Linking Turns - Part 2

From Linking Turns – Part 1, the skis should be free to carry the feet across and under the upper body during the transition from one turn to the next. Even with perfect balance (which may well be less than perfect!) there are two common contributors to poor flow between turns:
   1) inability to roll the skis without pivoting them, and
   2) poor pressure management while exiting the turn.

Rolling the skis without pivoting them. From the exit of one turn to the entry to the next, the skis need to roll from the edge angle that suited the previous turn to the (near) opposite edge angle that will suit the new turn. The ability to roll the skis without disturbing the direction they point in is a learned skill. The next time you are on skis, give yourself a small test. Lift a ski about six inches off the snow, then try to roll it edge to edge while keeping it pointed straight ahead. If the tip swings right and left when you try this, it means you have yet to master the skill of rolling the skis without pivoting them. Not on skis? Try the same in your sock feet, right now, by pointing your raised knee left and right while keeping your foot pointed straight ahead. 

Poor pressure management. During a turn we are balanced mainly on the outside ski, and hence the outside foot, with the ski and foot somewhat out to the side of the upper body due to forces that coincide with the turn. During exit from the turn the skis move the feet from out to the side of the upper body to under the upper body. This sideways shift can cause a boost in pressure, notable at higher speeds and in sharper turns, that works to push our upper body up and away from the snow. Worst case, our skis leave the snow and aren’t set to flow smoothly into the next turn. The skill to be mastered is the ability to absorb this upward-acting pressure boost by just the right amount and with just the right timing so by mid transition the skis are sliding lightly along the snow, enroute to the new turn. Absorbing the boost in pressure calls for shortening the distance between our feet and upper body so the pressure we feel just before exit from the turn reduces smoothly to near zero by mid transition. Shortening the distance between the feet and upper body allows the skis to readily move our feet across and under our upper body, which helps smooth our flow from turn to turn.

The figure below illustrates the effect of not shortening the distance between the feet and upper body, versus doing so, from one turn to the next. The yellow arrow depicts the feet-to-upper-body distance at mid turn and the red arrow the likely path the upper body will take if the feet-to-upper-body distance is held unchanged while exiting the turn. The green arrow shows the likely path of the upper body when pressure is managed by shortening the feet-to-upper-body distance while exiting the turn. Note the lesser amount of upward loft that occurs to the upper body, making it easier to keep the skis in contact with the snow through the transition and into the new turn.

This and the previous article on linking turns identify considerations that relate to smooth linking of turns. This subject is discussed in greater depth in both How I Ski and Ski Well Simply.

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