Dan used a number of drills to teach me technique at various points of what's been a short skiing career, and we still revisit them all at the beginning of the season. I'd like to share some of my favorites, hopefully to the benefit of other beginner and intermediate skiers. I've solicited Dan's help on putting these together - my first almost guest post!
SideslipsWhat's the point? This drill teaches you how to control your edges and perfect your balance.
Doing it: I've heard this drill called a number of different things, (side slips, etc.), but I like to think of it as doing my part to keep the snow completely flat, packed, and looking perfectly undisturbed, hence the name I've given it. This drill won't work well on powder, but is perfect for groomed east coast slopes! Stand with your skis perpendicular to the slope, and slowly roll over on to your edge. See if you can hit the edge just perfectly to slide down the hill slowly, sideways, leaving a completely flat patch of white in your path.
Poles as a Tray
What's the point? You'll learn to keep your upper body quiet and initiate the turning motion with your lower body. Helpful for skiers who tend to swing their upper body to turn.
Doing it: Grip the ends (not the ends, but a bit wider than shoulder-width) of your poles with your palms facing upward, (facing downward is as effective), and hold them at shoulder height horizontally in front of you. The poles are your "tray." Execute S-turns while keeping the "tray" as level and undisturbed as possible. Ziggyskier.com advises skiers to pretend they're snooty servants providing afternoon tea - no spilling!
Poles as a Viewfinder
What's the point? By learning to keep your chest pointed at the base of the slope and making turns from your hips, you'll have a lot more control and be able to execute cleaner turns more quickly. It's the same principle as the Tray drill above. You basically want your upper body to float down the hill at about the same height from the ground while your legs and hips do all the work.
Doing it: Grip the middle of the poles, one in each hand, and extend your arms. The poles will create a "viewfinder," as if you're pointing a camera at a point to take a photo. Use a specific view of base of the hill as your photo point, and keep it in your viewfinder as you execute turns down the hill. If you move your viewfinder too much, the photo will be blurry, of course. Ziggyskier.com calls this the "Frame" pole exercise. The "picture" in your viewfinder should be an area at the bottom of the run that is on the fall line. I.e.: where you would end up if you just skied straight down (and I don't mean the hospital).
Single Foot Turn
What's the point? Getting your body to feel what it's like to make perfect turns on both edges with both legs. Edge control. You will be forced to make the turn only on the edge of your ski, because if you let it go flat on one foot, you will fall. Beginner skiers tend to keep their skis flat on the snow and slide through turns, which causes them to catch edges and fall quite often. Also helps skiers link their turns together more smoothly.
Doing it: Ski down the run on both skis and when you begin a turn, lift your inside ski (if you turn left, it is your left ski) off the ground and make the turn only on your outside ski. Once the turn is completed, immediately put your foot down, raise the other, and turn the other way. If you have too much trouble balancing, you can let just the tip of your lifted ski drag on the snow. For a much greater challenge, try lifting the outside ski on each turn instead.
UppaDowna (not to be confused with @UpaDowna!)
What's the point? It forces you to focus on initiating turns by putting pressure on the edges of your skis and shifting your weight.
Doing it: Easy... crouch down into a sitting on the toilet position as you ski along and then slowly stand up as you initiate your turn, so you are standing at the apex of the turn. As you begin to come out of the turn, sit back down. You should be constantly moving up or down, not remaining in the standing or sitting positions for more than a second or two.
Post your favorites in the comments section if I've left any out!
Post your favorites in the comments section if I've left any out!