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1.
How do I stop bouncing?
2. How do I stop from going out the
front when I put my feet in the water?
3. Equipment tips?
4. Is there a way to practice on land
before I attempt this behind the boat?
5. Rope type? Length? What handle should
I use?
6. Should I wear shoe skis?
1.
How do I stop bouncing?
Click
here to read the entire article!
Click
HERE
to see a free video of this method!
This
start can be broken down into three separate stages;
“planing-off,” the “three point position,” and “standing
up.” Bouncing occurs when you do not properly transition
into the butt glide position. It can also be exaggerated
by having your knees bent while on the rope.
Tip:
If you have a dry
suit that can be worn over your
barefoot suit,
you will be at an advantage.
After
hooking up the handle, the best way to learn the
first step is to float your whole body to the top
of the water holding the handle into your hip bone.
Do not move it higher or lower throughout this first
step. Then, cross the arch of one of your feet over
the rope keeping your entire body at the surface
of the water, and keep your knees completely straight.
Cross the second foot’s arch over the first foot
without hooking your heel over the rope or your
foot as this could cause injury to the ankle if
the rope pops out of your hand on some of your first
attempts.
As
the boat gets ready to accelerate, keep your entire
body floating until the boat takes off. As the boat
first accelerates, straighten out your entire body
keeping your knees very straight, pushing your hips
higher than your head, and keeping the handle next
to your hips. You will need to hold this position
for only three seconds before sitting onto your
tail bone. You will find it helpful to take a deep
breath BEFORE the boat takes off.
After
the three seconds, sit directly onto your tail bone
without stopping to rest on your back. Make sure
you have kept the handle in with your knuckles pressed
into your hips.
TIP:
If you do not like the feeling of hundreds of gallons
of water rushing towards your face, keep your knees
straight and tightly together. If you really enjoy
a major face washing, simply bend your knees and
separate them slightly. This will allow a tremendous
sinus blast that will keep on giving you lake water
in small amounts the rest of the day and most of
the night. This is usually when some people will
decide to leverage their barefoot gear for a wakeboard!
(“we never said it was easy…we just said it was
kool!”)
Seriously,
if you are one of those people who are prone to
sinus problems, you will be happy to learn that
Duct Tape or a water proof band aid works wonders
when used to cover a nose that is pinched into the
closed position.
Once
you are able to sit forward and ride in this position
with your feet still on the rope and the handle
tucked properly, you will be ready for the next
stage…the Three Point Position!
Let
me know how you do!! Email
me your success stories!
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2. How do I stop
from going out the front when I put my feet in the
water?
Click
here to read the entire article!
Click
HERE
to see a free video of this method!
To avoid
this kind of aggravating experience, you need to
fix your muscle memory for your transition from
the butt glide to
the three-point position.
Butt
Glide 3-Point NO ROPE
Sit
on the floor with your feet out in front of you.
Place
your hands about one foot behind you and wider than
shoulder width apart. Lean back with your upper
body
about 45 degrees from vertical.
Keeping
your legs completely straight with your knees
together and toes pointed, raise your legs until
your
knees are the same height as your shoulders. Let’s
call this the “V Sit Position” because your body
resembles the letter “V.”
Now
add your point and flex exercise while holding your
“V” position! Can you feel your ‘flab-dominals’
working?
We are just getting started. Once you have the perfect
flex,
bring your heels wide and back to your butt at about
the
same width or just wider than your butt
WITHOUT SEPERATING YOUR KNEES …
WITHOUT LOWERING YOUR KNEES!
The
key here is to keep your knees quiet (no movement).
If
you have down this properly;
1.
your knees are about shoulder height,
2. your knees are together
3. your ankles are flexed
4. your ankles are as close to your butt as possible
5. your heel is the only part of your foot on the
water
6. your toes are not lifted, but the ball of your
foot
is off of the surface you are on
Practice
this over and over again until it is perfect, smooth,
and effortless! This will be a great abs workout
as well
as turn you into a three-point machine!
Now
let’s add another challenging element…
-----Butt
Glide 3-Point Position WITH the Rope--------------
I
have found a great way to simulate the realistic
pull
of the boat that works much more dynamically than
a
handle on a door knob!
To
make your own, all you need is;
1.
a
wakes handle
(which is easier to use than a trick handle because
it
does not get in the way of your knees as easily)
2.
a pulley
3.
a bucket
4.
about 10 feet of rope
Fill
your bucket with enough water to give you a
little resistance. I filled it all the way up with
water for
me, but only about a third of the way full for my
wife Cindy who is 98 pounds (and
featured on this video).
Connect
them all together and scoot back on the floor
so that you are keeping the bucket about half way
off
the floor the entire time.
Adjust
the height of the pulley and the rope so you can
easily get into the “V Sit Position” and keep your
feet on the rope and your knees the same height
as
your shoulders.
