Can't Hold The Rope

howabouttheiris · Addict Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 677 City: Austin, TX

Thanks for listening.....

I am 1 year in, and still having the same problem.

I cannot hold the rope during jumps, the tension is too tight in the air or right at landing and it is pulled out of my hands.

I am 225lbs+, plenty strong, and not scared to hold on.... (I include this because the general reply to this question is that I am a sissy and letting go.)

What should I do pre jump or in the air or at impact to get me a spec of free line?

I can jump 2-4 feet into the flats over the 2nd wake, and have tamed it down to just jumping wake to wake, but that only improved my sucess rate to 25% or so...

Landon126 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 168 City: Louisville

Hmmm.....I have never really heard of that problem before. I can offer a guess, that's it really:

If you're not doing a good prog. edge, the line might not be tight in the air, then it catches and snaps out of your hand. That's my only guess.

It has to be technique, not strength. If I am wrong, however, try one hand over-grip, one hand under-grip---this is a common technique used in learning slalom skiing (getting up, the pull is tremendous).

ibusthard · Outlaw Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 223 City: Houston

Is it being yanked out of your hand, or is your whole body being pulled forward and then letting go and falling on your face.

If it's being yanked, then I'd go with Landon's advice, maybe your getting slack, and when the rope tightens, it's pulled out of your hand's. When this happens to me, I pull the rope to my waist and hold on tight, then when the rope tightens up, I have the amount of time it takes for my arms to become stretched out to catch up to the speed of the rope, if that makes sense.

If your being pulled over forward, then maybe your arms are fully extended therefore you have no lee-way in the rope, and since the rope is tight, your arms are extended, it simply pulls your whole body over, losing your balance and the handle. Try pulling the rope towards your leading hip.

Landon126 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 168 City: Louisville

I didn't think of that possibility (pulled fwd), good call ibusthard.

howabouttheiris · Addict Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 677 City: Austin, TX

Nope... not getting pulled over forward. (although I may be a little too much bent throughout)

I tend to be left standing with no rope or miss reedging the board and have the board fly up on front of me .

I will look at some of my old vids and see if I have a slack rope in the air. If I do, is it just that I am not taking the edge all the way thru the wake?

Landon126 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 168 City: Louisville

If you have slack, you're likely doing a regresive edge. I just made that word up, but I'd guess it means the opposite of progressive edge. Anyway, if you have slack, you're likely easing up on your edge as you come in to the wake, so yes, no only are you not holding it, you're easing up on it. You need to not just hold it, but intensify it as you get closer.

ibusthard's advice about your arms is great too. when u pop up, pull the handle in, if there is no slack, you're fine, if ther eis slack, when it tries to snag the rope from you, having the handle close will buy you 1/2 second to compensate--could make all the difference. Wink

ibusthard · Outlaw Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 223 City: Houston

heheheeeee.....RE-gressive edge....

Landon126 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 168 City: Louisville

You know, now that i think of it, a "trip-flip" edge is just a regressive edge. I'm going to rewrite the book on wakeboarding, the terms anyway.

Also, I have a big problem with the HS Backroll. According to the tip-over-tail = flip and rail-over-rail = roll theory, the "HS Backroll" is actually a HS backflip. And the Tantrum is a HS Backroll! Stop the press!!!!

Idea

ballywho · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 1725

How big is your board? If it's too small it might be sinking in too much and making alot of resistance before popping back up. Did that make sense?
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Landon126 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 168 City: Louisville

Not a bad idea ballywho.

howabouttheiris, I am a little bigger than you, and I ride a 143 parks. It works fine for me....

howabouttheiris · Addict Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 677 City: Austin, TX

Worked it out last night....

Went out with an expert and he had me push my hips forward (urinal stance) and hit 4-5 jumps with my knees 100% locked throughout..... A bad position, but it got my shoulders back. Once I had the feel, I could add harder and harder compress/extend with my legs... (although I did not need too, as W2W was simple from less than 10' outside the wake)

I was leaning too far ahead / pulling the rope / generating slack just after pop / and the boat was pulling me thru when the rope came tight.

Thanks for the tips....