PDA

View Full Version : What am I doing wrong...



Pike
05-22-2008, 08:24 PM
So I am pretty new to wakeboarding and am still trying to figure out what I'm doing. I have cleared the wake a few times but nothing spectacular. I seems that every time I try to "go big" my board ends up almost straight up and down and I let go of my back hand....how do I get the board to be parallel with the water? Below is what I'm talking about

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/3092/11111111111111111111jf7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/3092/11111111111111111111jf7.68f7ee9a3f.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=399&i=11111111111111111111jf7.jpg)

LSV04
05-22-2008, 08:44 PM
Hey-by the picture,you might need to increase your speed so you can get a nice clean wake to jump.You shouldnt be riding over that white wash bubbly stuff. That should be right behind you so speed it up or shorten your rope. Next, I'd work on a progressive edge. Cut out toe side about 15-20 feet and slowly turn and slowly build your edge towards the wake. Keep the handle waist level and arms and knees slightly bent(hips in front of you) but your upper body should stay still while you slowly build speed towards the wake. As soon as you start making the turn in towards the wake you should be looking at the face of the wake you are jumping. As you get closer to the wake you should feel the line getting tighter.This is good!!! When your board starts riding up the wake start to extend your legs so you are fully extended at the top of the wake. You will have to practice to get the timing but with the line tight and standing tall you will fly.Keep both hands on the handle cause this is where the power is.It will shock you because its not so much the speed but the line getting tight and the pressure building on your edge.It takes practice and you can actually bend your knees at the wake so you dont get air just to get the feel. When I say get the board on its edge-its not a huge angle - but enough so you feel the line getting tight.Good Luck.

Wake Master
05-22-2008, 08:49 PM
When going into the wake make sure you stay on edge. In addition make sure you do not let the wake compress you body. As you hit the wake the impact of the wake will naturally try to compress your body.

wake08
05-22-2008, 08:57 PM
I agree with everything LSV said. Also to add to the comments when starting to edge toward the wake you want your legs bent and then at the top of the wake extend your legs straight to create "pop". This will also keep you well balanced over the board. Lastly it is more important to learn "form" than going wake to wake right of the bat. Eventually you will be landing in the flats!!!!Good Luck

JesseC
05-23-2008, 09:49 AM
This was the hardest issue I had when starting out. I would always let my front knee bend upwards which gives you the parallel board with almost no pop. All the above advice is spot on. I will also let you in on how I finally figured it out....I hope no one makes fun of me for this, but here goes. We have a kneeboard...stop laughing...that does not have any fins on it and you have to use the "edge" to turn. This is how I finally understood edge, you should be outside the wake as posted above and use your edge to turn in, not your knees or body or angling the board to turn with the fins, just lean against the rope and feel it pull you in towards the wake, try this without fins or on a kneeboard or anything that is hard to turn (slick feeling). This will teach you edges. I can do wake to wake 3s on the kneeboard that does not have fins, I usually land about 2 feet outside the other wake!!! Once you learn this properly, inverts and spins become super easy once you have the basics nailed. Get someone to film you and post the video for more precise help.

Another good excercise it to cut outside the opposite wake, what I mean is go to the toe side wake and see how far you can go on your heelside edge try to "pull the boat over" and watch the spray come off of your board, you are now on edge, if you angle the board and turn with the fins while doing this while "pulling the boat over", hello face plant, now get back on your edge and try again, this also works for practicing toeside jumps. Now go to the correct side of the wake and "pull the boat over" and lock your legs (at the top of the wake)....lift off!!!!

tprkolbas
05-23-2008, 10:27 AM
most everyone has hit it on the head so far, but one thing to add - instead of speeding up to avoid the wake wash, maybe shorten the rope a bit. concentrate on holding on to the handle with both hands as you pop. practice at slower speeds (18-20 mph) until you feel comfortable and then speed up to what you normally do ( i go at 24 mph).

good luck

Chefwong
05-23-2008, 03:34 PM
I tend to see when people are learing to jump the wake and they want to go BIG they start out with alot of speed and then slow down and flatten out before the wake which looks to me whats going on here.

When your swinging a baseball bat you dont slow the bat down right before you hit the ball. Keep it progressive. Hope it helps!

Pike
05-24-2008, 02:18 AM
LSV04
Wake Master
wake08
JesseC
tprkolbas
Chefwong

Thanks guys! I am sitting her reading all of your help and just like in the cartoons...a light bulb turned on over my head!!

The only prob is that now I won't be able to sleep tonight thinking about what everyone said!

Anyway Thanks Again!! This is what the forum is all about

helix_rider
05-24-2008, 05:58 PM
One of your problems is also probably putting too much 'weight' on your back foot. At least in my case, when I started putting more pressure on my leading foot, that crazy vertical flyby quit happening :)

Hughes144
05-25-2008, 12:44 PM
One more advice to help you on the landing... don't look down, don't look up... Just look straight ahead, leveling to where your eyes are. Because wherever your eyes or head moves to, that's where your body will follow... That causes you to land awkward or crash.

kaneboats
05-28-2008, 10:13 AM
The photo is great for diagnosis. Video is much better. Whether it's golf swing, baseball or softball, skiing or wakeboarding- there are things only you can see and only by watching yourself. Take a ziplock freezer bag with you so you can safely stow the video camera and get some good video to review. Good luck!