Pull the wakes handle into your hip so that the
rubber
of the handle is touching your hip bone while keeping
your knuckles on your legs!
Your
feet should be pointed with your toes overlapped
on the rope. Your knees should be straight WITHOUT
knee bend. Your knees are squeezed together.
Next
take your feet off the rope without lowering your
knees or feet.
“Point…hold…FLEX…hold…Heels
to your butt!”
This
needs to be done in the exact same manner as
described above!
The
only difference is the handle! There are two positions
for the handle;
1.
IN to your hip
2. OUT on your knee caps
The
key here is to accomplish this without ever opening
your knees or lowering your knees! The handle goes
from the IN position to the OUT position as your
knees remain constant!
When
do you move the handle from IN to OUT?
As
soon as your heels make it to your butt, move
the handle to your knee caps.
For
women and children, I find it helpful to keep the
handle to the IN position until the feet are settled
on the
water.
For
big dudes, I find the handle should come out sooner
as long as the “V Sit Position” can be maintained!
The
final stage is to prepare your 3-point position
for
final check mode before standing!
After
your handle is on your knees and you feel relaxed
and stable…
1.
Shoulder Roll-roll your shoulders to the back so
that
they are behind your chest with your shoulder blades
pinched together.
2.
Meat Hook! Lift your rib cage in an upward motion
so you look all “Bowed-up!”
With
this mastered, you may take to the water with more
confidence and preparation than I ever had when
I was
learning. While others rip their heads off, you
will foot
with the quiet confidence of a Jedi Warrior
(Star Wars reference)!
top
^
3.
What equipment do I need?
I
believe that the very basics for barefooting are
as follows;
#1
The best
barefoot wetsuit you can afford. I believe
the best wetsuit on the market is Barefoot International's
Iron Man wetsuit. I personally wear this suit and
guarantee it to be at least 30% more protection
than any other suit. It is an enormous advantage.
You can see these suits and receive the best pricing
anywhere along with free
shipping by clicking here!
#2
I also believe that you MUST use padded shorts and
that the best shorts out there are the Iron
Man shorts. I unconditionally guarantee
these shorts to be the best shorts of any kind in
bare foot water skiing.
I
highly recommend getting the best
boom on the market since this also is a major
safety issue. The Barefoot International boom and
Fligh High
extended pylon are the best out there. I also
guarantee these to be the best out there.
Although
I do not normally start barefooters out on shoe
skis, it is critical to learning the more advanced
tricks and are an absolute must for the serious
barefooter. The Dawg
Paws are the best shoe skis on the planet
and I also have a less expensive shoe ski which
you can see by visiting our Pro
Shop.
If
you have specific questions about any equipment,
please submit them on the form below and I will
post the answers here!
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^
4.
Is there any way to practice before getting on the
water
Click
here to read the entire article!
See
my newest instructional video, “Great Six Pack and
3-Point Exercise,” at my all new Virtual
Ski School!
I
have witnessed the power of dry land practice so
many times now that I more passionate than ever
to
help you experience your own special miracle! If
you
have ever wanted to;
1.
learn to barefoot water ski
2. improve on bad form
3. revamp your glide for better one foots
4. just learn a new abs workout to improve your
six pack (don’t worry if yours is a one pack),
then
this article is for you!
The
following exercise will turn you into a barefooting
machine by tapping into the power of proper dry-land
practice. First, I am going to show you how to properly
practice the foot position for the Ultra
Mega Glide
(http://www.thefootersedge.com/traumacenter/info/ne14.htm)
Next
I will show you how to practice the butt glide and
3-point position without a rope, and finally the
butt glide
and 3-point position WITH a rope.
The
bonus is that I am going to show you how to set-up
a
great dry land practice apparatus (pictures and
video are
on my Virtual
Ski School
at
http://www.thefootersedge.com/newskischool/index.htm)
to realistically prepare you for the water! And
the best part is,
if you follow my advice, you will learn all this
without ever
getting hurt! What a huge benefit!
------------------Point
and Flex!!!!!---------------------------
I
want you to practice the following exercise where
ever
you are right now! Point your tows and hold for
several
seconds. Next, flex your ankles WITHOUT lifting
your
toes. I have the pictures you can see to make sure
you are
doing it right near the bottom of my Positions’
page
http://www.thefootersedge.com/positions.htm
It
is critical that you perfect this flexed position
because
the following exercises will build on this foundation.
Make sure to practice this exercise frequently so
that
your muscle memory will be there perfectly when
you
get on the water.
“point….hold…..flex….hold….
point….hold…..
flex….hold… point….hold…..flex….hold…”
If
this bores you…get over it! It has been approved
by
the Department of Redundancy Department.
Butt
Glide 3-Point NO ROPE
Sit
on the floor with your feet out in front of you.
