work today. I am so excited to start picking up this new hobby in preparation for retirement in just one more year.
@@lorivezina7913 You're welcome :) And, it sounds like a good plan!
Hi Jared. I have fairly good technique, because that’s what I do and what I work on, but I’ve been focusing even more on leading with my knee, because of your video. My issue is this. At slower speeds, my skis don’t slap, but when I crank up the speed, they slap and I can’t stop it. I’ve tried everything. Are my skis too long? I’m 5’8” and have 199 cm skis. My bindings are set at 0/0. A professional ski shop set me up with my gear, but I’d love your opinion. What else can I try to do other than leading with the knee and pushing off on the front of the foot. I’m very smooth and can easily balance on one leg for long glides, but the slapping is a constant if I go fast.
Hey Randal,
Thanks so much for tuning in, and for the meaningful question!
I agree that the slapping sound is one of the most frustrating things to deal with. However, we all do it at some point or another. I find that I do it most often when skiing uphill and getting tired. Essentially, when I start to notice the sound it's usually just because I'm getting lazy with my technique (due to the fatigue associated with skiing uphill).
In reality, the slapping sound is not the worst offense one could commit on skis. That's because it indicates that you are actually driving your ski forward. And this is a good thing. But the sound also indicates that you're landing your ski too soon. You're most likely landing your ski just behind the gliding ski. You can either look at your feet or at the ski tips and compare them when you drive each ski forward. Again, most likely the ski that you're driving forward is landing slightly behind that glide ski (from which you just pushed off).
So, how I correct the problem is to tighten everything up. I try to ski a little more taller. Again, when it happens to me it's usually because I've begun to go on auto-pilot (but not in a good way). I've started to ski a little too lackadaisical and I've lost the dynamism in my technique. Maybe I've started to slouch a little. Maybe my power output is starting to flatline. So I deliberately/assertively set the grip zone (drop my weight/center of mass straight down on the ski) and then deliberately/assertively push off (or bound) to the next ski. I just try to create dynamic movement for each push-off so that when I'm driving that knee/ski forward it has the best chance of landing just in front of the glide ski (because now there's space for it to do so).
I suspect I'm repeating what I said in the video, so let me know if this isn't anything new for you. But I can't emphasize enough the importance of creating that dynamic movement as you push off from ski to ski. Imagine, if you will, the shape of the line of energy created by a dynamic push-off. Rather than that line looking like a symmetrical bell shape where the highest amount of power comes in the middle of the movement, think of it rising high early and then tapering off gradually. Then, maybe think of your actual body movement mirroring that line, to some degree, so that when you push off (or bound) from the ski you have a rise (energetically and physically) and then a gradual fall. And once you rise, you've just opened the door for that trailing leg to swing through.
Now, please don't interpret this little analogy or visual representation that I've just described to mean that I want you to hop up and down like a bunny rabbit. Rather, I just want to acknowledge that we all literally bounce up and down when we walk and run. That same motion is present in cross-country skiing/diagonal striding. We have to get just slightly vertical (i.e. come up on the balls of our feet) in order to create space for the trailing leg to have a place in which to swing through. Same thing when we walk. We come up slightly on the balls of our foot so that we aren't dragging the trailing leg along. Now, some people have more bounce in their step than others, but we incorporate (without thinking about it) that vertical rise and fall when we walk or run.
Whether or not this has anything to do with your increased speed/cadence I couldn't say. I would simply say to try and change your power output and corresponding body movement, regardless of speed, to look more like an early rise with a gradual taper versus a uniform up/down/up/down shape.
Maybe like this... ^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_^--_
And not like this _-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_-^-_
Yikes, that may look confusing. haha! Sorry if that's the case. It's always so hard to describe in words what would take a few moments to share in imagery.
Anyway, let me know if any of that resonates with you or makes sense. If not, I'll try to clarify better next time.
Thanks again for reaching out!
