Bein able to turn more quickly on skis
not only allows you to have more fun, it also increases your safety
since you can react more quickly and avoid any obstacles or crashes. But as intermediate skiers improve,
struggling to turn more quickly is a common difficulty. So if you want to understand
the key posture change which unlocks quicker turns, stick around for a few minutes and this video is going to explain it
as clearly as possible. Also, if you watch until later
in the video, I'm going to explain one of the common mistakes
that so many skiers make. So as a reminder,
the cornerstone of our solid skiing technique is to be balanced
over the downhill ski and to not lean back. Now, if you can manage
both of these things, then it's time to add a key
layer to your skiing. Rotational separation is the key to quick
turns on skis. It might sound like the most geeky term
in the world to describe a sport which is all about having fun. And at first you might feel a bit
like these two little lads. It's important when you're skiing
that you have to blend the range and rate of your lateral
and rotational separation so that it matches
the radius of your turns. Makes sense. Yes. Yeah.
‘’I see Mumba Wun’’ You see number one. Okay. However, don't worry. It's actually pretty simple. When some parts of your body
rotate and others don't. We call this rotational separation in basic parallel turns as you turn
your skis left and right. Your whole body is probably going
to be turning left and right as well. The thing is, moving
your whole body is more work than just moving part of your body. This is why beginner and intermediate
skiers struggle to make quicker turns because they are rotating
their whole body left and right. So if you want to start making quicker
turns, it's easier to do
so If you learn to turn the skis with your legs and to keep your upper body
facing down the hill. Once you realize that you steer the skis
from the bottom up, you realize that quicker
turning isn't necessarily harder work. So here is a step by step exercise
you can try out, which will help develop your ability
to turn with the legs. First, stand still with your skis
across the slope and twist at the waist so your upper body faces down the hill. You'll notice this is easier
if you split your skis slightly and have the upper ski further across. So you can also face your hips
down the hill. But don't get confused by thinking about
too much at once. Just try facing your upper body
down the hill whilst your skis are across. Next,
have a go at sides slipping down the hill whilst you skis are facing across. Then you can have a go at adding
in some turns and alternating side slips left and right. Once your upper body
is facing down the hill, then you can try and do some pivot slips. This is when you more or less travel
straight down the fall line whilst alternating
side slips in different directions. This is actually a pretty advanced drill,
so don't worry if you struggle with it, then bring it back
to some more normal turns. But try and make them fairly short turns and keep your upper body
facing down the hill as you build confidence. Try to make your turns shorter. You can think about the zipper
in the center of your jacket, pointing at a distant object
at the bottom of the slope. Be aware that shorter turns that should
not result in you gradually speeding up. Be sure to complete your turns
so you can maintain a consistent speed. And by the way, it's
a common misconception that you should always face
your upper body down the hill. Facing your upper body down the hill is only an advantage
if you wish to make shorter turns. If you're making larger turns
than being in a twisted position becomes a disadvantage
because it is weaker. So good skiing is about adapting
the amount of rotational separation to the type of turn you wish to perform. In other words, say that one more time? ‘’Well, I didn't understand anything and
I forgot what you said’’ Make sure that you blend the range and rate of your lateral
and your rotational separation so that it matches
the radius of your turns. Huh. Uh huh, yeah. Or in more normal language... for quick turns, face your upper body
down the hill for big turns. Face your upper body where you're going. As skiers get better at rotational separation expert skiers can even turn the skis
with just the shins and feet. So I quite like to explain this while
I'm sat at a chair lift. I can sit facing straight ahead, my upper
body, my hips, all facing straight ahead. I'm not even moving my my femurs, my legs. I'm just from a bent knee joint. I can still turn my feet about 45 degrees
left and right, just from the knee joint downwards. So our beloved knee joints, they're a lot
more complicated than a simple hinge. They can also get quite a lot of rotation. And if you can master
the art of turning your skis from the bottom upwards
and not using your upper body, then unlocks the ability to turn your skis
a lot more quickly. But anyway, you don't need to refine
your skills to that point just yet. You just need to start
building the ability to turn your skis without turning your whole body left
and right like this and hauling your upper body around the corners
as well. It's more about keeping your upper body
facing down the hill, learning how to turn just
with your legs underneath you. That will unlock the ability
to turn more quickly. So have a go at making quicker
turns by steering with your legs. Develop your ability
to turn with rotational separation between your upper and lower body. In time,
this will unlock your ability to turn more quickly
and have more agility on skis. Good luck and have fun.
