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Ski Techniques and Tips for Moguls - 3 Continual Pivot

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Continual Pivot for Higher Tempo when skiing moguls

What skiers often lack is the ability to up the tempo of their turning or steering of the skis. You can actually practice outside of the moguls to tune up and create a faster steering ability for the higher tempo turn, so you can eventually make any kind of turn, even when the going gets tough and the moguls get really close together.

What you need to do is focus on first finding your centre pivot point. Your pivot point is usually located around the balls of your feet. It will only work as a true pivot point if your hips are on top of the balls of your feet. When you ski on piste you make turns that require you to move your hips sideways across the skis. This is what allows you to carve your skis. In the same instance you may also find yourself projecting forwards at the start of the turn and back as you ski through. Basically your hips spend very little time directly on top of the balls of your feet.

To create rapid steering and skis that can move quickly in the moguls, you need to practice skiing on piste with your hips on top of your feet. Try at first making just short to medium radius turns. Then progressively build up the steering tempo. Eventually you’ll get to a much higher tempo of steering having the constant pivot point, which effectively gives you skis that are easier to manoeuvre. Take this new feeling back into the moguls and you’ll find what was normal will start to feel easy and what was impossible should now be achievable.

Discuss Ski Technique with Warren Smith

If you would like to ask Warren any questions about the ski techniques or exercises described above, or otherwise discuss them, please write in to our Ski Technique Forum.