What Is Your Worst Skiing Habit?

[hammer]

Lazy inside leg and too much back-seat crouching. No pole plants. I also ski too slowly.

Worst habit though is getting too analytical. My son could care less about his technique...he just goes out there and skis, and he still handles all kinds of conditions well.

 

[2knees]

Something that has helped me in the past is to think about lowering your hips straight down to the snow. The natural body reaction to this pushes the knees forward. Pole plants are critical too, especially for timing.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

That might help some, but it brings me to a point I just feel like making. mainly cause i'm bored at work.

You hear this kind of thing articulated in so many different ways. Stay stacked, arch the small of your back, hands forward, elbows out, flick the poles with the wrist, stand tall, shoulders over knees over ankles, maintain shin pressure, use the backpedal motion, carve dont skid, maintain contact with the snow at all times......the advice can go on and on and on. I gave up worrying about the big things skiing moguls a few years ago and only focus on one thing at a time. I think people can over analyze why they cant maintain the form they think they have or want to have and can end up confusing themselves. I know internet advice is generally worth squat. Go ski with someone better then you and ask them for one or two tips and work on those.

Joe F and 180 have both given me simple pieces of advice in the last couple of years that were far more effective and again, simplistic, then any long winded rant on here or some other board from a skier who may or may not have any clue what they are actually talking about.

About 5 years ago, on here, there was a guy that would always come on and critique my skiing when we would post vids. Not mean spirited but without being asked. As it turned out, I ended up skiing with him once or twice and the guy can barely get on a lift. Funny the way the internet is.

 

[SkiFanE]

That might help some, but it brings me to a point I just feel like making. mainly cause i'm bored at work.

You hear this kind of thing articulated in so many different ways. Stay stacked, arch the small of your back, hands forward, elbows out, flick the poles with the wrist, stand tall, shoulders over knees over ankles, maintain shin pressure, use the backpedal motion, carve dont skid, maintain contact with the snow at all times......the advice can go on and on and on. I gave up worrying about the big things skiing moguls a few years ago and only focus on one thing at a time. I think people can over analyze why they cant maintain the form they think they have or want to have and can end up confusing themselves. I know internet advice is generally worth squat. Go ski with someone better then you and ask them for one or two tips and work on those.

Joe F and 180 have both given me simple pieces of advice in the last couple of years that were far more effective and again, simplistic, then any long winded rant on here or some other board from a skier who may or may not have any clue what they are actually talking about.

About 5 years ago, on here, there was a guy that would always come on and critique my skiing when we would post vids. Not mean spirited but without being asked. As it turned out, I ended up skiing with him once or twice and the guy can barely get on a lift. Funny the way the internet is.

Ha...true. I can't articulate how to ski. But I DO know that you have to have proper stance and balance, and every day that can change, based on conditions (even run to run it could be diff't). If I'm not in the groove, I'll just adjust a bit..move a little forward..does that help? Move a little back? After I get off lift and am ready to head off, I do a little core-adjusting jump...to get my back upright, gut sucked in and get rid of chairlift slouch lol. There is no magic answer...totally depends on conditions.

 

[St. Bear]

That might help some, but it brings me to a point I just feel like making. mainly cause i'm bored at work.

You hear this kind of thing articulated in so many different ways. Stay stacked, arch the small of your back, hands forward, elbows out, flick the poles with the wrist, stand tall, shoulders over knees over ankles, maintain shin pressure, use the backpedal motion, carve dont skid, maintain contact with the snow at all times......the advice can go on and on and on. I gave up worrying about the big things skiing moguls a few years ago and only focus on one thing at a time. I think people can over analyze why they cant maintain the form they think they have or want to have and can end up confusing themselves. I know internet advice is generally worth squat. Go ski with someone better then you and ask them for one or two tips and work on those.

Joe F and 180 have both given me simple pieces of advice in the last couple of years that were far more effective and again, simplistic, then any long winded rant on here or some other board from a skier who may or may not have any clue what they are actually talking about.

About 5 years ago, on here, there was a guy that would always come on and critique my skiing when we would post vids. Not mean spirited but without being asked. As it turned out, I ended up skiing with him once or twice and the guy can barely get on a lift. Funny the way the internet is.

That's all well and good, but I want an anonymous stranger to fix my problem for me without ever meeting me or seeing me ski, for free. And this rant ain't helping.

 

[Black Phantom]

What really matters when skiing bumps is what you are wearing.

 

[Black Phantom]

That's all well and good, but I want an anonymous stranger to fix my problem for me without ever meeting me or seeing me ski, for free. And this rant ain't helping.

Ski 75 days a year for several years with folks that know how to ski. You'll be amazed with the results.

 

[St. Bear]

Ski 75 days a year for several years with folks that know how to ski. You'll be amazed with the results.

Can you offer a guarantee?

 

[2knees]

Ski 75 days a year for several years with folks that know how to ski. You'll be amazed with the results.

basically what i was trying to say, just in alot less words.

 

[Black Phantom]

Can you offer a guarantee?

Death and taxes are your only guarantees. :uzi:

Butt it should work fairly well.

 

[kingslug]

Hmmm..worst habit...spending all my money on it...well almost all..

 

[MadMadWorld]

Definitely sitting back too far.

Also, steering with the back of my skiis, and not my front tips.

If you are having trouble innitiating the turns with the front of your ski, try going on a beginner trail and doing one ski exercises (you don't have to take the other ski off). Trying to turn both right and left without the use of the other ski will feel completely awkward but believe me it helps. Check out the YouTube video of Bode Miller from 2005 where he lost one ski and did pretty much the entire course going about 30mph!

 

[scott]

My biggest issue is keeping my left hand in front of me. On the groomers it does not pose problems, but in the bumps it does. For some reason even when I concentrate on it I can't keep it in front of me.

 

[snowmonster]

My biggest problem is that I always choose to work on powder days. I am a failure as a skier.

Seriously, I tend to foot steer instead of carve, bend really low at the waist and am terrible at bumps. Other than that, I AM THE BEST SKIER ON THIS MOUNTAIN!

 

[mister moose]

Seriously, I tend to foot steer instead of carve, bend really low at the waist and am terrible at bumps. Other than that, I AM THE BEST SKIER ON THIS MOUNTAIN!

Spend some time at Killington again and we'll whip you into shape.

 

[powhunter]

Probably too many safety meetings

 

[riverc0il]

I'm currently trying to eliminate a nasty lazy habit I've developed of dropping my hand after I ski past my poles. Gotta get those hand back up there and keep them through. Sucks going backwards and needing to get something back. Just laziness.

 

[AdironRider]

Being a local has actually led me to become quite jaded about conditions. If they arent primo I usually bag it after an hour or two and try again the next day.

Ive found Ive lost some of my mountain goat balance on super icy days as a result. Might hurt if I ever actually move back East.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I had a student that had an issue with being too far back, I always used the "gas pedal" method. As your coming over the top of the mogul, press your toes down into the front of your boot like your stepping on the gas. You want your tips to be moving downward so you have better control in between each mogul. Doing this is also helps you begin to get better forward flexion, balance, etc. IMO, this is the most important thing to learn when it comes to mogul.

Hmmm, I like that because it's an easy think to remember. Sort of like a "swing thought" in golf, I'll have to try that.

And also...... probably should take a steep moguls lesson. lol.

 

[witch hobble]

Internet forums

 

[snoseek]

I have a hard time, especially on first run, calibrating my speed for the conditions. I need to get a better feel for the conditions and such before going full blast. This has resulted in my very worst crashes.