1. ANKLE FLEXION
Ankle flexion is the first line of shock-absorption in uneven terrain and snow. It also fosters correct stance and is critical for tip pressure at the start of a turn. If the ankles aren’t flexing, high-performance skiing will never happen. Women who might feel anxiety about the terrain, the conditions, the class, or the fact that you’re watching might subconsciously clench their toes inside their boots, which pulls their shins away from their boot tongues and causes their entire body to stiffen. Do a “toe check.” When toes are relaxed, students can learn how to flex the ankles forward.
The Drill As your student traverses across the hill, have her flex her ski boots at least three times with assertion, make a turn, and then flex her boots several times as she heads in the opposite direction. Make at least a half-dozen turns, flexing over and over between turns. Begin on an intermediate slope, then gradually perform this drill on steeper and steeper terrain.
Troubleshooting If a woman still can’t flex her ankles, check that her boots are soft enough and the cuff is low enough. As a quick fix, have her set the top buckle as loose as possible. Women who are short don’t have as much leverage over their ski boots, particularly if the distance between their ankle and knee is short. Te situation is exacerbated when the muscles in the front of the calf are weak, which is common in women who spend most of their off-snow time in high heels.
The author demonstrates proper technique in the steeps
2. CENTERING
Most women carry their center of mass (CM) in their hips. As a result, the number one issue women have on the slopes is sitting back. Te situation is compounded when the feet are too close together. If you tell your student to “get forward,” her chest might get a little more forward, but her butt will likely move aft. Watch your words. What you really mean is “get centered,” which means having her weight over the metatarsal area of her feet (forward, helped by ankle flexion) rather than over her heels (back). If your student has had her feet glued together for 20
years while skiing, you might find getting her centered automatically improves her stance as well. Note: I never tell women to bend their knees, a notion they often rely on when self-coaching. When women concentrate on bending their knees, they don’t flex at the ankle – a prerequisite for centering – and their CM shifts back.
The Drill On a moderate slope, have your student make a half-dozen turns leaning extremely far forward, like a ski jumper. Next, have her make a half-dozen turns sitting really far back, like ‘70s-era freestyle pioneer Wayne Wong doing a worm turn. Finally, have her make another half-dozen turns in the “feel good” position, centered over her skis with shins against the boot tongues. Once your client finds her fore-aft sweet spot, she’ll know to feel for it constantly.
Sitting back and dropping the hands are common problems for skiers stuck in an intermediate rut.
78 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2016
Troubleshooting If your student is still in the backseat, try the Tousand Steps drill. As she traverses, have her step uphill over and over again, make a turn, then repeat the stepping in the opposite direction. It’s impossible to step uphill if you’re not centered over your skis. Once your student can do the Tousand Steps on a moderate slope, gradually progress her to steeper and steeper terrain. Tis drill has fringe benefits beyond teaching centering: It teaches skiers to stand on the new outside ski early in a turn and to feel the edge of the outside ski as a turn progresses – two important criteria for black-diamond skiing.
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