Weighted Release vs Super Phantom

PMTS Forum

Weighted Release vs Super Phantom

Postby ralbrech@u.washington.edu » Sun Oct 26, 2003 11:57 am

As a wanabe carver for quite a few more years than I like to admit, I feel lucky to have stumbled on PMTS before I became too old to learn new motor skills. After studying the Expert Skier 1 and 2 books and videos and attending a PMTS Dark Blue camp I have been able to improve my turn shape using RTE and the Phantom and Super Phantom move. Like most people who started with Expert Skier 1, I initially learned the one footed release. Last December at a PMTS camp it was strongly suggested to me that I learn the two footed and weighted release. I noted in Harald's article in the latest PMTS news letter (great article) the final statement was, "Let's make this the year of the weighted release."

My question is, does using the weighted release superceede the super phantom move? This is a sincere, as opposed to a rethorical, question.

Cheers, Bob Albrecht
ralbrech@u.washington.edu
 

Versatile skiers

Postby h.harb » Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:11 pm

Dear Bob,

Thanks for reading and studying the PMTS Direct Parallel systems. Your question is a very interesting one, as it brings to light the differences between PMTS and other teaching systems. We never discard, relearn or unlearn movements in the PMTS systems. This is not the case in traditional systems, an example of course is the old maneuver that requires tedious hours, days and weeks to learn, the complicated Wedge Christie (just because it?s in the progression). The Wedge Christie and its close relatives the wedge turn and steered parallel turn create huge interruptions and set backs in a skier?s development. We avoid this approach and these maneuvers at all cost.

The Phantom or Super Phantom are not superceded or replaced by the Weighted Release, but complimented by it. We have developed and evolved PMTS to prepare skiers for complete versatility in movements for all kinds of terrain and skiing turns. In logical order the Phantom and Super Phantom would be learned first, as they prepare the skier with the balancing abilities to ski everything on the mountain. Once these proper fundamentals are learned the Weighted Release can be incorporated into skier?s repertoire easily and effectively. But I do not hesitate to introduce skiers to the Weighted Release fundamentals early in a skier?s development to prepare them for the future. This type of diversification allows different balancing and movement situations to be introduced, which brings about versatility and breaks monotony.

Weighted Release exercises include the skiing progression on the little or pinky toe edge, the banana turn, the carve rail progression, (as per the Expert 2 video and book) these exercises are perfect as a compliment to the Phantom Move and the Weighted Release.

In the next PMTS Newsletter I will complete the series of releasing articles and in it there will be the explanation of how skiers transition from Super Phantom and Phantom to the Weighted Release. The PMTS Newsletter is available automatically to all PMTS, Harb Ski Systems camp participants, but anyone can sign up for it on the PMTS.org web site for $15 per year.

I recently introduced Geoff Bruce, former Olympic and World Cup skier to the Harb Carvers. During this session he showed me what the US Ski Team was doing to standardize their technique. They are using our garland exercise of releasing and flattening the skis to evaluate stance. I hope they continue with this approach and include the next step in PMTS which introduces the movement that prepares the skier for the turn, which is of course is the tipping of the old downhill ski before the new big toe edge is used or engaged.
h.harb
 


Return to Primary Movements Teaching System

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 39 guests

cron