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Louis Garnier
Exercises to improve your skiing technique
Interesting factsSkisTouring ski
Simply choosing the right skis for the way down the slope is far too easy for us – and most likely for you too. Because passionate winter sports enthusiasts know that with the right technique, skiing is even more fun. What's more, it looks a lot better too! To get the most out of your adventures on the slopes and conquer new terrain, it is advisable to continuously improve your skiing technique.
But what is the most effective way to optimise your skiing technique? The answer lies in three pillars: Firstly, a solid basic position with bent joints and stable posture is important, and secondly, targeted strength and balance training, even off-piste. In addition, systematic training of specific techniques such as carving, short turns or deep snow skiing is also essential. With the right combination of preparation and practical exercises, you can take your skiing technique to the next level.
The basics
Your foundation for better skiing technique
Before you venture into advanced techniques, you should master the fundamentals, such as correct posture. These form the basis for any improvement in your skiing technique.
The correct basic position
An active, dynamic basic position is the key to controlled skiing:
- Bent joints: Keep your knees, hips and ankles slightly bent – never stiff! This makes you flexible and allows you to smoothly cushion any bumps.
- Central weight distribution: Your weight should be evenly distributed on the balls of your feet, leaning slightly forward. This allows you to maintain control over your skis.
- Hip- to shoulder-width ski stance: For optimal stability and balance.
Stable upper body, active legs
A cardinal mistake made by many skiers is turning their upper body. Instead, the following applies:
- Keep your upper body stable: shoulders parallel to the fall line, do not turn
- Let your legs do the work: Control is achieved by actively moving your hips and knees towards the centre of the turn.
- Arms relaxed: Keep your arms slightly bent in front of your body – they help you balance.
Where to look: look ahead!
One of the most important and often underestimated tips: always look far ahead in the direction of travel, never directly at your ski tips!
Understanding edge control
Control over your edges is essential:
- Learn to switch between inner and outer edges in a controlled manner.
- Practise edging by moving your knees and hips sideways.
- Be aware that your edges are your brakes and steering mechanism
Practise these basics on wide, gentle slopes before venturing onto more difficult terrain!
Strong on the slopes
Fitness & preparation for improved skiing technique
Good skiing requires not only mastery of the basics, but also a certain level of physical fitness. With the right preparation, you will not only prevent muscle soreness, but also automatically improve your skiing technique:
Strength training for the legs
Your leg muscles are the engine when skiing:
- Squats: 3 sets of 15 repetitions strengthen the thighs and buttocks
- Lunges: Train your muscles dynamically and improve stability.
- Bulgarian split squats: Ideal for the outer ski load.
Core stability for control
A strong core keeps your upper body stable:
- Planks: 3x 30-60 seconds for the core
- Side plank: Strengthens the lateral abdominal muscles
- Russian twists: Improves rotational control
Balance & coordination
The be-all and end-all for precise movements:
- Balance board: Simulates the constant balancing movements on skis
- One-leg standing exercises: Improve coordination and balance
- Ankle training: Prevents injuries and improves control
Don't forget endurance
You need stamina for long days on the slopes: running, cycling or swimming keep you fit and prevent premature fatigue, which leads to poor technique.
Please note that this is only a small selection of possible exercises for ski gymnastics. Depending on your personal level of knowledge, you can integrate your own variations into your preparation, provided they have a positive effect on your leg muscles, core stability and balance. Our recommendation: Start your ski gymnastics 4-6 weeks before the ski season!
©
Louis Garnier
Elegant like the pros
The carving technique in skiing
One of the supreme disciplines in skiing is the correct carving technique – for more speed in the turns and pure aesthetics! Here, the skis are edged during the turn so that the curve is cut instead of ‘drifting’. For this reason, there is practically no loss of speed because the braking effect on the edges is significantly lower!
With skis specially designed for this purpose, such as the race carver, which has a radius about ten times the length of the ski, or the all-mountain carver, anyone can now learn this popular technique and take it to the slopes.
