In
http://realskiers.com/pmtsforum/viewtopic.php?t=162&start=0&sid=c44a445e25043e526972a246107913c4,
Tommy said:
Jeff, if the outside ski would turn only due to its sidecut, assuming that a "purely" sidecut generated turn results in a pure carved turn, it would be very difficult for most recreational skiers to make any short radius turns. Even a 4 m radius turn on 170cm skis would demand the ski to be bent almost 10cm, which takes considerable force (and technique!).
As far as I can see, to keep linked turns within a narrow corridor, say less than 5m wide, there has to be some fair amount of "pivoting" of the new outside ski involved. The question is how this pivoting occurs.
In the instructor manual, pages Int-10, Int-11, there is a few paragraphs on rotation:
"In the strictest context, rotary movements do occur in PMTS skiers. The difference is that the PMTS rotary actions are a consequence of lateral tipping movements at the ankle"
...
"The legs react to tipping by rotating along their length from the hip joint"
My current understanding of all this is that in order to do "non-pure-carving" turns with PMTS, the outside ski must pivot to some extent, and this pivoting is generated by the leg rotation caused by the tipping input of the free foot.
Tommy, you are correct. The PMTS Instructor Manual does say this. It also says:
The resulting rotary response is reactive and more easily controlled than an active initiating rotary movement that imparts large momentum to the body and skis.
So, I stand corrected in my earlier assertion that the tipping-induced rotary response has no impact on the stance ski (although I still can't feel it).
However, I'll stand by my earlier assertion that this resultant rotary response doesn't significantly contribute to PMTS turning, whether in a "pure" carved turn or a "non-pure-carving" turn. I certainly don't think that this response is strong enough to cause the ski to pivot. Strong statement: If the skis are pivoted, then I don't think that PMTS techniques alone are being used. Also, I'm still curious whether upper body countering (what Tejado-Flores calls 'dynamic anticipation') "cancels out" the resultant rotary response.
My understanding is that, in PMTS, turning is caused by the ski bending (mainly influenced by the sidecut), not by any pivoting action. Harald consistently and strongly decries active rotary or pivoting movements. IMHO, the Instructor Manual's comments regarding "rotary movements do occur" is an admission that technically this response occurs, but this admission is a long way from suggesting that it is anything other than a faint result of PMTS technique. In other words, I believe that Harald is just trying to be utterly honest when he says that does occur, but is certainly not saying that it is a "hidden" (or significant) component of PMTS technique.
Like the rest of us, I'll have to wait for Harald's comments.
As far as linking turns in a narrow corridor, I did this drill at the B-S A-M camp and AFAIK was not pivoting. At least, I hope not.
However, I wasn't necessarily "purely" carving them. So, maybe the question is: If a short turn is not "purely" carved, does it follow that it has to be pivoted? In my opinion, this does not necessarily follow.
As a side note, all of these discussions are making me do more research and reconsider my PMTS conceptions. As Harald has written, we become our own instructors.