2 Skiing Drills To Help IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE

Whether carving short turns down a steep pitch, skiing moguls, or simply cruising the groomers, the ability to turn the legs independent of the upper body is crucial in great skiing. A drill that exhibits that ability is called the pivot slip. The pivot slip is a series of 180 degree pivots left and right while the skis slip vertically down the fall line. The skis remain parallel with little to no edge engagement. On blue groomed terrain, turn into a gentle side slip, then pivot the skis in the other direction while keeping the hips, torso, and eyes focused down the fall line. Let's go take a closer look at the pivot slip. Here's a quick tip. You can do this drill with or without using your poles, but a slight pole plant can help stop the rotation of the upper body and get the skis easily pointed in the other direction. Here's what it looks like. Great skiers can change the rhythm and timing of their turns at a moment's notice. Try this simple rhythm change to hone your ability to make rapid adjustments when the mountain demands it. It's called short, medium, short. Start with five short turns followed immediately by five medium turns, then back to five short turns. Change the tempo of your movements along with the turn size. Let's go take a look at the rhythm change in action. For the short turns, the tempo is upbeat and quick. For the medium turns, the duration, intensity, and timing of your movements should slow down just a little. Your pole swing should mirror your tempo change. Here's an added challenge. Try to stay in a consistently sized corridor throughout the sequence of turns. Don't allow yourself to wander across the trail. Make each turn symmetrical to the others in the corridor. Five short, five medium, five short in a corridor.