One of the most common tactical issues that hinder effective performance is the line we steer and how it affects our control. Having spent many years watching skiers perform on a variety of slopes it is not unfair to say that the vast majority could dramatically increase their performance just by changing the shape of their turn.
The first step is to change the ‘mind set’. I am sure all the skiers I have watched are doing what they want to do! The jagged, rushed turns being a result of not wanting to point down the hill (fall-line) and therefore gain too much speed, or, pushing their heels out as they may, incorrectly, have been told. The effects on their performance are many. The sharpness of the turn makes it harder to balance, the skis do not interact with the terrain and snow surface efficiently, either braking away if the texture is harder, or tripping the skier up if it is a little deeper, and speed control becomes fragile. None of these factors create problems when the skier is in their comfort zone, when the gradient is not too steep, when the terrain is not too challenging and when the snow is complimentary. However, once the going gets tougher and the snow get firmer or deeper, the terrain gets bumpy or the gradient gets steeper, their performance breaks down.
... see "Shaping Your Turns" for more |
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