The correct carving technique
Essential for carving is the correct basic position:
- open, hip- to shoulder-width ski stance
- slightly bent hips, knees and ankles
- skis parallel
- arms relaxed and slightly bent at the body
From this position, the turn is initiated by putting weight on the inside edge of the outside ski with sufficient speed from the legs. At the same time, your knees, hips and centre of gravity move towards the centre of the turn, performing a tilting movement. Your torso remains straight and should not be twisted.
The rest is simple, because centrifugal force takes care of it! You can easily compensate for the tilt and slipping by shifting your hips towards the slope. This manoeuvre is also known as the ‘banana technique’.
Our tip: To begin with, take a few turns on the edge and then do a few drifting recovery turns!
Exercises for better carving technique
Carving requires a lot of muscle strength, body tension, good coordination and balance. In order to continuously improve your skiing technique, there are preparatory skiing exercises as well as exercises that you can do directly on the slopes:
- One-legged skiing: Lift the ski on the inside of the turn slightly (or let only the tip run with you). This forces you to put your weight cleanly on the outside ski and trains your balance perfectly.
- Change of rhythm: Practise switching between tight short turns and wide carving radii to improve your timing and precision.
In this video you will find more suggestions for your next training session on the slopes! Always adapt the exercises to your skiing ability – for your safety and that of other winter sports enthusiasts.
Pure enjoyment away from the slopes
Improve your skiing technique for deep snow adventures
It feels like skiing on cotton wool: fresh powder snow! Many freeriders get their money's worth in deep snow, and the feeling of freedom is truly unique. Technically speaking, deep snow skiing requires a fair amount of experience and is therefore less suitable for beginners.
In contrast to the piste, the snow here is super soft. On the one hand, this has the advantage of providing a natural braking effect, which allows for better speed control. On the other hand, with so much snow, you have to overcome greater turning resistance when making turns. This can quickly become a major challenge.
The right technique in powder snow
When ‘powdering’ through deep snow, the skis are always kept very close together to achieve better buoyancy and more control. Special skis designed for deep snow skiing and freeriding can of course provide even better support. Their particularly wide design automatically makes it more difficult to sink in.
It is also important to note that the downhill ski plays a special role: it guides you in deep snow, sets the direction and controls the turn. Also, avoid leaning backwards and always stay in rhythm!
Exercises for deep snow skiing
Deep snow skiing demands a lot from you: good balance, a sense of rhythm and the ability to constantly balance your body. That's why exercises with a balance board, for example, are a must if you want to improve this skiing technique!
However, there are also a number of options that you can practise directly on the piste – or on a gentler deep snow slope. It is best to start on gentler terrain before venturing onto steeper slopes:
- Up and down drill: While skiing straight ahead, bend and straighten your knees slightly in an alternating rhythm. Your skis will now dip up and down out of the snow. You can also practise this movement on groomed slopes! Up before the turn and down again afterwards. This is exactly the movement you will need later to overcome the resistance to turning in deep snow.
- Turn drill with pole use: Practise slight changes of direction and use your poles to push yourself out of the snow. This will help you make controlled turns and develop a feel for the rhythm in powder snow.
One more tip: If you have no experience in deep snow, we recommend taking a safety course for off-piste skiing.
The short turn technique
As the name suggests, short turns involve turning with a very small radius. There are several differences compared to carving: a faster rhythm, more precise pole use, quicker movements, a braking drift component, stronger leg rotation, skiing in the fall line and, in some cases, greater effort are necessary to improve this skiing technique.
Advantage: This makes it easy to flexibly adjust the turn radius and adapt to the conditions of the slope. This is precisely why the short turn is also the best option for mastering steep slopes, narrow passages and drag paths without risk.
1.
The body's centre of gravity should be slightly above the ski so that the shin is pressed against the ski boot. This makes it easier to turn the skis because just before the turn, you stretch your legs and your toes build up pressure. Then the rocker of the ski should initiate the turning movement in the snow.
