stopping a turn

[Dougiefresh 0]

My team was practicing our meeker exit this past weekend, and kept finding ourselves spinning. Any suggestions on how to stop this or prevent it from happening? The more experienced 4-way people told us that the spin is a product of the exit, but we all tried legs turns to stop it without success. The spin is counterclockwise when viewed from above. There's a quite funny vid of us spinning so hard that Jeremy (praetorian) gets whipped off and is never seen again. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams

[Reginald 0]

Ah, the spinner Meaker. It’s a right of passage for all beginning 4 way teams. I should show you video of some of my spinning Meakers! I thought I was going to black out from the G’s.

First things first: How to prevent it from spinning in the first place. And any of the big time 4 way guys feel free to add to or correct anything I’m saying.

The Point is frequently the cause of the spin. If they launch out hard they initiate a spin. They should just step up and place themselves about a foot outside the airplane. It is a gentle exit.

The IC should be hip checking through the bottom edge of the floor. I’m IC on my team and just this weekend realized how much I could contribute to or prevent a spin on a Meaker exit by proper exit technique. If the IC dives out head first (a no-no in general) they can initiate a spin.

The tail should be dropping straight down and should be below the rest of the formation, not pealing off the side.

The OC should be launching his hips up to be perpendicular to the plane. Notice this is a “clockwise” rotation.

If everyone does his or her job on exit you should not have more than a 45-degree rotation.

Okay, now let’s say that for some totally unforeseen reason not everyone executes his or her exit perfectly and there is some rotation that needs to be stopped. EVERYONE is responsible for stopping rotation. The IC and OC can drop a left leg and I mean bury that leg! This is because they are essentially spinning sideways and just need to counter that motion. The point and tail can “sit up” and spill more air from their front and put their legs on their asses, as they are basically spinning head forward so for them it is a back slide motion to stop the spin. They can also use a leg. I don’t fly point or tail so if anyone with more experience has some better advice I’d be interested in hearing it too.

Meakers are a great exit, stable and easy to transition to most other formations. They do get a little spinny. Once you learn to control that you’ve got yourself a fine exit. I personally have found a “B” exit to be almost as structurally stable but with a little less tendency to spin. It is what I take out frequently as an easy basic exit.

Best of luck to you! 4-way rocks!

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[murphyka 0]

You will generally hear coaches tell the point of the formation that they want to try to get back into the plane just after exit (i.e.sit up with feet on your but to backslide into the plane)

Blue Skies!!!
Kimmy

[daveb 1]

Ron's reply is very good.

But allow me to elaborate. ;-) Most meekers spin because they just fall out of the airplane. If you look at it, this will impart a 'natural' spin to the exit: the OC steps off the plane and falls down, with the leg point is holding onto pulling the point out of the plane, which then pulls the inside center around that corner with the leg grip. Within this description is the method to stop the rotation.

I put more responsibility on the outside center than point. OC must get hips up and legs away from the plane. This is all about presentation early -- OC must get the left leg way up high and present the lower body to the wind, and attempt to fly the legs uphill, while putting a small amount of force up and away from the door. OC must also remember that point is attached to this leg, and the further it travels from the door, the further point must travel.

Recognizing this, point should take a high grip on OC -- this means less distance to travel for the grip, and also allows point to be more upright in the door. Point should extend up, and help OC by pulling on the leg. Point's head should be above his legs, and of course, present.

Inside center: lead with your hips out the doorway. Everyone else: be somewhat forward in the door, and realize that IC really wants to exit without hitting the back of the plane or the floor. Inside: don't be a victim.

Tail should attempt to put his head where his feet were. Assuming everyone else is doing their job correctly, tail will not be able to do this -- which is a good thing. ;-) Tail also wants an aggressive down; this implies no upward movement at all. Try to get right shoulder low with good presentation, which will help out any less than stellar presentation at point or OC.

If it should spin, everyone needs to work together to counter it. However, the best defense is a good exit to avoid the unnecessary spin in the first place.

[edited for typo]

[dgskydive 0]

Good advice from all. I like the way Dave said it the best.

I think that OC is the hardest slot on this exit. OC must be able to get that left leg up and the right side down. As IC, I take it as my personal responsibility to not let it spin. I really try and and get my hips out as much as possible and to really dig in my left knee and try and make it spin the other way (my mind set).

Dom

[rehmwa 2]

I like the way Dave says it too:

I give the lion's share responsibility to IC, the hip check out and down is huge. If that doesn't happen, it will roll out the door. If that is the team's tendencies, you'll also likely see a lot of toes too far out and everyone driving forward (making the spin worse)

Next share to OC, that hip presentation is up, not down. Down is just falling off, not presenting. I fly OC now and think about getting the hips above my head, not even and not leaving before the IC - I don't leave on the count, I leave with his hips instead.

Next share is tail. When I launch tail on a meeker from a side door, I think 'face plant'. Get your body horizontal now. Bloody nose on the door frame (don't worry, you'll miss it).

Point owns little in my book for this issue unless they just let themselves get drug out. Just launch up and relax and let the centers define where you sit.

Done well, a meeker doesn't have to turn at all. It's very nice and and stable because it has a lot of connections (5 different grips).

edit: If it helps, visualize the meeker peeling 'forward' off of the plane instead of peeling down (rolling) from the front. That's the idea - leave the point in the plane til the very end.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[jmp2liv 0]

Well said by everyone so far. The only thing I have to add is *timing*. If point is leaving early, the formation will spin, or if tail is a little late the formation will be dragged into a spin. Everyone should be in sync. Maybe that's obvious, but I thought I'd point it out anyway.

Good luck!
S

[mjasantos 0]

Hi Dougie,

An image worths a thousand words.

After all the outstanding replies you got, I would just add one pic of the Meeker exit... I used to be OC, and everytime I launched that Random, I was visualizing myself as if I was Kirk Verner or Craig Gerard (from their Airspeed videos) to get the proper body position after launch (about 45º down from the horizontal line that goes from my centerpoint to IC centerpoint).

I think the attached pic gives a good idea of it. Dan BC used to say: it's like launching a pizza out of the plane... and don't fall... jump! Everyone in the team has to know (it's a must) where his/her body will be placed once outside the plane, and go there in the correct timing at the launch.

Blue Skies!

-----------------------------
Mario Santos
Portugal