Advice for spatial awareness of legs

[gunsmokex 1]

Just was curious if any instructors out there had any tips or advice on how one might become more aware or at least get their legs into the proper position quickly to get over the hill from a poised exit off the wing. I just can't quite seem to get it right. I arch but my legs end up screwing me up by going straight or dropping a leg half the time and its getting aggravating.

I plan on lying around the house for a while with my legs bent to at least maybe get some muscle memory.

Just wondering if anyone had some basic helpful pointers.
Thanks

[pchapman 261]

Tapping heels together is the standard advice for leg symmetry issues in freefall. ("Heel tap" brings up a few threads)

Don't know how well it will work coming off the step of a C-182 or whatever. It could make a student less stable for a moment while it is being attempted, but still could create an overall improvement.

Practicing at home can help too, including feet on a couch (while lying on the floor) so one can more realistically push down and out with the legs, as if against the wind, rather than tensing them to lift the feet up.

I recall someone also having success after they managed to not be distracted by everything else going on (presumably getting the rest of the body position correct) and focus on the sensations from their leg muscles, that they are tensioned equally.

One wants to step off that step and kick the legs into position, instead of forgetting what the legs are doing and thinking only of how one just fell off an airplane.

It is much easier to get legs in position if stepping off to the SIDE rather than BACK off a C-182 step -- the latter tending to force the left leg into a very de-arched position the moment one leaves the step. This issue gets missed with some instructional techniques. (It isn't 100% stepping to the side, as the wind takes you back, and you are stepping back a little as you clear your face from the strut area. But the focus is on getting out to the side, not going straight back.)

[monkycndo 0]

Sounds like you are keeping one foot on the step in your exit position.

Move your grip as far as you can out onto the strut. Far enough that you can just hang without having your foot on the step. Then, take your foot off the step and just hang for a bit before you let go. That way, both of your legs are already reacting to the relative wind and you can have them symmetrical. As you release, look up at the wing and do your best banana imitation.

To get muscle memory of a good arch, watch some TV.

Every time a commercial comes on, lay on your belly on the floor with the tops of your feet resting on the couch. Legs should be at about a 45 degree angle. Do your best arch while you watch the commercial. Head up, chest raised off the floor. You should support some of your weight with your legs so you can get used to that feeling in the air. Once the commercial is over, back on the couch. That will give you about 45-50 seconds of being on your belly during a 1 minute commercial. About the same time as one freefall. Depending on how long you legs are, you might need to put a cushion on the floor to get the right height for your legs to be in the right angle when they rest on the couch. If you have super long legs, add a pillow on the couch to make it taller.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[gunsmokex 1]

Thanks for the advice!

I guess I should be more clear I think I got my terminology messed up. Rather than a poised exit its a hanging exit, my feet are not on the step, I'm hanging from the strut.

Anyways I hear you about clearing my head and find that if I just focus for one or two seconds before letting go I relax better and my jump has better results. Last two jumps I did the 1st one I got out on the strut hung for a bit and it went fine. The next one I figured I did fine the jump before so I got out head went up and I let go without really thinking about it in my head. I didn't prepare myself for the arch or my legs and the results weren't so good. It makes sense to get the rest right and then I can focus just on my legs.

Wasn't sure if pointing my toes or focusing on flexing my calf muscles would help or not but I'll skip that and focus on just practicing the arch with my legs bent.

Each jump I'm learning a lot more though and this advice helps. My instructor mentioned the same couch technique and I will start it doing it immediately.

[Di0 1]

Try to make a self conscious effort to "point your toes" immediately, this should put enough tension in your muslces to keep your legs in place and, at the same time, it should also help in making you aware of where your feet are and pointing the legs in the right direction. You don't want to "stretch" your muscles, you want to keep some tension, sure, but not tightened up or locked in. You need to find a good balance.

Not sure it will help but at least it won't hurt either. LoL. I generally find that telling the student to point his toes when his legs are "noisy" help quite a bit.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[sammielu 3]

Practice on the ground 100x a day. Practice is free! If you really want to get this down, 10 min of practice every day is not much of a commitment - how about practicing for an hour evey day (10 min, 6 times a day).
Also: listen to your instructors, not the internet.

[riggerrob 558]

Lots of good advice on this thread.
Start ground practice with an instructor confirming that you demonstrate good form. Lay sofa cushions in a circle so that they support your chest , fore arms and knees. Lay the tops of your feet on the edge of the sofa. Lay down, breath deeply and feel the stretch across your chest and along the front of your thighs. Good form feels like laying face-down in a hammock.
Even better, practice while laying face-down on a hammock.

Start climb-out early to give you enough time to hang from the strut for 2 or 3 seconds. Take a deep breath and tap your toes. Tapping toes helps equalize legs and reminds you to extend lower legs 45 degrees at knees.

[Di0 1]

sammielu

Practice on the ground 100x a day. Practice is free! If you really want to get this down, 10 min of practice every day is not much of a commitment - how about practicing for an hour evey day (10 min, 6 times a day).
Also: listen to your instructors, not the internet.

