|
This book teaches a simple method that does not use any rotation. I also have the feeling that the author is not really aware that in addition to his technique, a lot of foot work is needed to make this a real success. Some instructors still teach upper-body rotation as a means to initiate turns (imagine a big exercise ball in your arms, now move it from left to right).
Unfortunately the book did not benefit from professional editing advice and so is poorly structured and too long. I guess he himself does use a lot of footwork, perhaps unaware. The writing is amateurish and so are the photos and the layout.
The problem of falls in this sport is mostly caused by people using their upper bodies and torsos for turns. For beginners it may well be the best method out there, if only because it keeps their upper bodies calm and centered over the board. A much more professionally produced book that also stays away from upper-body rotation and involves detailed instruction for footwork is Go Snowboard: Read It, Watch It, Do It (GO SERIES) This is a much more versatile and well documented method.
While these techniques work, they also cause a lot of instabilities and falls. The technique does work, I sometimes use it myself.
If the book lulls you into a false sense of belief that you are ready for steeper trails and you fall, you'll just hurt yourself more. The only decent parts of this book have nothing to do with snowboarding. This is a bad book. He is advocating that students go really slow on the board. His shameless plugging of Burton products and expensive resorts disgusts me. Instead of lying to his readers that his technique will prevent them from falling, he should give tips on how to fall correctly (falling on knees and butt) and protecting oneself (tuck head and arms into body). Balance is also key to minimize falls and Martin does mention this, but any decent instructor will mention it also.
While I agree there might be some bad instructors, there are also many good ones who don't use the "no-fall" technique. The are no instructions that teach students to progress from skating to turning.He designed his technique so that he will get return customers, he even said so himself.
I have no problem with students who want to start slowly, but there are better techniques which teach good habits like the "falling leaf" approach.Snowboarders will fall, this is an inevitability. And there should be more pictures to help readers visualize what he is saying.
It will teach beginners bad habits that will not do them any good if they want to progress. If you aren't falling, you aren't challenging yourself and you won't progress.His instructions on turning are vague and confusing.
They are exercises he gives to keep in shape, balance and breathing, which can be applied to most any physical activity. And anyone can prevent from falling if they go slow enough.
Also, I recommend using protection equipment like padded shorts and helmets.
Oh yes, and if you have a sensitive tailbone throw in a layer of bike shorts or pants with the pad across the seat.Kudos to Mr. These have been truly helpful in speeding my learning (and a little bonus of weight loss from the large-muscle strengthening). Maybe if you're already fit and strong and very coordinated, you can learn to snowboard without falling. Martin, though, for providing useful exercises for strength and balance. Anyone planning to take up snowboarding can benefit from starting out with the exercises here, and continuing them throughout the learning period. A lot. But I wouldn't count on it; wear wrist guards and a helmet and don't ride too fast too soon, and none of the falls will hurt.
I certainly agree reviewers should read the book. What got me linking turns successfully was 5 or 6 private lessons over 3 years and the realization that to turn you must move your weight over your edges. To me, the real strengths of this book are the exercises and the stretches. But for me, as a beginner a few years ago, the book's technique of lifting and lowering shoulders just didn't work to initiate turns.
It's definitely true that SUDDEN shifts in weight can cause falls. Admittedly, those lessons were a lot more expensive than Danny's book, but I really wanted to learn how to snowboard. My guess is that these readers have shifted weight over the correct edge while moving their shoulders as Martin describes. I liked this book except that Martin is waaay too full of himself and waaay too critical of his snowboard instructor colleagues. Perhaps the reason his method produces fewer falls is because the rider's weight moves only gradually (and inadvertently) from edge to edge since he doesn't emphasize or teach this side-to-side movement at all. I've read No-Fall 3 times.
Clearly No-fall has worked for some readers. I learned things I value from this book, but NOT how to turn on a snowboard. I'm still doing at least one of these during every workout. I am not a physicist, but I am a professional scientist and the chapter that relates the author's visit to a physicist in search of an endorsement for his method was, to me, superficial and unconvincing.
This method really works. It's easy to learn and it works.
It's well written. There are great photos throughout to describe every stage of proper no-fall technique.
You can get this book and do it the right way, or pay a "professional snowboard instructor" to watch you fall down the mountain. To those who say that it seems too simplistic-- that's the whole point.
Best of all-- it really is no fall. Just buy the book.
I just wish I'd found it earlier-- it would have saved me a lot of pain.
|
