ÿWPCc  UJŽ 0ZØ 0ª2 CÜ"ö" B: WÍÌÍÌðHád‹2Times New Roman Regular0 4.NormalÔ€ôôÔÔ€ôôÔ<77 4:Default ParaÔ€XÔÔ€XXÔÔ  ÔÔ€XÔÔ€XXÔÔ  Ô÷ÿÿÿÿdÿÿÿd Ò 8 ÒÒ 8 Ò Ò 8 ÒÒ 8 Ò d eÑ-€@ €ÿÿÿdÿÿÿd-ÑÑ H ÑÑ H ÑÒ ° ÒÒ ° ÒÑ  ÑÓ>4` ¸ hÀpÈ xÐ (#€%Ø'0*>ÓÖ€ÖÖ€ÖÖ€ÖÖ€ÖÑ€ BÑÓ  ÓÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€LLÔò òÔ ÿ ÔCROSSCUT€€SAWINGó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÔ  ÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔò òBy€Michael€SlingerlandÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  Óó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼Ôò òÔ € ÔIntroductionÔ€XXÔÌÓ ¤ ÓÓ ¤ ÓÓ  ÓÔ€,,Ôó óÔ  Ô€Ô€ÈÈÔÌÓ  ÓÓ ð ÓÓ ð ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔThe€following€information€was€formulated€for€the€raw€novice€to€be€used€under€the€guidance€of€an€experienced€competitor/coach.€It€may€also€be€useful€for€improving€the€technique€of€many€established€competitors.ÌÓ ð ÓÓ ð ÓÓ  ÓÔ€,,ÔÌÓ ð ÓÓ ð ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔThe€correct€way€to€learn€to€crosscut€saw,€is€under€the€guidance€of€a€capable€sawyer€as€coach.€€It€is€pointless€and€dangerous€to€attempt€to€"saw€a€log"€much€less€enter€into€competition,€until€you€are€reasonably€competent€in€the€basic€skill€of€using€a€saw.€€Newcomers€should€not€be€encouraged€to€compete€professionally€until€they€are€capable€of€sawing€safely€and€properly.ÌÓ  ÓÓ ð ÓÓ ð ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ôôÔÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼Ôò òÔ € ÔI.€€Standards€for€standingÔ€XXÔó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÔ  ÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔThe€proper€position€for€crosscut€sawing€is€not€a€comfortable€one€for€most€people.€Hundreds€of€hours€of€practice,€trial€and€error,€and€consultation€with€a€biomechanicist€has€however€yielded€the€following€results€as€optimal€for€a€combination€of€speed,€power€and€technique:ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔò òÔ € ÔA.)€ó ó€ò òDistance€from€near€edge€of€block€to€ball€of€forward€foot:€ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  Óó óÔ  Ô8"-12"€depending€on€saw€length.€€In€small€wood€the€saw€should€be€5'€to€5'4"€and€the€distance€from€the€block€should€be€8".€€If€a€longer€saw€must€be€used€the€sawyer€may€move€back€to€10€or€12€inches€so€that€he€can€pull€the€full€saw€without€having€to€pull€it€past€his€rear€shoulder.ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔò òÔ € ÔB.)€€Distance€from€ball€of€front€foot€to€midline€of€back€foot:ó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ  Ô56€to€72€inches€depending€on€the€height€of€the€sawyer.€€At€5'€8"€spread€should€be€58".€€At€6'€spread€should€be€61".€€At€6'€4"€+€spread€should€be€63€to€72€inches.€€It€is€especially€important€to€spread€out€when€cutting€close€to€the€ground.€€One€well-known€competitor€at€6'€5"€spreads€72"€between€his€feet.ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔò òÔ € ÔC.)€€Angle€of€Stance€ó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ  ÔSawyer€should€be€turned€slightly€toward€block€with€rear€foot€(toes)€almost€even€with€line€of€cut€and€front€foot€(toes)€about€6€inches€outside€of€line€of€cut.€When€set€up€properly€sawyer€should€be€able€to€pull€a€full€saw€and€still€be€able€to€place€fist€of€rear€hand€against€side€of€block.€€Dominant€hand€should€be€farthest€from€block€and€should€grip€the€handle€at€or€below€the€"T"€with€the€other€hand€just€above€itÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ôôÔÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼Ôò òÔ € ÔII.€€Pulling€your€shareÔ€XXÔó óÌÓ ° ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€,,ÔÔ  ÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔWhen€pulling€the€crosscut€saw€it€is€important€to€pull€the€full€saw€in€a€straight€line€from€the€block€to€your€rear€shoulder€keeping€it€as€level€as€possible.€€You€should€never€pull€the€saw€to€your€waist€or€past€your€body.€It€is€important€to€let€your€partner€control€how€much€wood€is€cut€during€your€pullrather€than€trying€to€cut€a€lot€of€wood€by€pulling€the€saw€down.