head down carving

[pierre3636 0]

need some advice on starting and stopping a HD carve...im thinking arm / leg positions to start the carve, while im busy carving, narrowing the carve, speeding it up or slowing it down and stopping the carve. ADVICE PLS!

~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~

[Peej 0]

I could only find one thread on it for you bro, but then again, my search skills have never been that great. Hope it helps tho!

edited to add:

Doh! Here it is:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=293046;search_string=Head%20Down%20Carving;#293046

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[pierre3636 0]

perfecto advertisio rodriguez ~ good advice ~ ciao

~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~

[Vertifly 0]

This is the most useful head down tool in my opinion and I absolutely am addicted to it. Cause it feels faster than simply falling head down. You get super sideways motion and head down at the same time. It can feel like you're going like a bat out of hell.

Start out by learning to fly foward at someone's shoulder.

Square off with them in a head down. Have one of you nod your head to initiate movement. Then fly toward each others left or right shoulder very slowly. I find left to be easier and am right handed.

On the first rotation it may wobble a little so take it slow. Eye contact is super important. You gotta mico-analyze the person in front of you to keep it relative. Speed and fallrate will play an important part as always.

When you first start out, your arms with be to the side. At the point where you are able to pick up plenty of speed, learn to drop your arms to the side. This is going to feel a little weird at first (almost unbalanced or something - like losing a set of training wheels) but just TRUST it. You can fly sideways so much better with your arms low or low and back.

You can use your body and hands more affectively when they are down.. See the pic here. Eye contact, body toward the side of the person or their shoulder, arms don't have to be down like that right away - only when the speed pics up. Note that the left arm is not visible cause I am pushing way in back of me to initiate more movement.

It is super fun shit and a great tool to have. Eventually you get to the point of carving while diving down toward formations so that you end up on the other side before getting there.

But start off with a face off and go SLOW. Good luck.

[diablopilot 2]

The problem with that picture is that the jumpers torso is not oriented towards their carving partner.

This will cause it to be difficult to speed or slow, widen or tighten the carve.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Vertifly 0]

ummm that is the "hauling ass" pic.

yes, carving slow will put you more in a face-off position.

attached is another fine example. look closely at their positions. eye contact, but flying toward one-anothers shoulder (or just next to it). they are carving clockwise for sure. arms down, etc..

[78RATS 0]

John Matthews taught me like this:

Carving is forward motion with a turn. Have one person be a stable sit fly base. Have the student head flyer begin about 6-8 feet away and fly forward and slightly to the side of the sit flyer, maintaining the appropriate fall rate. As the student approaches the side of the sit flyer, he simply continues flying forward and turning.

The sit flyer turns in place.

You really start to "lay it out" the more forward speed you put into it. Using a sit flyer as the base keeps some semblence of control since you will be able to tell where the carve gets out of balance, if it does.

Hope that made sense. Enjoy.

Rat for Life - Fly till I die
When them stupid ass bitches ask why

[ccowden 0]

Hey, I took that picture!
Tommy and Eli Thompson.

[Vertifly 0]

YEah, I toyed it from you!!!