Print this page

Toeside Falling Leaf Once the athlete has become familiar with the falling leaf movement utilizing the heelside edge, begin to practice the movement utilizing the toeside edge.   Important! Please remember to take extra care when teaching the toeside falling leaf. While performing the toeside falling leaf, the athlete will be traveling with his or her back facing downhill, increasing the risk of potential injury. Achieving success with the heelside falling leaf may make the athlete anxious to rush into trying the same movement on the toeside. Be careful to start slowly and progress as the athlete becomes more comfortable with the movement.   Begin with a review of the balance progression, and practice with a straight toeside side slip. When the athlete has re-familiarized himself or herself with the side slip motion, begin to have him or her experiment with applying pressure in the same manner that was used while performing the falling leaf on the heelside.       Teaching Points Start with knees flexed, eyes up. Begin with pressure on the toeside edge, equally with both feet. Have the athlete slowly shift the weight toward the nose or the tail of the snowboard, looking in the direction of travel. Release heel pressure SLOWLY; snowboard will begin to move downhill in a diagonal direction. The movement of the snowboard should be a smooth, flowing motion. Once the athlete is comfortable, have them move in the opposite direction. Continue alternating directions down the hill.     Faults & Fixes     Error Correction Drill Reference Athlete's snowboard spins down the fall line Keep the shoulders more square going down the hill Maintain toeside edge pressure Don't shift too much weight on one foot Remind the athlete not to over-rotate while turning   Athlete falls forward (uphill) Keep knees flexed Don't bend at the waist Offer hand assistance More support with magic stik Athlete catches back edge (downhill edge) of snowboard in snow Keep constant pressure on heelside edge Move to slightly steeper slope   Athlete slips too fast Apply more pressure on heelside edge Timed getting up

Prev Page Next Page