€€Pulling€down€at€extreme€angles€only€makes€it€difficult€or€impossible€for€your€partner€to€pull€the€saw€back.ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼Ôò òÔ € ÔIII.€€Pushing€your€share€tooÔ€XXÔó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ  ÔContrary€to€popular€belief,€the€most€important€aspect€of€two-man€sawing€is€not€pulling€the€saw€but€rather€pushing€it.€€Properly€pushing€the€saw€to€your€partner€or€"tailing"€the€saw€allows€you€to€make€the€saw€work€at€it's€peak€potential€throughout€the€cut.€ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔThe€first€part€of€tailing€the€saw€sounds€easier€than€it€actually€is.€€You€simply€hold€the€saw€at€the€same€elevation€as€when€you€finished€your€pull.€€It€is€important€that€you€do€not€begin€pushing€back€until€the€saw€is€in€front€of€you€and€your€shoulders€are€turned€toward€the€block.€€Pushing€too€early€generally€causes€the€saw€to€lift€out€of€the€wood€on€your€side€of€the€block.€€€€ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔOnce€the€saw€is€in€front€of€you,€push€back€in€a€perfectly€straight€line.€€The€push€is€primarily€with€your€bottom€hand€and€is€at€the€same€speed€as€your€partner€is€pulling.€€You€should€apply€downward€pressure,€during€the€pushing€motion,€at€an€angle€of€5-15€degrees.€€Ô€ôôÔÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼Ôò òÔ € ÔIV.€€Getting€a€leg€up€on€the€competitionÔ€XXÔó óÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ  ÔWhen€sawing€you€want€the€saw€to€be€taking€out€the€maximum€amount€of€wood€100%€of€the€time.€€This€goal€can€be€met€by€keeping€the€saw€level€and€there€by€keeping€as€many€of€the€teeth€in€the€wood€as€possible.€€The€principle€way€this€is€accomplished€is€by€properly€using€your€legs€throughout€the€sawing€motion.ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔThe€first€thing€to€recognize€is€that,€as€your€legs€straighten€your€center€of€gravity€rises€and€as€they€bend€it€lowers.€€To€keep€your€center€of€gravity€(and€therefore€the€saw)€moving€forward€and€back,€without€moving€up€and€down,€your€legs€must€work€together.€€When€the€saw€is€all€of€the€way€into€the€block€your€front€knee€is€bent€to€almost€90€degrees€while€your€back€leg€is€straight€(180€degrees).€€When€the€saw€is€all€of€the€way€back€your€front€leg€is€straight€(180€degrees)€while€your€back€leg€is€bent€to€near€90€degrees.€€The€transition€between€these€positions€must€be€as€smooth€as€possible.€For€each€degree€of€straightening€in€one€leg€there€must€be€an€equal€bending€of€the€other.ò òÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ôôÔÌÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼¼ÔÔ € ÔV.€€It€takes€twoÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔó óÔ  ÔTwo-man€sawing€is€a€true€team€event.€€It€requires€an€almost€intuitive€sense€of€what€is€happening€to€the€saw€and€your€partner€throughout€the€cut,€to€yield€championship€results.€€If€you€feel€that€your€partner€isn't€giving€you€enough€pressure€during€a€cut€it€often€means€that€you€are€giving€him€too€much€pressure.€€If€the€saw€is€pulling€hard€coming€to€you,€it€may€be€going€to€easily€toward€him.ÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€ÈÈÔÌÓ X ÓÓ  ÓÓ  ÓÔ€XXÔOne€of€the€most€important€parts€of€developing€sawing€teamwork€is€timing.€Good€timing€is€developed€through€training€and€practice€as€well€as€a€conscious,€mutual€decision€as€to€how€you€will€make€a€given€cut.€€The€biggest€obstacle€to€good€timing€is€a€hesitation€in€the€stroke.€Many€otherwise€good€sawyers€have€a€hesitation€between€the€end€of€their€push€and€when€they€begin€to€pull.€€I€believe€this€is€caused€by€two€factors,€one€physiological€and€the€other€psychological.€€Firstly€a€hesitation€can€be€caused€if€the€sawyer€allows€his€arms€to€become€completely€straightened€when€all€the€way€into€the€block.€€To€avoid€this,€the€arms€should€always€be€bent€at€least€a€few€degrees.€€Secondly,€it€is€important€to€think€of€the€crosscut€cycle,€both€push€and€pull,€as€one€continuousmotion€rather€than€as€two€distinct€movements.