| Excellent
skiing performance is based, not so much on ‘doing a
turn correctly’ but on having accurate, well trained
balance and movements which you can apply creatively, to resolve
the challenges of each turn.
This allows you to perform each turn by feel
and to create a unique solution to the challenges presented
at each moment.
Great skiers literally have the freedom to
make it up as they go along and they earn that freedom by
developing accuracy and skill with the elements of skiing.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Click
here to find the new way to make long-term money online in
your spare time
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here we are mainly focusing on the ‘Body
Management’ issues that affect the way you balance and
steer.
Good luck with your development. We all hope
that you continue to enjoy your skiing.
The BASS team of ski teachers
The Elements of Skiing
Posture and Balance
Centered balance
An effective stance is the basis of posture,
movement and agility
It’s called Basic stance (as in fundamental
) or open stance, as feet and legs are apart.
An important aspect of this stance is centered
balancing. The balance point is on or very near the index
mark molded on your skiboot, which lines up very closely with
the index mark on your ski. It’s somewhere under the
middle of the arch of your foot.
Maintaining this centered balance, no matter
what else is going on, is an important skill, as it allows
you to steer the ski efficiently and maximize your opportunities
for agility.
Effective posture and accurate, sensitive
balancing allow you to move more accurately. This is the basis
of all good skiing performance.
Stretching and bending movements
Here are the main ways you can improve these
and enjoy even more effective skiing as a result:
1 Maintain your centered posture, balancing
on the middle of your feet.
2 Train the stretching and bending movements
so that you can crouch as low as possible AND stretch as tall
as possible AND move smoothly from one extreme to the other,
WITHOUT, MOVING YOUR BALANCE FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS from the
ideal central balance.
3 This will involve using the stretching and
bending movements in your ankles and knees AND coordinating
the movements so that you remain centrally balanced. ( Hips
are also involved but can usually take care of themselves
if we get the other joints working well)
4 You can try this standing still:
Start by finding the good basic stance you
learned about on the training day,
then move smoothly down into a tuck ( just
like the downhill racers),
then rise smoothly to a very tall posture,
and settle back into your basic stance.
All without tipping backwards or forwards.
Doing this on a balance board can really help
you to develop sensitivity and accuracy.
Once all this has been accomplished, you need
to apply it when skiing.
There are many reasons to stretch ( eg to
apply pressure) and there are many reasons to bend ( eg to
absorb pressure).
The great thing is to have a full, effective
range of movement that can be applied smoothly ( sometimes
quickly, sometimes slowly) without causing you to lose the
balance point “sweet spot” on your feet and skis.
Rotational movements
A very important set of movements to develop
and discipline is the rotational, or twisting movement patterns.
They can be used to help the skis skid or
carve, and by freeing up the way the body behaves under load,
can enhance agility, quickness from turn to turn and edge
changing.
The movement pattern to work on for the time
being is the one which allows the skis to change direction
under your body.
This allows you to perform short radius turns
without your upper body being disturbed, and it also allows
subtle control on medium and long radius turns.
Here`s how to identify the movement.
Stand in the basic stance you learned about
on the training day and gently twist one foot so that the
toes turn in and the heel turns out.
In shoes, this is easiest using the heel or
ball of the foot as a pivot point, like stubbing out a cigarette
- apparently,
but on skis the pivot point should be the
balance point “sweet spot” under the centre of
your foot .
Obviously, a parallel turn involves both feet
turning in the same direction at the same rate, by the same
amount. (Easier to feel than explain!)
Once you get the hang of it you can work on
being able to pivot at different rates ( ie from quickly to
slowly, and by different amounts (range of movement), allowing
you to make turns of every shape and size.
Lateral movements
Here are some suggestions for improving your
lateral movements and to help you develop even more effective
skiing:
1 Let`s make sure that you are using the simplest,
safest and most effective movement to edge your skis.
To tilt your skis onto their edges, you need
to tilt your feet.
To do this , you need to tilt your legs, or
create “leg lean”. This is where things can go
a bit complex unless we know how to choose the simplest, safest
and most effective movement.
Of the many possibilities available, I suggest
that moving your hip to the centre of the turn will achieve
three important things
a) leg lean and edging
b) safe alignment of your legs so that they
can take the forces of the curve without causing injury to
your knees
c) maintain your balance and agility
2 It`s important to tilt smoothly and progressively,
for reasons of safety and effectiveness, so make sure you`re
not too abrupt.
3 Being able to tilt at different rates (
ie from quickly to slowly, and by different amounts (range
of movement), allows you to make turns of every shape and
size.
4 How far to tilt depends on the turn and
is a much a matter of balance (a bit like a cyclist tilting
his bike as he makes a turn) as it is a matter of getting
grip with your skis.
So tilt until you feel strong, balancing the
forces of the curve. Each curve is different, so doing this
by feel is the only way to get the best performance from you
skis.
Trust your feelings here and you will develop
sensitivity, just like the cyclist who literally tilts his
bike by the seat of his pants.
Learn
How To Ski | Expert
Skiing Demystified| How
do you ski?| How
to Teach your Child Skiing|
Balance|
Improve
your skiing performance|
Have
fun with your summer training for Snowsports |
