TS Edging Frustration

Ok, I've had enough and it's time for a change! I've been wakeboarding for a long time (12+ years) but have never had as strong as a toeside edge as I thought that I should. I got TS 3's decently consistent but TS inverts have been few and far between for a long time. Most of my inverted tricks are heelside and I would like to become a more balanced rider.

Here is my problem. I feel that I have good form edging OUT toeside...straight back, leaning down the line, handle not too far from hips, etc. Obviously the leverage is different (and easier) cutting into the flats than it is coming into the wake, but it should be possible to duplicate this body position. So now I need help transfering that form to when I'm approaching the wake. On my TS cuts I often break slightly at the waist. I believe this to be a bad habit I just need to concentrate on in order to change. But besides that, I don't feel evenly weighted on my feet, I feel my chest is too open to the boat, and I don't build up much tension on the rope. I try to lean down the line and often feel that I'm putting too much weight on my back foot.

So the main thing I'm looking for is tips to correct my TS edging form. Whether it be drills to work on, things to think about, different body position, etc...I just hope to fix my bad form!

Here are examples of my TS edging out and into the wake. Thanks for the tips.

Well you pretty much answered you're own question on what you need to fix. I would do some wake crossing drills. Just go out and slalom on your board, no jumps and each time you cross just try to think about your posistion. Might want to empty the sacs for this one but you dont have to.
So start out in the flats, edge all the way to the other side and back and so on......make sense?

lean away from the boat, not towards the wake. Turn your shoulders away from the boat.

Thanks guys. Yeah, I guess I feel like I "know" what I need to do but I just can't seem to make it happen for some reason.

Thane - That's something I've tried to do lateley but can't seem to put in my head what that means. I went to the Wakeboard Camp last year and that's the thing Kyle was telling me...to lean down the rope. I feel like I am but then see a picture of myself and realize I'm not at all. And when I try to turn my shoulders away from the boat that makes me break at the waist and lean into the wake even more. My mind sucks.

try turning the handle straight up and down, with your right hand on top, left on the bottom.

Jarret, you and I are like twin brothers, I do the exact thing!!

One thing about toeside, you're more concerned about the jump than your edging. Thats why the crossing drills help. Plus you shouldn't be looking at the wake as much as you do, look to the other side. and the straight up and down thing thane suggested does help, try it.

Keep all the tension on your back (left) arm when edging toeside and all your tension on your front (right) arm when edging heelside. The second hand will just keep your handle in the correct position down and close to your waist. This should help you close off more when edging toeside then make sure your hips are forward over the toe edge, you are leaning down the rope, and you have weight on the front foot.

The last couple of times I've ridden my TS has felt a MILLION times better. Thanks for all the tips everyone. I've really been thinking about turning the handle vertically and being more aggressive in my lean and turn away from the boat.

I hope to get some pictures over our Memorial Day trip this weekend and report back with the findings. Hopefully the pics will confirm my new confidence in my technique!

Jarret - that's awesome man. Glad I could help!

It sounds like u got it but heres my .02
Lower your handle to your lead hip not like the picture and keep it there. Put the under side of your forearm on your lead hip by straighting them. This allows two things; one you are able to get over on you edge more (like this / )and two it keeps you anchored in the the air.

ChrisR we need pics of this position...

Thanks Chris. What do you mean by "put the under side of your forearm on your lead hip"? Which arm are you talking about? Thanks for the tip.

I think now that I'm leaning more away from the boat the handle gets much closer than in the first picture. I'll keep that in mind though so thanks a lot. It seems that leaning harder and harder away from the boat that the handle automatically gets closer to your lead hip.

Bill, you have pretty good TS form right? Post a pic! I saved a screen print from a video of good technique but don't know how to post it.

J

i am almost sure mine needs work but the second pic you posted of you cuttting away from the wake is the way i cut in when im feeling good on nice smooth water..i tend to break at the waist on rogher water or when im tired and over compensating by creating speed with leaning over toward the wake...

