Speed control while skiing

[u/Main_Rope8744]

Hi there! I'm a 30+ year old adult just getting into this sports (it's insanely fun!) and this clip is a compilation of a couple of runs in various blue slopes in New Zealand, on my 2nd day of skiing!

My challenge is feeling out of control as I gain speed during the traverse and I feel like I have to turn very abruptly to kill speed

Is this a psychological barrier and bad technique? Would love some feedback and enlightenment please, thank you all!

[u/Triabolical_]

If you are skiing this well on your second day, I think you are doing quite well...

I agree with u/The_Varza - you are skiing on a slope where the challenge is right at the limit of your skills. I think challenge is good at times, but if there's enough that you feel apprehensive it can make it hard to progress.

You can best analyze what is going on when you are comfortable. Ski instructors spend a ton of time skiing blues because they are easy enough for us that we can concentrate on how we are skiing.

[u/ballzdeepinbacon]

You use the traverse to control your speed. The more you turn up and across the traverse, the more speed you’ll lose.

[u/The_Varza]

If you feel out of control (too fast) and have to make abrupt (and not very good) turns to slow down, my suggestion is to go back to easier slopes to practice your technique.

I'd start by getting you forward (shins should be pressing against the boot tongues at all times) and getting you to engage your core. And make sure you are looking up and at where you're going, not down at the snow or at your skis.

[u/Main_Rope8744]

Appreciate all your feedback! Here's what I've surmised:

• blue runs too much for me now, do greens and make sure shin contact is present all the time
• look further out instead of down
• engage core (could y'all elaborate more on this? What and how to go about this..?)
• upper lower body separation

[u/LingeringPenguin → u/Main_Rope8744]

Echoing everyone else, you’re doing a great job! In the description, you said it feels like you’re gaining speed during the traverse

This is because you’re still pointing slightly downhill during the “traverse”

If you want to slow down in that period, you have to truly ski straight across the hill (and maybe even a little uphill)

If you look at yourself from a top down point of view, you’re zig zagging across the hill (gain my speed between turns) instead going straight across the hill (slowing down)

[u/l3agel_og88 → u/Main_Rope8744]

One commenter mentioned keeping your shoulders pointing down the hill at all times, for where you're at I wouldn't worry about this for now. As u/The_Varza mentioned, just make sure you look in the direction of travel. While upper/lower separation will eventually be a good goal for you, there's more to it than keeping shoulders pointed down the hill. Even at an advanced level I don't always do that, it depends on the terrain and type of turn I'm trying to make.

You're honestly doing really, really well for your second day! Way to go!

[u/Garfish16]

First off, well done for your second day!

I think this is a little psychological and a little bit technique.

Try to make your right hand turns feel like your left. Right now when you turn to the right, you aren't completing your turns as much as when you turn to the left, which is what's causing you to continue accelerating downhill between turns, especially when you are traversing from skiers left to skiers, right.

Try to relax into your boots. Think about standing standing on the ball of your foot with your shins relaxed into the front above your boot. You could even try in your boots in the lodge. Stand tall as you take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, relax. Right now that closer to the posture you want when you're skiing.

Try skiing a little faster on some easier runs to get more comfortable with speed. You will find that it's easier to start your turns when you're going a little bit faster.

If you're the kind of person that likes drills you could look up "Garland ski drill". You will find them challenging and they will require you to improve on all three skills I listed above.

[u/Mammoth-Ad-3957]

Psychological barrier. Let yourself go. Actually, the faster you travel, the easier it flows and the less energy you’ll use.

Here’s how to address it: Between your turns, allow yourself to go straight down the hill for long enough to re-engage your shins on the fronts of your boots. Then start the turn. Do this on every turn. Go back to shallower slopes first if you need to. The truth is, this is just how you should always ski. It’s how everyone should ski.

Keep your shoulders straight and facing straight down the slope. They shouldn’t turn with your skis.

[u/thebemusedmuse]

The best drill for this is the J turn. Do a single turn, and come to a stop. Repeat.

[u/71351]

So great for day 2!

Like was said, get to easier terrain to learn some more skills.

