Sidebody exit

[Enrique 0]

I thought I share these pics with you guys. The OC is a guy with 140 jumps and no 4way experience. He has made less than a dozen 4way jumps.

[weid14 0]

the top of your formation is turning down the hill, good presentation! get the back piece to try to kick it clockwise a bit.

[Ron 10]

The front should have their arms trying to "push" backwards
And the rear should have his left knee due down.

Both these movements will help prevent the piece from rotating.

The rear pair needs to be down just a little more...

But hell thats just nit picking.

Ron

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Enrique 0]

That's the problem we have with Meeker exits... it always rotates 180 where the Tail (me) ends up above the formation and the Point ends up in my otherwise normal position. We figured that the strongest input for the rotation comes from the IC who tends to lead with his head instead of his hips.

Do you thing it would help if the Point "pushes" out with the one free arm and the Tail pushes down and out with the right leg?

[Ron 10]

Meeker is a very solid exit...I have fliped one 360 before.

The key to every exit is to have the point go up, and not out.

And to have the tail go down, and out equal to the point.

The problem with a meeker is it is a round point, and it is hard for the tail to anchor using his knee. But the OC, and IC can reduce the rotation by having the IC blast out with his hips. The OC can really force his head down on exit. The point can just launch up, not out. And the tail can blast down and out.
Ron

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Albatross 0]

As I was once told there are 2 major parts to the exit: Timing and presentation. The kink in the sidebody and the rotation of the Meeker could be lots of things. It could be the Point launching out instead of placing himself on top of the formation. I could be the Tail not getting his right side down and away from the plane. It could be the IC being higher thatn the OC. It could be a timing issue.
It might just go away with practice but you might get a fast solution by looking at the timing, presentation and placement on video with a knolegable 4-way coach.
BTW where are you trying to put youselves on the launch?

Chris

[weid14 0]

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That's the problem we have with Meeker exits... it always rotates 180 where the Tail (me) ends up above the formation and the Point ends up in my otherwise normal position. We figured that the strongest input for the rotation comes from the IC who tends to lead with his head instead of his hips.

Do you thing it would help if the Point "pushes" out with the one free arm and the Tail pushes down and out with the right leg?

this is probably caused more by the IC. If he's leading with his head on about 80% of the exits (maybe higher, I'd have to think about it), they will be funky in some sort of way. I position my hips as close to the door as possible on the sidebody, meeker, etc. The trick is getting your butt out and down (want to be on the same level as OC), some exits need to be tweaked a little to accomodate someone (for example, we let our "B" exit rotate slightly cause no matter what we did the OC ended up down the hill on an angle, so we lived with it, and everything was cool).

[Enrique 0]

BTW where are you trying to put youselves on the launch?

[weid14 0]

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BTW where are you trying to put youselves on the launch?

***

On the "E" we are really trying to place the formation at a 45 degree angle +/- in referrence to the plane. On the "P", I'm not sure. We haven't discussed it, but I can pretty much assert that the top section of the formation (point, oc and ic) are trying to place it parallel to the plane (launching straight out) while I'm trying to drop as much as I can. But I couldn't say for sure.

IC launching straight out (leading with head), will rotate the formation, rotation of teh formation puts tension in the grips, which when keyed, leads to a nice starburst effect

[Enrique 0]

XL has each person place their hand after they do a mock up of where they are going in the air***

Sorry, I don't get it ..... can you explain further?

[Albatross 0]

I have tried this and it does help me especially when I was flying point. What you do is use your hand to represent your body and put them in the air on the angle you would have it on the hill. For example, on an Airspeed meeker exit the tail is parallel to the ground pointing towards the plane, point is parallel facing out.... It can help you see where the other people are going so that you can see the exit picture and know where you need to be to help it.

That being said. IC must get their hips down into that hole to lock the exit in. to do that tail must get away from the plane and the OC must get their hips out to create that hole. AHHH the joys of an exit.

Chris

[weid14 0]

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XL has each person place their hand after they do a mock up of where they are going in the air***

Sorry, I don't get it ..... can you explain further?

Ok, practice with your hand, hold it 45 degrees to a flat surface, straight away from you, now put your other hand in 90 degrees to that hand, now picture two others in there at the correct hand position for a 4way, does that help? (not really good with trying to explain this one)

[Enrique 0]

Duh! Finally got it. Thanks! At first I didn't know what you were talking about.

[BikerBabe 0]

Yay, another tail flyer!

Anyway, some of the best advice I got for the tail on the meeker-style exits was to try to hit the right side of your head on the bottom of the door on exit. Don't worry, the chances of you actually hitting your head are incredibly slim (probably nil), but basically, it is a good way to help you get your body into the position it needs to be out the door, with your right side down and your body pointing at the plane. Yes, this is the Airspeed way, and it works.

I actually head-jam the meeker exit, mainly because my arms are too short to reach the grip on my IC if my head is outside of the plane. But I've found that head-jamming it helps me even more with the "drive my head into the bottom of the door" technique. I've never hit it.