@@JaredManninen I get where you’re coming from. I believe my issue is with the gliding ski coming down behind the push off ski. I have no issues with when I begin to get tired. I’ve always had a great motor with wonderful endurance and can go on and on. I normally use a running herringbone to go up the hills without any issues. Smaller hills I can run up the tracks. I’m always thinking about technique on every stride and try and refine my technique. So to confirm, when you say the gliding ski is coming down behind the push off ski, do you mean the tip of the gliding ski is slightly behind the push off ski when my leg comes through and then hits the snow? Should the gliding ski be ahead of the push off ski before the ski hits the snow? I know for sure my gliding ski tip hits the snow as it comes forward about even where my push off ski boot is. As I glide forward, I get the slapping noise. I try and be smooth as my tip contacts the snow, but the back of my ski slaps down. I also think I need to keep my weight on the push off ski longer before I shift to the glide ski. My glide ski boot should be past the push off ski boot before I compete my weight shift to the new ski. Do you understand what I’m saying? Suggestions? Thanks for your help.
@@Randy_Johnson Sounds good. Compare either the front of your shoes or the tips of your skis when landing the new glide ski. In either case, the incoming glide ski should be landing just forward of the previous push-off ski. Realistically, the distance will most likely only be a couple of inches or so. Again, just think of how we walk. That incoming foot will always land in front of the one in which you just pushed off. Essentially the same thing with skiing. Stopping short with that incoming glide ski, even just a couple inches, creates that slapping sound.
As far as the weight transfer goes, once you push off from one ski all of your weight needs to transfer immediately. Don't leave anything behind. In this case, think of running where we never have more than one foot on the ground at a time. In some respects, we're just bounding from one ski to the other with a brief pause for the glide phase.
With all of your weight on the glide ski, your trailing leg should just be "resting" behind you and the tip of that trailing ski should naturally just sit in the track. The tail of that ski, however, will be off of the snow. This is one of the key indicators that you fully committed your weight to the ski on which you're now gliding. I don't necessarily try to position my skis in any way to decrease the slapping other than trying to maintain a slightly forward posture (keeping center of mass/hips either directly over my feet or slightly in front of them). This slight forward lean causes my center of mass to be directly over the front half of my foot rather than being somewhere in the middle causing me to land flat-footed (which may be a contributor of the slap).
Let me know if any of that helps or clarifies :)
@@JaredManninen That’s a perfect explanation! It all clicks now. Thank you. I’ll head back to the trails tomorrow to try out the improved technique.
@@Randy_Johnson Excellent! Let me know how it goes. And the funny thing is that if we were on snow together the explanation would've been a lot faster (than trying to express in words - haha).
Thank you for all the videos, it is very nice. However, you could have made them shorter, too many repetitions are detrimental. There is one thing that makes no sense to me. I understand the need to have all my weight on one ski during the push off (or kick) phase, so that the scales touch the ground, but I think it would be better to be on both skis for the gliding phase, so that the skis can keep cambered and the scales do not touch the ground.
Hey Christophe,
Thanks for the comments.
Yeah, I realize it's a challenge to embrace skiing/gliding on one ski. The problem with gliding on both skis during the glide phase of diagonal striding, however, is that you're always trapped between both skis and wasting a lot of energy preventing yourself from doing the splits. In this split position, your weight is also back instead of forward. You would also have to make an additional weight transfer to the push-off ski when splitting your weight, as opposed to be already on top of it and only having to slightly drop your body weight in order to fully compress the ski and push off.
The commitment to one ski is always a hurdle to overcome because it doesn't initially make sense. But once you embrace it, you'll be able to ski a lot more effortlessly and for much longer distances.
Anyway, I appreciate you tuning in and providing feedback!
@JaredManninen
If on both skis then you're pushing grip down too defeating object I'd imagine? Unless down hill a bit where gravity pulls you down....
@@TonyHobbs Technically, the camber of the skis should keep most of the grip zone off of the ground when splitting your weight between the two (i.e. during double poling and downhilling). And that's why it's difficult to positively push-off when you're stuck in the middle -- you can't fully compress either of the ski because if you're running skis for your weight you'll need all of your weight (i.e. one-legged balance on one ski) in order to compress the ski flat to fully engage the grip zone. And diagonal striding basically mirrors our natural movement of always balancing on one foot at time (walking, running). We just never have both feet on the ground while moving forward unless we're doing some sort of weird shuffling movement.
@@JaredManninen ah that’s interesting re two skis standing etc
@@TonyHobbs The camber of a track ski is very pronounced (double camber) so striding uphill while splitting your weight between both skis is near impossible. But track and off-track/backcountry xc skis both operate on the same principle.