Centre Of Gravity

Hello,

Just started water skiing.

My coach keeps saying I need a good 'Centre of mass'.

Can anyone tell me why i need a good centre of mass?! Like, why is it important? In relation to water skiing.

Re: Centre Of Gravity

Anyone got any ideas?!

Re: Centre Of Gravity

Well, basically what you coach is saying is that you should have a riding position which allows you to be "neutral" on the ski. This allows you to fight the ski less, which will help in transitions and help carry speed to the ball. If you get outside of this ideal position (due to poor body posture, early or late body positioning, etc) you slow the ski and have to fight to get back ahead of the ski. The main elements are going to involve basically skiing with your hips to the handle.

Re: Centre Of Gravity

it is a coach's job to explain concepts in terms that make sense to his students. Or ask your coach to demonstrate what he is talking about.
Not clear if you are discussing skiing on two or one ski.

This could mean a number of things:
? A comfortable, natural stance. Feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, arms straight and shoulders back.
? While your arms are obviously attached to your shoulders, it helps me to think of the line being pulled from closer to my "center of mass" which is my navel. (keeping hands lower helps bring the handle lower and thus pulling from your core)
? If slalom skiing and loading the line aggressively, leaning away from the boat, the same body position of knees soft. arms straight, hips up toward the handle and shoulders back will help move the handle (and the pull) closer to your center of mass.

You're stronger that way. more stable. using legs more than the just your back.

Re: Centre Of Gravity

On two skis, keeping your butt over your ankles gives you a good center of mass. For instance, if you lean to far forward, you butt ends up behind your ankles. Same thing if you bend your knees to much.

Re: Centre Of Gravity

In physics, the center of mass or barycenter of a body is a point in space where, for the purpose of various calculations, the entire mass of a body is concentrated. In common usage, the center of mass is also called the center of gravity, because the weight of a body acts as if it were concentrated there in a uniform gravitational field. In a non-uniform field, the center of mass no longer serves as an exact center of gravity, so physicists often distinguish the center of gravity as a separate concept.

water softeners

Re: Centre Of Gravity

LouiseB said:

Hello,

Just started water skiing.

My coach keeps saying I need a good 'Centre of mass'.

:

Click to expand...

eat doughnuts......lots of doughnuts.

lol.....sorry....i couldnt resist

Re: Centre Of Gravity

I'm afraid that with skiing, like with cars and boats the best way to improve performance is to have LESS weight. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the "uniform gravitational field theory" doesn't have anything to do with waterskiing but thanks for clarifying. The original poster doesn't appear to be hanging around to hear any answers to his question anyway.