Is it necessary to pull your reserve handle to "build muscle memory"?

[ridestrong 1]

RSLs, MARDs, often beat jumpers to their reserve handle... If you already find yourself under a reserve, do you feel still pulling the reserve handle will 'build muscle memory'?

Is it necessary to pull your reserve handle to "build muscle memory"?

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[Amazon 7]

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While I think we would all agree that pulling your reserve handle after your cutaway handle is good practice (in order to not rely on RSLs etc...). Do you believe it's necessary in order to actually 'build muscle memory', needed to prepare you for future cutaways?

I TOUCH my reserve handle at least a couple times on every plane ride up... I go thru the whole sequence of a cutaway touching my hackey....Looking at my cutaway pillow then looking at my reserve D-ring then a fake pull on my cutaway pillow while still looking at the D ring and then a fake pull of the metal d-ring... thinking about each step while doing so.

When time for the repack...... I also go thru the whole thing.... and actually pull the handles in sequence.....


then you will KNOW how it feels when you are not pumping adrenaline.... which makes the whole thing a hell of a lot easier

[Beachbum 0]

"necessary"?? ... no ... nobody is going to make you practice

a damned good idea?? ... you betcha!!

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[Hvance 0]

+1 to Amazon's whole post

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

[airtwardo 7]

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[ridestrong 1]

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What are you laughing at.... I don't like your new profile pic. It's weirding me out.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[Halfpastniner 0]

How about its important to pull your reserve handle after a cutaway to deploy your reserve parachute.

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----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Obviously

BASE 1384

[apt3studiodiver 0]

I dunno, I'd imagine it would be good practice. I've pulled my reserve on every repack as if I was dealing with a malfunction, even as far as having my rigger push me about semi-violently while trying to perform my EP's. And so far the one time I've had to use my reserve my EP's came off clean and saved my life, but, does that mean I was only mentally prepared or only using muscle memory, or both.... hard to say. Probably a combination of both in regard to the ratio of my experience I.E. I've imagined my EP's way more times than I've actually fully performed my EP's to totality.

The walk-through of our EP's we all imagine on our way up to altitude is mainly for mental attenuation. But true muscle memory is only built up by actually doing something repeatedly using those precise muscles. So sure just by thinking through it, visualizing each step, you'll be training your mind. So I'd imagine it wouldn't hurt to have the physical part practiced at every chance you get, via repack time. Every good ninja knows you must train both your body and your mind.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a ninja.

www.apt3studios.com
www.musicpromotiononline.com
www.internetcafegaming.com
D.S. # 4321

[ridestrong 1]

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How about its important to pull your reserve handle after a cutaway to deploy your reserve parachute.

Maybe you should reread the the poll description, or the thread title for that matter.

... but I guess I will edit it to add that, it's implied that an RSL has already deployed the reserve.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[ridestrong 1]

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DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a ninja.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[SStewart 13]

Why it is implied that an RSL has already deployed your reserve?

If you release your main then you have to immediately pull your reserve!

This poll is another classic example of the ongoing pussification of this sport.

OMG!

Onward and Upward!

[loumeinhart 0]

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it's implied that an RSL has already deployed the reserve.

Sure wish I had an RSL that deployed my reserve! My old RSL just pulled a pin through a closing loop., guess I got ripped off

[ridestrong 1]

The question IS NOT should you pull your reserve handle... yes you should.

The question is asking (in other words): Do you believe you build muscle memory from an 'actual' reserve pull, when for the average fun jumper it only occurs on avg once every 500 - 1000 jumps (or maybe once every 2 years). *Not sure on the ratio but though I'd seen those numbers thrown around.

I feel that telling students and new jumpers that even if your reserve deploys your reserve, before you can pull the reserve handle it should still be done to create muscle memory.

While I think it is a good teaching method to get jumpers to think about pulling the reserve handle routinely after a cutaway, I'm not so sure it actually 'builds muscle memory', better preparing you for a possible future cutaway.

I agree with Amazon's post (post #2) 100% and do the exact same thing. I think practicing EP's, touching your handles in order, is important for building muscle memory.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[SStewart 13]

It sounds like you have answered your own question.

Onward and Upward!

[D22369 0]

... but I guess I will edit it to add that, it's implied that an RSL has already deployed the reserve. ***

terrible assumption....

we were in a the trail plane on a state record attempt and a guy on the other bench across from me on every jump his rsl was disconnected and just hanging open, his response when I pointed it out each time was "this damn thing does it everytime I pack... he didnt seem to appreciate my observation that he should replace it or just stow it away rather than use a defective piece of equipment.

they can fail for many reasons.

practice practice practice and pull for yourself.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[billvon 3,008]

>Do you believe it's necessary in order to actually 'build muscle memory',
>needed to prepare you for future cutaways?

Are you asking "is it necessary to actually pull the reserve handle during a cutaway even if you think the RSL/AAD will work?" Easy - yes.

