upper body

[aaron12345]

To give some background about my skiing - I've been skiing for 7ish years, starting to get serious about it last season (12 days) and really serious about it this season with 16 days so far... going for 30 (teaching adaptive had made these the 16 cheapest days I've ever skiied). I started truly carving at the begginning of last season. One thing that's really bugging me is my upper body right now. I can do all the slopes on the mountain, most of them forwards and backwards but I just look a tiny bit awkward. My upper body is pretty stationary and facing downhill, but from what my freinds tell me skiing behind me when they've tried to help, when initiating turns I tend to drop my inside shoulder every so slightly which just throws my stance off a bit. I've been really concentrating on this for the last 5ish days, but haven't made much progress and I'd be very grateful for tips.

[Admin]

Get a friend to video you. It works wonders, IMHO. I'll let the instructor-types around here dispense the real advice, but try video anyway.

[riverc0il]

a drill that helped me with this tremendously could be helpful for you as well. start the run with your poles held toghether sideways about shoulder height, both hands on both poles at either end. this puts more of a visual of what your shoulders are doing that you can work with. as you make turns, use the poles to judge if you are dipping one shoulder or not. if your shoulders dip, the poles will dip to that side and it will be fairly obvious compared to the flat horizon. correct as you notice it happening.

[JimG.]

a drill that helped me with this tremendously could be helpful for you as well. start the run with your poles held toghether sideways about shoulder height, both hands on both poles at either end. this puts more of a visual of what your shoulders are doing that you can work with. as you make turns, use the poles to judge if you are dipping one shoulder or not. if your shoulders dip, the poles will dip to that side and it will be fairly obvious compared to the flat horizon. correct as you notice it happening.

Good advice...it may be as simple as just thinking about keeping your hands in a position that matches the slope you're on. In other words, keep your inside hand up higher than your outside or downhill hand. Be aggressive about this, but try not to exaggerate it either.

[aaron12345]

Thanks so much, I will work on both of those things this weekend.

[cj]

a drill that helped me with this tremendously could be helpful for you as well. start the run with your poles held toghether sideways about shoulder height, both hands on both poles at either end. this puts more of a visual of what your shoulders are doing that you can work with. as you make turns, use the poles to judge if you are dipping one shoulder or not. if your shoulders dip, the poles will dip to that side and it will be fairly obvious compared to the flat horizon. correct as you notice it happening.

Good advice...it may be as simple as just thinking about keeping your hands in a position that matches the slope you're on. In other words, keep your inside hand up higher than your outside or downhill hand. Be aggressive about this, but try not to exaggerate it either.

A really good and effective drill. Another good variation of this drill is to lay the poles across the top of your wrists. That way if your hands/shoulders dip from side to side, you will know it right away because your poles will fall on the ground.

As Jim says... you have to really focus... and keep your eyes up... this will keep the upper body more upright.

cj

[JimG.]

As Jim says... you have to really focus... and keep your eyes up... this will keep the upper body more upright.

cj

Another essential point...keeping the head and eyes up. This is one of my weak points that I have to work on the start of every season it seems. If you have trouble keeping your chin up, do what I do...

put your goggles under your chin so you CAN'T look down. It works!

And whatever gets you to do the right things is good.

[cj]

Another essential point...keeping the head and eyes up. This is one of my weak points that I have to work on the start of every season it seems. If you have trouble keeping your chin up, do what I do...

put your goggles under your chin so you CAN'T look down. It works!

And whatever gets you to do the right things is good.[/quote]

Good stuff!

From what I have learned in other sports that deal with speed and forward momentum (performance driving and mountain biking), having your vision up is essential. I know that on the days that I ski well, I have my vision up more. As you mentioned, this is such a difficult thing to do sometimes, but I have heard WC level skiers say that they even have to keep reminding themselves to look farther ahead. Definately something that most of us have to force ourselves to do.

One of the drills that I have been using for this is the picture frame. You might know this one... but for those that have never heard of it... you turn your poles upside down so the points face the sky. Then hole your arms out shoulder width apart, forming 2 vertical lines with your poles. Now pick out a target at the bottom of the run (or as far down as you can see) and hold that object in sight between the poles or "picture frame" that you have created. Then ski to the bottom focusing only on that object and keeping it in the frame. I have found that this drill not only helps the vision a ton, but it also helps you feel the snow as well as keep your body square down the hill and the upper body quiet.

Goggles under the chin is smart... I have never tried it but will. I try and keep my chin above and out of my jacket collar (a trick that a coach taught me)... same type of thing.

cj

[joegm]

marc is right about film...my 2 sick bird friends and i film probably every other day we are out..it's changed the way we ski for sure. occasionally we film some of our much less serious friends and go over it with them.. they light up like trees. the most common comment is " i had no idea i skied like that " usually folwed by " man i really stink " ... a decent cam corder and a high end vcr with a frame by frame ability , is a good investment

[riverc0il]

focus on your shoulders vertical alignment, not just horizontal. squaring up to the fall line is easier if your shoulders are parallel with the slope.

here's a point that i still use consistantly to this day: when making a right turn, make a conscious effort to turn the upper body in the opposite direction from the waist. so when you make a right turn, 'think' upper body turn left. don't over due it, just use it as a mental focus.

i recommend streching before skiing focusing on twisting at the waist. really work on being able to pivot your upper body at the waist and push that stretch as far as it will go, past the 90 degree point as much as possible. it will help on the slope when you go to square up while making a real cranking turn.

[aaron12345]

The eyes really helped. One other thing that may have did it though was I teach adapative skiing, and we had a clinic 3 track clinic saturday morning (one ski, 2 outriggers). After 3 tracking I got on my skis, my freind video-ed, my upper body was much straighter and I was carving way deaper because it really forced me to get my weight over my skis. And because of the balance issue, I had to keep my body straight, otherwise I'd fall.