2.
The legs are bent and pressure is applied with the whole sole of the foot to turn the skis. The torso remains stable and only the legs swing back and forth.
3.
Finally, you apply pressure to the end of the ski and put weight on the downhill ski – short turns require a great deal of strength and concentration.
Exercises for a clean short turn technique
Improving this skiing technique requires a lot of muscle strength and stamina. It is therefore particularly important to incorporate ski gymnastics, strength training and endurance training into your regular workout!
However, there are also exercises for short turns that you can do directly on the slopes:
- High-low exercise: To practise stretching and bending before and during the turn, raise your arms shortly before the turn, stretching your body. During the turn, place your hands on your knees, lowering your centre of gravity again. This trains you to use the important high-low relief technique for short turns.
- Hockey stop: Position your skis sideways, keep your legs bent and apply pressure with the inner edges. This technique is perfect for improving your edge control for short turns.
Even though it may look like you are standing on skis for the first time, these exercises can help you improve your short turn technique.
Skiing technique for special challenges
Black runs, steep descents and icy conditions
Black runs are not for the faint-hearted: avoided by some, loved by adrenaline junkies. The descent into the valley is made a little easier by placing extra pressure on the outside ski – the magic word here is: edge control!
The difficulty lies in the speed, which can only be truly controlled by a large angle between the slope and the ski edge. Placing a particularly high load on the downhill ski allows you to glide even over disruptive ice surfaces.
Tips for steep slopes and ice
- Turns far from the fall line: At the beginning, make turns far from the fall line to avoid unnecessary acceleration on steep slopes.
- Wide ski position: Keep your skis wide apart to increase stability and balance.
- Increase edge angle: On ice, you need to increase the edge angle towards the centre of the turn by deliberately moving your knees and hips, while keeping your upper body stable above the skis to maintain balance.
- Short turn technique: The short turn technique is very popular on steep slopes, so you should definitely master it before skiing down a black run!
It takes time and practice to improve your skiing technique
Improving your skiing technique is a continuous process: start with the basics, build up strength and balance, and then venture into advanced techniques such as carving, short turns or deep snow skiing. Sometimes it is also advisable to seek professional coaching. An experienced ski instructor can spot mistakes that you would never notice yourself and can provide you with targeted help.
With patience, the right exercises and perhaps the support of a ski professional, you will find that your skiing technique becomes increasingly confident and effective.
Are you now keen to try out one of these skiing techniques and improve your skills? Then rent a race carver or extra-wide skis for deep snow skiing conveniently from
Frequently asked questions about improving skiing technique
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There are some particularly effective tools, such as video analysis. When you see yourself skiing, you can immediately identify where you need to improve (posture, turning, edge control). Many ski schools already offer professional video sessions. Smart gear and sensors are perfect for tech-savvy skiers: systems such as Carv, with sensors in your ski boots, give you real-time feedback on pressure distribution and edge angles directly through your headphones. And, of course, professional coaching or specialised courses: the trained eye of a ski instructor or a technique camp in a glacier ski area can often help you make significant progress in a very short time.
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The classic: leaning back! Many skiers lean back too far, which makes it much more difficult to control the skis. This prevents you from controlling the edges properly and you lose precision. Another mistake: the upper body turns with you instead of remaining stable. Make sure that your weight is centred over your skis and that only your legs are doing the work. Eye contact is also often underestimated – if you look at the tips of your skis instead of looking ahead, you will automatically ski less confidently. These three points alone can greatly improve your technique!
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That depends largely on your starting level and how often you practise! If you train regularly, skiing 2-3 days a week, you will see significant progress in the basics, such as balance and edge control, after just a few weeks. Advanced techniques, such as clean carving or perfect short turns, take longer – you should expect to spend a whole season on these. The key lies in the combination of targeted training on the slopes and fitness preparation off the slopes. With professional support from a ski instructor, you will often progress much faster!