360's

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

I've got a problem.
All my turns in formation are OK for my level, fast too, but as from the moment I go for a 360, I'm gone about 5-10 feet horizontally.
I think it sets in the moment when I loose eye-contact and and turning my head to regain eye-contact on the other side (go fast with the head to keep looking at my reference as well.) Suggestions?
Will jump for beer, bs AiRpollUtiOn

[wlie 0]

I had, and I think I still have that same problem. Then a senior jumper suggested to pay attention to my legs, and flatten out my body more.
So we worked on it. First by getting comfortable flying a flatter body (de-arch a little basically). Then learn to accelerate my turns by using my legs (legs out, drop a shoulder and the opposite knee).
Instead of carving a 10 ft radius, I'm now doing about 5 and not wasting as much altitude getting back with the other jumpers.

[ChromeBoy 0]

Are you turning with your shoulders and arms or your legs?

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

trying to coordinate but I don't seem to get it right.
I think I'm still turning more on shoulders than on legs, but then I don't really know, if I want to turn I just turn, if you know what I mean.
Will jump for beer, bs AiRpollUtiOn

[Shark 0]

sounds like you may need some creeper work to find your center point. another drill is to get a partner and do some 2 way stuff. if you are familiar with the side-buddy block you can do this as a 2 way instead of a 4.

[ChromeBoy 0]

Bill Von mentioned this before and it helped me a lot. At the dropzone get a creeper and lay on it. Put your legs on a sofa or a chair. Now turn both legs to either side and watch how the creeper turns your body. This is how you turn with your legs. While doing this in the air it allows for a much faster turn rate and it keeps your body centered so you are keeping the same fall rate as before.
As Shark said completing two ways and just doing 360's and matching decent rate is the best way to learn. Do this and turn using your legs only and this should help a lot.

[Airwolf 0]

I have the same problem with out-facing turns requiring a head-switch (some days are better than others). I tend to fly the turn in an arc rather than doing a crisp center-point turn. In addition to the suggestions already offered, here is a great 2-way drill dive someone at SDH showed me last week. You can use this dive to supplement the ground training.
Launch a compressed accordion and for the entire dive do nothing but compressed accordions, always turning in the same direction. Assuming that you are inside on the launch and on the floater’s right side (you will launch head down) for the first point you will make a right turn (inside turn). For the next point, you will also turn right, but now it will be out-facing requiring a head-switch. This is the turn where I usually drift away from my partner. Continue turning the compressed accordion until break-off, always making right turns. For a left-turn dive, launch from the floater’s left side.
By combining this drill dive with the suggestions mentioned earlier you should be able to hone your turning skills. Force yourself to concentrate on using the knee to generate the turn, even if it slows you down. Your goal on this dive is to prefect CP turns, not rack up points.
Another thing that helps is stretching at the beginning of the jump day, especially limbering up your neck muscles. Get some stretching tips from some of the senior jumpers or 4-way teams.
Hope this helps….
Denis

[Albatross 0]

Some of the problem is in your head. Actually more specificly it is in you optic cotex. What I am saying is that you are trying to turn and keep you center still, however you brain thinks that you should keep you eyes still. To help with that try doing the turns on the creapers and then repeat the visual things in the air. OR GET TO A TUNNEL.
God bless us and God Bless America
Albatross

[BikerBabe 0]

Though I can't see what you're doing, it's a good bet that you aren't keeping your body symmetrical when you're turning. It's really just the physics of the turn. If you are only using the upper half of your body to turn, it's a lot harder to keep your center point in one place. If you think about dropin one elbow and the opposite knee, it will work, and you'll be more symmetrical.
As for drills, I would do some 2-way drills, and don't even start with 360's. Go with someone who can fall straight down and knows what a sidebody setup should look like. Set up a no copntact 2-way star, and just do 90's into a no contact sidebody. That way, you can make sure you aren't actually moving out on the first 90 of your 360 turns. Then move to 180's, setting up a good cat picture, and just work on the head switch.
Or, get to the tunnel! LOL!

[skydiverjo 0]

Do not ever de-arch or flatten to do an in place center turn, especially when doing a 360 or a 540. Keep a comfortable arch and make sure to keep your hips/pelvis pressed square to the relative wind throughout the turn. Even if you are doing everything else right with your arms and legs, tucking the hip when dropping a knee which and/or pitching the hips with the dropped knee will cause you to move. Another common mistake is head switching too early. Try a "late" head switch to correct this and make sure to keep your shoulders square (don't let your head cause your shoulders to pitch). Finally, I highly recommend getting with a NSL Tunnel Coach or a Skydive University Coach and working on it in the tunnel. DeLand is the best place to go for both of these. Check out www.skyleague.com for the most cost effective tunnel camps out there.

[billvon 2,400]

Another drill that may help -
Practice back ins as part of the 360. Get a partner and do a 2-way. Turn to a cat, and try to put your knees in the partner's hands. Stop, do the head switch, then continue the turn back to the round. This guarantees you will not slide away. Do this faster and faster until you are just brushing his hands with your knees, and eventually it will become a smooth 360.
-bill von

[AiRpollUtiOn 0]

thanks bill, will try that one for sure.
For the moment I'm fully concentrating on 2 ways with a buddy of mine. About 8 jumps out of 10 we jump together.
Sometimes a 3 - 4 way comes in, but I think these jumps don't get me forward at the time (except for levelling)
We incorporate cats in each 2 way, and they're slowly getting better.
We're currently working on sideslides as well, do you have any tips for excercises on this???
Will jump for beer, bs AiRpollUtiOn

[sblue 0]

Just a personal problem that I have and you may watch your video and look if you have the same thing... When I start turning a 360 too fast, I tend to lead the turn by bending my spine toward the direction of the turn. This has the effect of sliding you out on the turn. Try a few jumps where you only do your 360 at 50% speed and concentrate on only using arms and legs. It helps. I still tend to get overly ramped on a really good dive and slide out a bit, but we all have things to work on right?

Shawn