Introduction
Understanding Edges and Stabilizing Techniques
If you’re facing challenges with edge similarity in skiing, you might be unknowingly using your inside leg as a stabilizer. This can hinder your ability to engage the edges effectively during turns. To address this issue, focus on driving your inside knee into the turn like magnets repelling, helping the edge to engage on the inside of the turn.
Practice Exercise: Railroad Tracks
One effective exercise to improve edge similarity is practicing “railroad tracks” on a moderate slope. The goal is to arc both skis exactly the same way while keeping your shins as parallel as possible. Initiate the turn with your inside knee, creating a sensation of being bow-legged, with your knees pushed apart like magnets.
Advanced Challenge: Pushing the Inside Knee
To further enhance your skills and challenge yourself, try pushing your inside knee against your hand during turns. This exaggerated movement reinforces the feeling of driving the inside knee and improving edge engagement.
Related Questions
1. How can using the inside leg as a stabilizer affect edge similarity in skiing?
Using the inside leg as a stabilizer can hinder the effective engagement of edges during turns, leading to issues with edge similarity.
2. What is the purpose of the “railroad tracks” exercise in skiing?
The “railroad tracks” exercise helps skiers practice arcing both skis equally while focusing on keeping the shins parallel and initiating turns with the inside knee.
3. How does pushing the inside knee against the hand during turns help in skiing?
Pushing the inside knee against the hand exaggerates the movement, reinforcing the sensation of driving the inside knee into the turn and improving edge engagement.
4. Why is it important to maintain parallel shins while skiing?
Keeping the shins parallel helps in maintaining stability and proper alignment during turns, enhancing overall skiing technique.
5. How can the magnet analogy help skiers improve their edge engagement?
Imagining the knees as magnets repelling each other can create a visual and sensory cue for skiers to actively drive the inside knee into the turn and improve edge engagement.
