Max tracking, get thin?

[jakee 1,257]

I practise tracking a lot, and its something that I want to be good at and recently I've come across two different theories. What I've heard from people before, and what I do at the moment, is to get as thin and dart like as possible. Heels together with booties facing out, arms into my body helping to cup/channel air down my torso.

However I was talking to a very experienced coach a few weeks ago who suggested that it is better to have a slightly wider stance with legs apart and arms slightly away and below the body.

Thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[dgskydive 0]

I have found forme it works better to close all the way up get the butt up in the air and turn the booties out.

IMHO it works different for diferent body types, but most of the people that smoke me while tracking seem to be closed up as well.

I see a lot of free fliers tracking in a real wide stance on tracking dives, but I think most of them do it because they are trying to stay with the people that don't track as well as the rest.

Dom

[rehmwa 2]

Ditto - Not so tight as to be stiff, but comfortable keeps a strong track from getting wobbly. I also roll the back of my hands to earth to get the arm grippers into the air. With the new suit's big (turbo, mega, whatever) booties, the extra up front is needed. When it slides into that 'zone' it's amazing how fast and how much lift one can get.

...
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

[gemini 0]

Quote

...to get the arm grippers into the air.

That's a good tip.

I try to touch my toes together when my legs are extended. Slightly turns the booties and leg grippers into the wind and forces my butt up. Roll the shoulders forward to cup extra air and bend slightly toward the earth from the waist.

In a maximum track, you should feel slightly unstable with a bit of the potato chipping.

The other thing that is very important is to turn from the formation correctly. A lot of people break grips and immediately go to a delta and track away. This may steepen the track when flat is better.

I release grips and go to full superman as I turn. This slows the fall rate during the turn and when I begin to track I am slightly high to the formation, but on level with other trackers in my breakoff group.

Suits make a big difference. I went to a suit that has inside leg grippers, tight sleeves and slightly tighter body. My best tracking fall rate is 93 now even with gators and front unzipped. In my old suit I could get 83 pretty consistently. Still need to practice a bit!

Blue skies,

Jim

[jakee 1,257]

Cool, sounds like I should keep going down the route I'm trying at the moment. Its difficult to judge what kind of forward speed I'm getting but I know that when I get the upper body right the extra lift feels amazing.

Thanks guys

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

I try to touch my toes together when my legs are extended.
...
In a maximum track, you should feel slightly unstable with a bit of the potato chipping.

The only thing here about touching toes together - I disagree, I lay my toes out sideways to get the booties fully presented and don't even point them hard, just enough to ensure the booties fill up. But that might just depend on how effective your booties are. But if you point them in while I point them out, I'm willing to try your way to see what happens (I just got a Tetris suit from Michigan and I'm trying some of his suggestions, in fact, and they are working great).

I'm in the "potatoe-chipping" mode now - learning that position of balance where I'm riding that bubble. Every once in a while, I get through that and the chipping kind of stabilizes away, gets smooth, and that's that "slot" I was talking about where it REALLY takes off. Last weekend I was in an 8 way and nailed it - people said they looked up and saw 7 canopies in one part of the sky and then me way off in the west .

...
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

[dgskydive 0]

Good point about turning away.

I used to sink out so bad at the beginning of the break off and that sucks on a 100 way.

I used to think I was a good tracker until I saw Mark Tennison and John Appleton(rip)smoke my ass on a big way. I was embarrased to be honest. They had me right from the 180 turning away. Mark told me to stop doing knee turns on the 180. Just push away and cup air as you turn. Then work into it (the track).Since then I have gotten much better still need some work, but I am above 95% of the people on most dives I am on now. Still gotta work more though.

Dom

[kallend 1,635]

Quote

Good point about turning away.

I used to sink out so bad at the beginning of the break off and that sucks on a 100 way.

I used to think I was a good tracker until I saw Mark Tennison and John Appleton(rip)smoke my ass on a big way. I was embarrased to be honest. They had me right from the 180 turning away. Mark told me to stop doing knee turns on the 180. Just push away and cup air as you turn. Then work into it (the track).Since then I have gotten much better still need some work, but I am above 95% of the people on most dives I am on now. Still gotta work more though.

Here we are, Dom:
www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1435381#1435381

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.