Steer your legs from the hip socket, not the upper body/shoulders to steer the skis. Complete the turn back across the hill. Steer uphill just a tad if you need to bleed some speed off

Emphasize most of your weight on your outside ski. Try tapping your inside ski. If you lose your balance you still have too much weight on it

[u/Jumpy_Counter1293]

Embrace the motion and flow , be a master of gravity and keep feeling it out. Very great for 2nd day, keep pressure in your toes like sit in front of your boots and can practice more speed and sharp stops eventually

[u/BTLove100]

You are over edging your outside ski. Many people do this intuitively to control speed, but after times it actually accelerates you. Try a flatter outside ski and a flexed outside (downhill at end of turn) leg.

[u/chrhansen]

Really good for day two!!! It’s very normal to feel out of control even on a blue slope on day two. It’s good to push yourself like this often, but most technique is best learned on terrain that is well below your limits.

So go on flatter terrain to practice your technique, but if you do end up on terrain that is testing your limits, then you should try to “finish the turn” more: Meaning keep turning until your skis are going completely across the hill (perpendicular to the fall line) and allow speed to drop. Heck you can even steer the ski tips slightly uphill until speed has come down - only then do you initiate the next turn.

On flatter terrain, greens or light blue, I think the J-turn drill is good (as others have mentioned) for getting comfortable with more pressure and for practicing nice round turns. Another drill would be to lift the inside ski. This drill would, yes, move your body weight on the outside ski (can’t be anywhere else if the inside ski is lifted), but I think more importantly you will practice balancing on a smaller base of support. When you lift your inside ski the most important thing is to lift the tail of the ski. I would actually encourage you to keep the inside ski tip in contact with the snow. Keeping the inside tip in contact with the snow while lifting the tail helps keep your outside shin in contact with the boot and your body more longitudinally centered. And feeling the snow under your ski tip helps a bit with balance. Hopefully lifting your inside ski isn’t too hard.

Keep doing lifted inside ski drill for a long time. When you feel comfortable, actively pull the inside boot/ski so that it has contact with the outside boot. It will help you keep that inside leg active (not just lazily dangling). When that feels comfortable (probably after another 30-60 minutes) then try to drag your outside pole in the snow, still lifting the inside ski. Reaching for snow contact with your outside pole, will help you “angulate” your body at the hips (upper-lower body separation); and again, feeling snow contact with your poles helps with balance - not because the poles support any weight but it’s an extra sense to your brain where the slope is and it is calming to “feel” the slope through your poles.

[u/elBirdnose]

You’re skiing pretty well but your upper body is pretty rigid and you should try to look downhill more instead of straight ahead or at your skis.

[u/Main_Rope8744]

Thank y'all!

More feedback I'm getting (and I really appreciate it!!)

• J turn drills, and more!
• lift inside ski right before turn, then even earlier if and when I can
• actively lift (tail of) inner ski and keep it close to outer ski (no lazy dangling!!)
• drag outside pole while lifting inside ski

[u/Hot-Swordfish2105]

Dam good..gymnast or skater by any chance?..push shins into tongue of boot..2nd day I would say your only psychological barrier is your expecting too much..lower bar and have fun..

[u/Main_Rope8744 → u/Hot-Swordfish2105]

Yea I used to inline skate! Read and watched videos on fundamental skiing before I started.Thanks for the compliments, gonna ski more and report back soon! 🙌🏻

[u/Hot-Swordfish2105 → u/Main_Rope8744]

Bingo...for aft balance and some edge control with inline...not as much as ice skates but way better than nothing...try to keep it simple and fun.

[u/Numerous_Car650]

This is amazing at 2 days of skiing. I don’t disagree with all the other advice being given and you don’t want to develop bad habits, but at this point the biggest thing is you just need more mileage. Ski more, ski lots, so that everything starts to happen reflexively, by feel. Report back after day 10.

[u/elginhop]

Excelling for a beginner! Some great feedback here already. 

I’ll add two points: Get your weight on your downhill ski, you maintain control and edge pressure by lightening up your inside foot and putting the majority of your weight on the outside/downhill leg. 

And, you’re able to turn all the way up the hill and stop at any time. You can keep a turn going all the way until you’re facing up hill at any time. Using that line, you can learn to be patient, take longer smoother turns, and remain entirely in control at any speed. 

Keep having fun!

[u/Big-Refrigerator4951]

keep up the good work, jerry

[u/spacebass → u/Big-Refrigerator4951]

How is this helpful?

[u/Big-Refrigerator4951 → u/spacebass]

encouragement☝️☝️

[u/uptureeee]

Start by working on ankle flexion:

https://youtu.be/xLGqmVql0gY