practice/drills for a beginner

Shonuff

Shonuff

I've got the glow
Site Supporter
Location
Memphis
Grab yourself some buoys, make a big course, switch feet on the turns, keep your elbows up, keep your ass in the turn, and do it with an SX-R.

:Banane01:
 
RiverRat

RiverRat

.......
Location
Louisville, Ky
The best practice is to ride the ski hard and not fall off. I know it probably sounds like I am being sarcastic, but that really is the best way to improve your control over the boat. Sharp turns, drad your leg, lean the boat and find that sweet spot where the ski leans hard but the pumps stays hooked up, carve up and down waves, pay close attention to reading the water and learn how the boat will react in certain situtations. It is all about feeling the boat, knowing how it reacts and making it do what you want it to do. Riding hard also builds up muscle groups that need to be conditioned for riding skis'. If you get fatigued easily you spend more time catching you breth and resting then you do riding and getting better. You don't get better putting around.
 
aqua

aqua

the taco
Location
Jefferson City, MO
one thing that really helped me gain control was to drive the ski as slow as i could keeping balance standing up. when you go this slow you have to use throttle for control and it teaches you how to use it when you need it. that and i did the figure 8 and just started hitting them faster and faster. keep pushing yourself....if you are not falling then you need to push harder.
 
Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
when i first started riding i learned good balance and control by using a tennis ball and playing catch while riding with some of the more experienced riders i rode with. It was tough but you can really build your skill quick. Just make sure you're in a large enough area so you can be away from other riders and stuff.
 
stanton

stanton

High on jetskis.
Location
atascadero,ca
im still a begginer but ive been advancing quickly lately and i can give you some advice on what ive been concentrating on.
focus on the skis reaction to all conditions and realize that EVERYTHING you do makes huge differences in feel and control.
be comftorble with the skis reactions and dont try to do anything the ski doesnt want to. its all in body positioning/weight distrobution and throttle control.
experiment with weight placement and turns. lean forward and the tail will slide, lean back and the ski will lean. find out your stance either goofy(right foot forward) or regular(left foot forward). i ride goofy. try to do corners heelside and toeside equally good, figure 8s.
while your learning use all the tray to see what works and what doesent once you start finding those good spots try to move around as little as possible.
watch videos! ride like you see, because body positioning is very important.
works for me at least
 
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aqua

aqua

the taco
Location
Jefferson City, MO
ddouglas56 said:
On the turns, is it inside foot back?
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i have wondered and asked the same thing......i do not think there is a specific way to corner a standup. its more of a "what works for you" kinda thing. also...like five0 said.....if you keep the weight back in the corner it will hook up but if you keep too much weight forward it will slide out.
 
Big Kahuna

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
Just go out and do turns............. bouys really help........ Do not think about the turn, just do it. When I go practice on the bouys, if I start thinking about making turns I start screwing up........... Just go out there and commit to the turns, dont think about it......... you want your actions to be fluid.........
 
WaveDemon

WaveDemon

Not Dead - Notable Member
Location
Hell, Florida
progress however you want. I was landing inverted on roll attempts on the first day I bought my SJ. every time I turned I fell off, get back on, head for a wave and land upside down again.
 
Speedfreak

Speedfreak

Location
So. IL
yankeeboy said:
just ride, its kind of like walking, the more you do it, the more it comes naturally.
Click to expand...

If you think about it actually it is the opposite of walking. When standing on the ground if you lean to the right you push down with your right leg your weight goes to the left. If you are on the standup and it starts to lean to the right and you push with your right leg it leans more untill you fall over. So it is just the opposite. If you are leaning to the right and push with your left leg the ski will stand back up straight. This is a good thing to think about when you are standing through a no wake zone at idle.

Either way your going to get wet when thinking about it... untill you get it down....:biggrin:
 
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