Re: [tommyh] Sub terminal track technique...
tommyh wrote:
I think that this shows that good tracking (terminal or subterminal) has little to do with emulating some magic body position, but finding the position that works best for you.
From my experience this is the only true advice that can be said about (subterminal) tracking. Find your own style, the style that works for YOU and don't try to copy somebody else. Look at (any) two different jumpers and compare their dimensios; arm, leg, torso length, heavily / lightly built and so on. The center of mass between two individuals can be vastly different. Add up different setups they are using, smoke pants, tracking suit what ever and you will have infinite amount of combinations that each require it's own technique to get the maximum performance out of it. But for me that's one of the beauties in BASE jumping, people can give you ideas and things to try out but ultimately the jumper alone needs to decide what works for him. :)
tommyh wrote:
To get back to your original question, The subterminal technique that works best for me is creating forward motion with the launch, rotating my body forward at just the correct rate so as to go quickly into the optimal angle of attack (for me it is about 30 degrees head below horizontal, if that makes ense) without rotating past the optimal AOA. If I feel like I need to bend my legs after exit, this probably means that I rotated forward to quickly and went head low.
I also agree on that 100%. For me it has always felt that secret of good subterminal track is in the launch. I launch as hard as I can (always run if possible) and try launch flat and out, not up and try not to bend the legs at all. Like the quoted jumper, after the launch I push my head down (chin to chest) and try to rotate my body into the optimal AOA, all the time keeping my body straight and flat. As the quoted jumper said, it takes to learn to do a good launch and transition into track but when you hit it, it's going to be sweet. :)
Markus
HSBC / SBA / FBA
www.basejump.fi / www.basejumper.ch