Are you asking "should you pull the reserve handle at OTHER TIMES (i.e. repacks or intentional cutaways) to practice the reserve pull" then the answer is also yes. Many people have never pulled their reserve handles during a jump.

[Rugby82 0]

Maybe the answer is more simple when you ask the question the other way around "Why shouldn't you pull your reserve handle, even when having an RSL?"

I studied Psychology and know that people in high stress situations tend to forget even the easiest things. It's good to practice the reserve procedure at least once on every day you go skydiving or every time you plan to make a jump. Better well prepared than making a mistake when you can't afford making a mistake.

Jumping with an RSL which is, like a cypress, a backup device isn't a guarantee that it will pull your reserve-pin.

Jumping with someone else's rig which hasn't got an RSL and having a high speed mal (high stress situation) can lead you to forget to pull your reserve handle and give you a cypress activation in the worst case scenario.

Even when we don't really pull our reserve handle during practice it still helps building muscle memory. When you need a reserve ride you don't wanna think about what to do, you just want to do the right thing as quick as possible. Having to think about it for 2 seconds will cost you another 500 ft.

Blue skies!

[pinkfairy 0]

Hey! Aren't you the "barrel roll" guy?

I had a PC hesitation on my RSL deployed reserve. No worries, because I was so high, but there would have been less chance of that happening if I had gone in and pulled that handle, as it gets rid of the burble by putting me in a less than perfect belly to earth position.

And why NOT pull the handle?

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[Andy9o8 2]

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if I had gone in and pulled that handle,

something about that phrase is just wrong

[brucet7 0]

If you are waiting for a reserve ride to build muscle memory you are too late. That is build by the routine on the way to altitude and at repack time. When you need it you are relying on muscle memory not building it.

Both parts of your question are true, but not dependent on each other. Yes pull the handle. Yes building muscle memory. The second does not result from the first, however.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[ridestrong 1]

It's about whether or not you believe there is a physiologic response that builds muscle memory...

Not about following through with EPs, which I'm sure we all agree is good practice and should always be performed.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[jimmytavino 16]

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Why it is implied that an RSL has already deployed your reserve?

If you release your main then you have to immediately pull your reserve!

This poll is another classic example of the ongoing pussification of this sport.

OMG!

exactly.....

used to be a time,, when there were NO AADs for mains,, and NO RSLs and certainly NO skyhooks.... ( " not that there's anything Wrong with them..." )
but Hell.. this entire sport was founded on PULLING Ripcords.....
not throwing pilot chutes
not "waiting for an AAD"
not simply Pulling the "oh Shit" padded handle.. and waiting til the reserve deploys.. ( YIKES)

YES pull your reserve handle !!
especially in your riggers presence @ repack time, and IF possible while your large rings are hooked up to a suspended harness,,,( with back ups. to "catch " you when the rings let go)... so you can ACTUALLY realize,, where your handles will be.... AND so you can feel just how much resistance there IS on your reserve ripcord pin/ closing loop set up....
i'm not sure how much "muscle memory" factors in,,,, (that's another term,, which has become "fashionable" only in the last decade or so ) .. But Knowing what to expect is always helpful
imho
jmy
A 3914
D 12122

[wmw999 2,461]

Is the question you're asking:
If, after cutting away and going to my reserve, I found that my reserve had deployed before I made it to the handle, should I keep going to the handle?

The safest answer is to say that it's the only way to reinforce in your mind that getting that handle out is the most important thing for the rest of your life at that particular time.

If your shoulder hurt, if you found that it wasn't where you expected, if the RSL had come unhooked, or any one of a lot of other fairly low-probability but possible situations, you still should be going for your reserve. And the best way to confirm that is to keep working at it doggedly until you pull that handle, even if the RSL already did.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[kuai43 7]

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used to be a time,, when there were NO AADs for mains,,

You've got one of these?

Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man. - Anthony Burgess

[hallux 0]

all these responses and not a single person has addressed the question. everyone is too busy trying to show off, jumping to conclusions and enforcing generic general knowledge.
the question is if your reserve is already out, then whats the point of pulling the handle and how does that relate to muscle memory.
anyone who jumps tandems with a skyhook for any amount of time has probably eperienced this scenario. spinning mal, cutaway, by the time you feel "stable" and you are about to pull you get stood up by the reserve. Now whats the point of pulling of the handle? That is the question he is asking.
Quit frankly its useless! It will do nothing and will not effect your muscle memory at all. More than likely your hand was already on the handle and your muscle memory response has already taken place. At this point you are now acting on cognitive decision making and not muscle memory. If you are aware your reserve is out and you decide to go ahead and pull the handle for the hell of it then that is not muscle memory! or a huge part of muscle memory building. That is a calm calculated decision and will do nothing but give you one more handle to keep up with while you fly your reserve.
Always go for the handle but if you get beat by the skyhook then accept your defeat and leave your handle stowed. Bill boothe wins again bitch.