Of course, the other three have to do their jobs as well, and having the point go up instead of out is a big part of it.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[Enrique 0]

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try to hit the right side of your head on the bottom of the door on exit.

That's what I try to do. BTW, can you touch your forhead with the tip of your right foot on exit? I almost did once

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I actually head-jam the meeker exit, mainly because my arms are too short to reach the grip on my IC if my head is outside of the plane.

I found that head jamming exits makes my neck very sore by the end of the day. If you can jam it, I'm sure you can hold the inside bar with your right hand instead. Your IC might help you a little bit if he/she presents the left leg a little bit more.

That's how we do it. Once I'm on my IC's leg, I give him a little shake so that he can start the count.

[weid14 0]

might want to re-look at your IC line up in the door, you should be able to reach the high grip no problem (of course, our tail used to like to head jam as much as he could for some reason). I actually rotate my body towards the tail to help get my hips out and down, so the grip is right there for the tail

[BikerBabe 0]

Actually, I have really short arms, which exacerbates the problem. You should see the tapes of our first training weekend...my attempts at cat grips on my Craig-Girard-style-IC (lanky, wide stance) are quite humorous!

That being said, I actually like to head jam that exit, becuase it helps me (I know this is all mental, but everyone has their things...) put my body where it needs to be for the exit to fly right. Considering the fact that I can stand up almost straight inside the Otter, the head jam isn't too hard for me...I'm barely crouched down. It's really a second "catch" so to speak, since I make sure I'm balanced enough on my feet in the door to not really need to hang my head on the bar.

It's also a comfort issue...an old wrist injury makes that grip on the bar weaker than the left, and it's very uncomfortable for me putting my right wrist in that particular position when I launch from outside the plane.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[Albatross 0]

I does sound like your IC is way to ar inside the plane, which would cause some of the rotation that you are talking about. I also head jam the Tail slot on the meeker but it is a comfort thing not a need.

WHen I say Airspeed style it is just that I have gotten a bit of PD Blue coaching and their exit style tend to be a bit of a peel or flow exit where they expect the exit to turn like 30 deg and that is what they plan fo . Airspeed tends to "bloosom" the exit up and down the line of flight. I have found that the Airspeed exit requires a more dynamic exit for the OC and better timing to be prefect than the PD Blue style. Just my thoughts.

Chris

[Squeak 17]

what do all the abreiviations mean in Rel work??

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Enrique 0]

Randoms from the current Dive Pool. Take a look for yourself. Click on this link www.omniskore.com and then go to IPC DIVE POOL.

[weid14 0]

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what do all the abreiviations mean in Rel work??

what do you mean by abbreviations? letters and numbers or what?

maybe... IC = Inside Center, person mostly exiting from inside the plane, typically controls the pace of the skydive.

OC = outside center, person exiting the center of the formation (typcically) outside the plane. this person typically has a lot of whipper -- back and forth moves

P = point, person on the front of the formation -- closest to the wing on exit (typically exiting from partially inside the plane). this person is typcially feeding cat grips and looking over their shoulder the whole skydive.

tail (rear float)-- exits from outside the plane closest to the rear of the aircraft. this person is typically last on every formation, and tends to be inward looking the whole time (i.e., looks at a lot of butt)
then you get into piece partners, continuity plans, yadda yadda yadda.

[masher 1]

How do you read the block tables?

I'm at a loss as to how it all works...

I'm guessing that if you draw #1 (as from Omniskore), you go from a snowflake, through the inter, to a sidebody. But then how do you go to your next formation?

This has been bugging me for a while....

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[weid14 0]

block tables.... ok, you have a beginning random formation (first square), then you have an "inter" where pieces have to do something. the arrows indicate if there is a direction you have to turn. then the last square shows the final formation.... so for example block 1 -- snowflake/offset. you start in a snowflake, then you break into two subgroups, these rotate (cannot drop grips), and join up again making the final formation. did that make sense?

[masher 1]

I've got that bit.

How do you go to your next formation?

Do you just make it up, or is there a set way?

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[weid14 0]

oh, there is a draw, the old fashion way had all the letters/numbers on paper and put into a cup/bowl/hat whatever. then they are randomly drawn up to 5 or 6 points.... so it would be something like B-1-C-21 (stairstep diamond, snow/off, murphy flake, zig marq)... had another letter been drawn instead of the 21 that round would have had 5 points (and been pretty darn fast too). that would continue until all the papers were exhausted (10 round meet plus tie-breaker). Bear in mind the intermediate (USPA) class will have blocks/randoms repeated in a draw (common), as will open/advanced (rearely) now because of the smaller dive pool.

Even easier -- On omniskore, download "dive draw" or print pool and follow directions. www.omniskore.com/software.htm

bear in mind that typically teams train certain blocks/random combinations not according to "meet rules" to get the repetions in (i.e. you'll go up and do 21-E for the entire dive to get the repetion in). they will pick and choose depending on what they want to work on, so it's really up to you at that point.