Also, yes.

It helped me A LOT at the beginning.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[ufk22 32]

You've already figured out most of the problem.
Don't rush.
As you get out on the strup, your legs swing out and initially, because of the angle of the strut most students end up cocking their body.
Taking the time to relax and settle in lets you hang more true vertical.
I always tell students to get out their, then take a deep breath and exhale, then look up, arch release.
If you let your body settle in before release, you will come off stable.
You shouldn't need toe-taps or pointing toes or any of that for the release.

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[wicodefly 0]

I am not instructor, coach or anything like that. Just a guy on the Internet so take my advice for what it is worth (nothing). Talk to your instructors too.

I had similar problems and wish I would have visited a tunnel earlier. By doing a few sessions with a good coach you can get realtime feedback in a relaxed environment and debrief with video. Then go back in and try again. I think it's worth it and you'll probably progress better in the sky and have more fun!!

Helped me a ton.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[gunsmokex 1]

Update!!! Had an awesome jump this weekend and got my legs figured out at least better than they were before! Had a great stable free fall and even was able to keep on heading. It felt great finally having it all come together and for the 1st time in my life I really feel like I am a skydiver! Even though I've technically been a skydiver for a while now I had that goal in my head and it was an amazing feeling!!!

Practicing and pointing the toes really helped, as soon as I started "potato chipping" I just arched more and consciously bent my legs and it stopped immediately. Then I just worked on relaxing and focused on feeling the air pushing back against me. Keeping on heading just somehow came natural and I made little corrections with my hands and shoulders. It was one of the most amazing feelings I've ever had in my life!

Thanks for the advice from here and from my instructors too. One bit of advice I think helped a lot was to let go on the "upswing" of my body and just hanging out there for a bit and clearing my head for one or two seconds.

[tkhayes 124]

take your socks off. you will feel more wind around your ankles. worked for me when I had 15 or so jumps

[Di0 1]

gunsmokex

Practicing and pointing the toes really helped, as soon as I started "potato chipping" I just arched more and consciously bent my legs and it stopped immediately.

Ahah! Congratulation, man! Glad the tip helped, it will only get better now! :)
(But be ready for the occasional frustration on figuring out group exits, in due time, with less than ideal body position because of the crowded door, a hella lot of fun though!)

Welcome to the hill! :)

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[JohnMitchell 14]

gunsmokex

Just was curious if any instructors out there had any tips or advice on how one might become more aware or at least get their legs into the proper position

I like Monkey's "sofa" suggestion. It reinforces position and also the necessity to keep "legs out" pressure against the upward flow of air.

Quote

quickly to get over the hill from a poised exit off the wing. I just can't quite seem to get it right.

Is "the hill" you're talking about the relative wind? That's the result of the ballistic trajectory we all follow when we jump from a moving plane. "Straight down" is actually somewhere out in front, towards the forward horizon, for the first few seconds. There's no speeding up the process. Issac Newton is in charge.

Quote

I arch but my legs end up screwing me up by going straight or dropping a leg half the time and its getting aggravating.

It's very common for new jumpers to get happy feet, kick, drop knees, etc. when they exit. It's our ground bound minds looking for footing as we leave the plane.

Practice, concentrate, concentrate, practice. You'll get it.

[gunsmokex 1]

Thanks for the reply John. I've done a lot more jumps since I posted this and yep exactly right just need more time getting my knees in the breeze. Everything is really starting to come together now, exits feel better and it just feels more natural to my body being in the air. I think I might try the no socks trick though and see how that feels once, I must have missed that suggestion. Will try it today. The couch trick works though!

Tomorrow I get to work on tracking!! Woot!! Hopefully will keep getting in jumps because I need my A license by Aug 1st for the Lost Prarie Boogie! Can't friggin wait!

[chips26 0]

tkhayes

take your socks off. you will feel more wind around your ankles. worked for me when I had 15 or so jumps

Im gonna give this a try on my next couple AFF jumps, I had the most trouble getting my legs out during my jump and pointing my toes. Ive been doing couch drills a couple times a day just to get the whole arch down to muscle memory.

[dthames 0]

ufk22

You've already figured out most of the problem.
Don't rush.
As you get out on the strup, your legs swing out and initially, because of the angle of the strut most students end up cocking their body.
Taking the time to relax and settle in lets you hang more true vertical.
I always tell students to get out their, then take a deep breath and exhale, then look up, arch release.
If you let your body settle in before release, you will come off stable.
You shouldn't need toe-taps or pointing toes or any of that for the release.

I agree with the slowing it down a bit. I figured that out on my own and told my instructor, "I will hang but I plan to hang there and go over the exit in my head one more time before I carry it out.......look at bottom of wing, arch, release, position, watch the plane..." Hanging there and settling down for a few seconds was helpful.

To the OP, good to hear about the progress.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”