Hey Hix25, thanks for the post and inquiry! It's always interesting to hear the techniques of former champions and what they teach. Troy was obviously a very fast rider and was able to win championships and is no doubt still fast today. At YCRS we focus on what the "current" best riders in the world are doing. Rossi, Lorenzo, Dovi, etc. So some of what Troy is talking about aligns with what these guys are doing...but some of it doesn't. These guys have had to take the techniques that Corser was competitive with and adjust them to win or just become more competitive. Look at Rossi, he had to totally rethink his approach to riding when Marquez came on the scene just to become competitive again.
So what is different...first, foot position. Most of what he is saying about foot position falls in line with what we are currently seeing in MotoGP. Outside foot on the heel for easier shifting and braking. Inside foot on ball of foot and hip open. Keep in mind though when he talks about his inside foot placement, the WSBK and GP guys need to tuck it in more for clearance than anything. The further we can get that weight transferred to the end of the peg the easier it will be to support that load away from the bike's center of gravity. Something to add, he talks about being more flat footed or using the heel to transition weight. The problem with that is agility. Think of any world class athlete (regardless of the sport) and where they support their weight. On the balls of their foot! This enables them to transition weight better, and smoother, from side to side. Yes, we are engaging our lower leg muscles like he said which are smaller muscle groups, but we are not using JUST those muscles. We are engaging ALL of the muscle groups in our legs. Again, remember that we want to be efficient with our movements (like he said) but not at the cost of agility. Be smooth and deliberate with where you put your feet so that you minimize movements, but get them planted and ready to transfer weight early in the process.
Corner entry...he talks about not being back off the tank. This is very opposite of what we discuss at YCRS. Again, look at what current GP riders are doing. They are taking tremendous loads into their hands and arms on braking. They are back off the tank as much as possible to open up the inside of the bike to get their weight down. Look at any pics of Corser riding, he is typically twisted up on the tank with his head and shoulders high. This happens when you are too close to the tank. With that weight high like that, your center of gravity is high, so you need to carry more lean angle at a given speed to get through the corner. Also, yes, you are going to take some of the brake forces with your outside leg, but the majority will always be in your palms.
He talks about input into the handlebars. Bottom line here is the more we can lock our lower bodies and engage our core, the easier it will be to take weight off the bars.
So while some of what he covers is certainly valid, the current GP riders have found better ways to get around the track being faster, and more importantly safer. Again, by no means do I want to show any disrespect towards a guy who has won championships and is extremely fast. He obviously spent a lot of time and effort figuring out how to beat his competition. It's just that the current champions are doing things differently now and that's where we focus.
Thanks!
). Take it easy on the diuretics like coffee.
