I need help coaching a 7 year-old with her toeside turns - Snowboarding Forum

Toecutter · 12-20-2011, 08:47 AM

My 7 year-old daughter is having a hard time completing her toeside turns. As she transitions from her heel edge onto her toe edge she kind of "balls up" and pitches forward onto her knees rather than bring the board around through the arc of the turn. The board isn't quite carving into the turn but goes in a straight line as she pitches forward.

She has had three days of coaching with an instructor starting from complete beginner stage. He played a game of Dwarfs and Giants, so to continue that lesson I've been telling her to get small on the heelside turns, get tall on the toeside turns. Conceptually I think she understands, but in practice I interpret that she is bailing out as she initiates the turn because it looks to me as if she enters the turn expecting to fall forward.

Any tips on how to help a little kid round out her toeside turn instead of just flopping forward?

When I was working on riding switch last week I found that rotating my back leg outward helped bring the tail of my board around. Her bindings are set duck at +9/-9. Do you think that changing her bindings to +12/-12 might help rotate her back leg out?

wrathfuldeity · 12-20-2011, 09:26 AM

Maybe have her look back up the hill to bring her head and shoulders around. Many folks want to twist around to look downhill and thus are counter rotated and can't complete the toeside turn.

"stand up and look back up the hill to make sure the yeti is not after you"

Toecutter · 12-20-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrathfuldeity

Maybe have her look back up the hill to bring her head and shoulders around. Many folks want to twist around to look downhill and thus are counter rotated and can't complete the toeside turn.

"stand up and look back up the hill to make sure the yeti is not after you"

LOL. Guess who gets to play the yeti? GRRROWL! Thanks for the tip.

Toecutter · 12-20-2011, 10:30 PM

Oh man Snowolf, that is awesome info. Thanks a million!

Matt166 · 12-21-2011, 12:32 AM

I agree with snowolf, it's mostly about upper body rotation at that age, any analogy/game you can do that gets her to point her shoulder/front arm will work, just make sure she is comfortable sliding on her toe edge first before you try and make any turns. Most 7 year olds I have taught hate being in their toes because they can't see down the hill.

I will add that the right equipment makes a massive difference at that age. The stuff burton is coming out with right now is amazing. Reverse Camber with a beveled base does wonders for the little ones. Going a little bit shorter can help also.

IdahoFreshies · 12-21-2011, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowolf

A fun game for kids who are working on this is "hunt the rabbit". As they ride behind you ( the rabbit) have them pretend they are holding their rifle and trying to keep the rabbit in the sights. When you make your toeside turn she has to follow you with her rifle. This will forced her to lead with her front shoulder. If she maintains keeping you in her sights and completes her turn, she yells "bang" and you get to fall down.

that is genius!!

Toecutter · 12-21-2011, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt166

I agree with snowolf, it's mostly about upper body rotation at that age, any analogy/game you can do that gets her to point her shoulder/front arm will work, just make sure she is comfortable sliding on her toe edge first before you try and make any turns. Most 7 year olds I have taught hate being in their toes because they can't see down the hill.

I will add that the right equipment makes a massive difference at that age. The stuff burton is coming out with right now is amazing. Reverse Camber with a beveled base does wonders for the little ones. Going a little bit shorter can help also.

She's confident on her heel edge but I haven't seen her stay on her toe edge more than a couple of seconds. She's not physically timid and it looks like she's comfortable trying to go onto her toe but she seems to wipe out nearly every time.

I bought her a kids' Rossignol with reverse camber. It looks very similar to Burton's V-Rocker shape but I don't know about the beveling. Her big sister has a Burton with V-Rocker and she took to snowboarding pretty quickly.

Toecutter · 12-21-2011, 05:52 AM

Got it. Will do!

hhaidar · 12-21-2011, 06:31 AM

snowolf NAILED IT. Comfortable on the toe edge traversing and skidding to a stop is a must before turning. Teach her to look up, squeeze knees down to toes (pretend ankle strap is an orange and squeeze the juice)., and have her keep her upper body tall (i tell them to push their belly button out so they aren't' breaking at the waist).

Once she has that topside turns get way easier!

jlm1976 · 12-21-2011, 07:02 AM

Quote:

and have her keep her upper body tall (i tell them to push their belly button out so they aren't' breaking at the waist).

Once she has that topside turns get way easier!

To help kids get into that position of staying tall and sticking out the belly button I tell them to "be a banana". Works everytime. They get what you are talking about without having to really tell them what to do.

Sadly, I haven't come up with a good veggie/fruit for heelside. Any ideas??

12-20-2011, 08:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
Toecutter Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mt. Bachelor Posts: 1,512	I need help coaching a 7 year-old with her toeside turns My 7 year-old daughter is having a hard time completing her toeside turns. As she transitions from her heel edge onto her toe edge she kind of "balls up" and pitches forward onto her knees rather than bring the board around through the arc of the turn. The board isn't quite carving into the turn but goes in a straight line as she pitches forward. She has had three days of coaching with an instructor starting from complete beginner stage. He played a game of Dwarfs and Giants, so to continue that lesson I've been telling her to get small on the heelside turns, get tall on the toeside turns. Conceptually I think she understands, but in practice I interpret that she is bailing out as she initiates the turn because it looks to me as if she enters the turn expecting to fall forward. Any tips on how to help a little kid round out her toeside turn instead of just flopping forward? When I was working on riding switch last week I found that rotating my back leg outward helped bring the tail of my board around. Her bindings are set duck at +9/-9. Do you think that changing her bindings to +12/-12 might help rotate her back leg out?

12-20-2011, 09:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
wrathfuldeity Resident poet Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bham Posts: 2,701	Maybe have her look back up the hill to bring her head and shoulders around. Many folks want to twist around to look downhill and thus are counter rotated and can't complete the toeside turn. "stand up and look back up the hill to make sure the yeti is not after you" __________________

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12-20-2011, 10:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
Toecutter Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mt. Bachelor Posts: 1,512	Oh man Snowolf, that is awesome info. Thanks a million!

12-21-2011, 12:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
Matt166 Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 48	I agree with snowolf, it's mostly about upper body rotation at that age, any analogy/game you can do that gets her to point her shoulder/front arm will work, just make sure she is comfortable sliding on her toe edge first before you try and make any turns. Most 7 year olds I have taught hate being in their toes because they can't see down the hill. I will add that the right equipment makes a massive difference at that age. The stuff burton is coming out with right now is amazing. Reverse Camber with a beveled base does wonders for the little ones. Going a little bit shorter can help also.

12-21-2011, 05:52 AM	#8 (permalink)
Toecutter Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mt. Bachelor Posts: 1,512	Got it. Will do!

12-21-2011, 06:31 AM	#9 (permalink)
hhaidar Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 121	snowolf NAILED IT. Comfortable on the toe edge traversing and skidding to a stop is a must before turning. Teach her to look up, squeeze knees down to toes (pretend ankle strap is an orange and squeeze the juice)., and have her keep her upper body tall (i tell them to push their belly button out so they aren't' breaking at the waist). Once she has that topside turns get way easier!