Place
your hands about one foot behind you and wider than
shoulder width apart. Lean back with your upper
body
about 45 degrees from vertical.
Keeping
your legs completely straight with your knees
together and toes pointed, raise your legs until
your
knees are the same height as your shoulders. Let’s
call this the “V Sit Position” because your body
resembles the letter “V.”
Now
add your point and flex exercise while holding your
“V” position! Can you feel your ‘flab-dominals’
working?
We are just getting started. Once you have the perfect
flex,
bring your heels wide and back to your butt at about
the
same width or just wider than your butt
WITHOUT SEPERATING YOUR KNEES …
WITHOUT LOWERING YOUR KNEES!
The
key here is to keep your knees quiet (no movement).
If
you have down this properly;
1.
your knees are about shoulder height,
2. your knees are together
3. your ankles are flexed
4. your ankles are as close to your butt as possible
5. your heel is the only part of your foot on the
water
6. your toes are not lifted, but the ball of your
foot
is off of the surface you are on
Practice
this over and over again until it is perfect, smooth,
and effortless! This will be a great abs workout
as well
as turn you into a three-point machine!
Now
let’s add another challenging element…
-----Butt
Glide 3-Point Position WITH the Rope--------------
I
have found a great way to simulate the realistic
pull
of the boat that works much more dynamically than
a
handle on a door knob!
To
make your own, all you need is;
1.
a
wakes handle (Wakes
Handle - B223 or Combo
B223C)
(which is easier to use than a trick handle Front-Toe
Handle - B219 because it does not get in the
way of your knees as easily)
2.
a pulley
3.
a bucket
4.
about 10 feet of rope
Fill
your bucket with enough water to give you a
little resistance. I filled it all the way up with
water for
me, but only about a third of the way full for my
wife Cindy who is 98 pounds (and
featured on this video).
Connect
them all together and scoot back on the floor
so that you are keeping the bucket about half way
off
the floor the entire time.
Adjust
the height of the pulley and the rope so you can
easily get into the “V Sit Position” and keep your
feet on the rope and your knees the same height
as
your shoulders.
Pull the wakes handle into your hip so that the
rubber
of the handle is touching your hip bone while keeping
your knuckles on your legs!
Your
feet should be pointed with your toes overlapped
on the rope. Your knees should be straight WITHOUT
knee bend. Your knees are squeezed together.
Next
take your feet off the rope without lowering your
knees or feet.
“Point…hold…FLEX…hold…Heels
to your butt!”
This
needs to be done in the exact same manner as
described above!
The
only difference is the handle! There are two positions
for the handle;
1.
IN to your hip
2. OUT on your knee caps
The
key here is to accomplish this without ever opening
your knees or lowering your knees! The handle goes
from the IN position to the OUT position as your
knees remain constant!
When
do you move the handle from IN to OUT?
As
soon as your heels make it to your butt, move
the handle to your knee caps.
For
women and children, I find it helpful to keep the
handle to the IN position until the feet are settled
on the
water.
For
big dudes, I find the handle should come out sooner
as long as the “V Sit Position” can be maintained!
The
final stage is to prepare your 3-point position
for
final check mode before standing!
After
your handle is on your knees and you feel relaxed
and stable…
1.
Shoulder Roll-roll your shoulders to the back so
that
they are behind your chest with your shoulder blades
pinched together.
2.
Meat Hook! Lift your rib cage in an upward motion
so you look all “Bowed-up!”
With
this mastered, you may take to the water with more
confidence and preparation than I ever had when
I was
learning. While others rip their heads off, you
will foot
with the quiet confidence of a Jedi Warrior
(Star Wars reference)!
You
can get a 7 Day FREE Trial
Membership of My Virtual
Ski School only by clicking on the link below.
http://www.thefootersedge.com/newskischool/7daytrial.htm
top
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5.
What type of rope do you recommend? What length?
What handle should I use?
The handle should be a a
wakes handle (Wakes
Handle - B223 or Combo
B223C) which has
no toe strap or teeth strap on it. This handle is
better to use for this start than the toe-hold handle
because its width between the handle and the yoke
is narrower and stays more out of the way of the
skiers knees when taking the feet off of the rope
and planting them on the water!
top
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6.
Should I wear shoe skis when attempting this?
Click
HERE
to see a free video of this method!
No!
I believe in learning on your feet first unless
you are in water that has debris. There is nothing
like feeling the rush of the water underneath your
feet!
I
do believe that shoe skis such as my Puppy
Paws are critical to the success of mastering
your form, but I do not believe it should be your
first experience.
It
is critical with any shoe-ski that you master the
ankle flex necessary for a good three-point. If
you drag a toe with a shoe ski on your foot, you
can catch harder than using just your feet. For
this reason, anyone who is older than 30 years of
age, that has a bad knee, or who has not mastered
the proper dry land practice, should first learn
to master this maneuver on your feet.
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