Back tracking......flatter glide than belly due to human body construction?

[WrongWay 0]

There are certain ways that joints will bend in the human body, certain ways they will not bend, and there is only a certain amount of pressure a certain persons legs/torso can handle before giving out.

That being said, imagine the differences in body positioning when doing a belly track or a back track.

When tracking on your belly, most would agree that there is a need to dearch to have the most flat glide ratio. In doing so, the wind will be pushing not only on your torso that wants to naturally arch, but on the top of your thighs and your shins. All of these areas of the body are connected to joints that naturally bend in the direction the wind is hitting you, making it more stressful and difficult for your muscles to push that position or hold it for an extended period of time.

When tracking on your back, however, the wind is hitting the backs of your thighs and your calves. The way it is pushing your legs at these areas, it does not cause a tendency in these joints to bend, therefore not only making it easier to hold the position, but in theory, gives you more power and greater ease to arch (or dearch, whatever you'd like to call it, cupping air under your back).

Therefore, wouldn't back tracking actually be more efficient for a flatter glide ratio than belly tracking??

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[Brains 2]

Your theory sounds sound All i know is Brandon flat out left my ass on Sunday with one of the flattest back tracks i have ever seen. It does seem that a good back track is flatter than a belly track.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[wzettler 0]

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All of these areas of the body are connected to joints that naturally bend in the direction the wind is hitting you, making it more stressful and difficult for your muscles to push that position or hold it for an extended period of time.

Except for the hips, right?

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When tracking on your back, however, the wind is hitting the backs of your thighs and your calves. The way it is pushing your legs at these areas, it does not cause a tendency in these joints to bend

I'm thinking about the hips here too. When I try (edited to add emphasis) to (flat) back-track, my hips tend to want to bend and its more stable when they do.
I think back tracking is something that takes alot of practice to balance to where it can be as effective as a belly track. Plus, on most every skydive there is much more belly tracking than back tracking going on so its practiced and perfected more for each jumper. Anyway, I guess thats not really on the subject so I'll shut up now....Just my 0.02...

I think when Jesus said "love your enemy" he probably meant don't kill them.

[lili 0]

I think you are right, I have been working on my tracking for a while and backtracking certainly looks a more natural position, but I find it much harder. I certainly need a lot more practice at it before I get any good at it

Lili

[jmfreefly 0]

Yeah, I haven't thought too much about why, but I have found that I can out-track on my back (in terms of both horiz and vert speed). Just arching and looking for the horizon behind you is superfast.

On the last tracking dive I led, two others with Pantz were with me up until I punched it right before breakoff. Maybe they could have continued to keep up, but.. Everyone else wasn't even close at that point.

Last time I thought about this stuff, I was trying to figure out how the rig played into the mix.

Or maybe our dz just has crappy belly trackers.. but I know my sweetie bkdice can track like a madwoman. Now to just get her to backtrack like a madwoman.

j

[Kennedy 0]

Your theory does sound good, but doesn't it leave out three things?

(A) Doesn't the rig interfere with the smooth curve on the groundside (in backtracking)?

(B) Don't the hip bend forward a lot better than back?

(C) Don't the best fliers in the world (who can do both tracks better than any of us) always track on their bellies when competing in tracking races?

I agree that finding the sweet spot on your back feels easier for freefliers, but I'd think the rig creates more negative than the "easy" body position.

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[hookitt 1]

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(C) Don't the best fliers in the world (who can do both tracks better than any of us) always track on their bellies when competing in tracking races?

No ... just the ones that win.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[WrongWay 0]

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No ... just the ones that win.

So am I wrong in my assumptions then? I was hoping someone really experienced like yourself would comment so I'd know whether I was right or if my theory was completely out of line.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[hookitt 1]

Your theory is fantastic! I just haven't seen really good back trackers out track really good belly trackers. Give it while and your theory may prove to be true. I still think that belly tracking is faster if 2 people of similar build are attempting to out track the other.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[mgattini 0]

Do you know what crab traking is? That is the fastest traking the I have seen, and I do lead a lot of traking dives.

[lili 0]

I for one don't know what crab tracking is, could you describe it or post a photo/vid.

Thank you,

Lili

[WrongWay 0]

Never heard of "crab tracking". Could you attach a pic or at least describe to us what this is?

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[Brains 2]

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Never heard of "crab tracking". Could you attach a pic or at least describe to us what this is?

Is that what Steve Curtis was doing over the top of Omar on those large tracking dives we did in Eloy?? Freeflydrew has a vid posted here that shows that.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[freeflydrew 0]

it's when your knees are bent and your body is pitched at a steeper angle but your maintaining your flight with the track group... it's a gret way to fly a little bit above and in front of a track jump and video below and behind you! I'll look for a picture...

The above shot is a mild example of this body position... you can go much steeper with your body than this... The second shot as an example of the angle of video, with the knees visible...

[WrongWay 0]

NICE!!

What the hell makes that position so efficient anyway?

(Besides the dude flying it. )

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[freeflydrew 0]

Think wing, broh' wing

[WrongWay 0]

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Think wing, broh' wing

Um......huh???

Edited to add: Oh, no shit.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[Zenister 0]

Crab tracking also a really good way to slow down without giving up an efficientshape...

it think one reason why back tracking seems more efficientis its easier to accelerate on your back..it seems to take more time to pick up speed if i'm transitioning from a 'flocking track' to a full speed track on my belly vs my back...

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[cocheese 0]

If you make your body in the airfoil shape of a wing, it would seem to be more efficient. The rig helps do this in the belly to earth position. Rolling the shoulders , suckin in the gut and bending the body slightly de-arched.

[lili 0]

ah, thats what crab tracking is, I've been trying that for a few weeks now, is very effective if you are a bit floaty light compared to the rest of the tracking dive in getting down to it. Thanks for the pics.

Did some wicked tracking jumps this weekend with my team mate (excellent backtracker .

Lili