Hey Jarret,
Your left arm, just straighten it out a bit more and get your wrist/forearm down by your lead hip doesn't have to be touching im just trying to paint a picture.
I have two broken legs and no ts edging photos in my collection lol, so it'll be a while before i can shoot one but i will look around and see what i can find one. I'm sure your edge is fine if you are landing ts 3's and inverts. Have fun

I have trouble with mine, and kiteboarding really fixed it. basically what I figured out is when you do what "feels" right with the board, it ends up like your pic #1. You have to think about the board angle and how your upper body position (mostly your head like mentioned above) dictates the angle the board sits in the water. Notice in your pics that the only difference his how you are angling the board. In pic one, the nose is pointing too much toward the boat. In pic 2, the board is sitting at a more aggresive angle, allowing you to lean back into it properly.

by the way jarret sweet wake, thats a malibu right

Thanks JG. That's one thing I've been trying to think about as well...almost turning the nose of the board to point towards the wake and then locking in that edge. It feels much better and more aggressive now, but only pictures and video can confirm this. You're right in that it "felt" good before and then I see a picture of myself and realize how bad I suck!

B Tingey - Thanks Man. Yeah, it's a '05 Malibu WSLSV at 22.5 mph, 70 feet, stock ballast (w/ wedge), and 5 peeps.

Bend your front knee. If you push your front knee towards the center of the board it will naturally turn the board more. If you look at those pics your front knee is basically locked out. It puts all the weight on your back foot and opens your hips up.

I would think about closing your shoulders away from the boat - actually over exagerate the close. It will give you a stronger pull and allow ou to be more square to the wake.

Why pay for lessons when you can get them for free from 2 of the best!

Way to go Jarrett!

"closing shoulders away from the boat"

does that mean you should try to turn your front shoulder towards the wake or away towards the flats, with your chest open to the boat?

Simple fun tips I have are....Keep your chest over your toe edge stand on your toes up the wake like your having fun with a tall chick from behind in the shower and keep the handle in and push it down like your doing tricep push downs at the gym.

I dont have time to read everybodies responses but... your body position in second pic is pretty much the way you want it when cutting towards the wake

Looking at the first pic you shopuld put the handle alittle closer to your hip and back straight(your alittle bent) also lean away from boat. you want it to feel like if the boat wwas not there you would fall backwards on your trailing shoulder.

Hope this helps. Once you get the right position you'll be jummping just as far toeside as heelside. I actually like cutting toeside better because it is more fun of an edge

Thanks again everyone for the tips!

- UPDATE -

I was able to ride several times over the last few weeks and practice all the ts edging tips I've received here. This pic below was taken yesterday. I will say though that I was getting used to a new board after breaking mine this weekend! Other than that, I have no other excuses.

So these tips seem to be helping a lot. I've got the board pointed more towards the wake, I'm standing taller, etc. I am still coming off edge a little at the wake and I guess the handle needs to be lower towards my hips more. Maybe I can close my shoulders off to the boat more as well. My edging has felt tons better though, and now I just need to be a bit more aggressive with it. Hopefully that will come as I become more comfortable breaking 10+ years of bad form and habits! Again, comments are welcome and thanks again everyone for the tips.

UPDATED

What works for me is put your back arm up against your stomach and lean over it.That makes you get over your toes a little more and slightly bend your front knee a little more then the last pic.

dude, that looks much better...



might want to get some new shorts though..

Rammer - Thanks Buddy...I was wondering who would be the first to comment on that! Ha! Don't you know I'm like Batman...I have 30 of those exact shorts hanging up in my closet?

Eubanks, just want to give you a thanks for this thread. I haven't practiced TS edging because it feels so weird to me, but after reading this thread and taking some of the suggestions I went out yesterday on a small boat I practice basics and fundamentals on and was doing a lot better on TS edging and wake jumps.
Thanks to everyone who gave advice. This helped me as well.