Pole Planting

Brucie wrote:Correct skidmarks. Pole planting is essential for Timing and co-ordination through the phases of the turn.
As with any sport - learning to ski properly at the outset will make it easier to adapt to conditions as you improve to advanced or expert level.
This is what racers do!!
If you have the opportunity to stop a video of racers in full flow, you will see that in the vast majority of cases their positioning is excellent with regards to angulation, rotation and weighting/unweighting of the skis.

So, going back to that first video of the racers free skiing. Please explain what the function of the poles is in terms of the skier's movement and how is that movement advantagous to the skier. I am interested in the how the skiers body is moving and what effect the pole movements are having.

If the poles are only for timing, then it follows that the movements to swing the poles are artificial.

Trencher

The video illustrates a subtle change in ski-ing technique which has developed from racing in the past few years.
Prior to this change the shoulders were used in a counter rotational manner to assist upper and lower body separation(shoulders to ze valley!!).
The change to which I refer is that throughout phase 2 of the turn( the apex) the outside shoulder comes around with the outside or uphill ski.(It has been described to me as a slow punching movement).
By looking to plant the pole ahead, this movement should remain smooth and rhythmical and the pole plant willprevent over rotation.
God, that sounds really technical, but it does work!!

Text Book Terry!!!

Trencher wrote:

poleplantingisforgods wrote:The first is a video of some of the best (past and present) Canadian skiers.. they might not make a solid pole plant but the move is there.

So please explain what function the poles have for them please ?

In the interest of forum niceness, I should say this is a trick question :wink:

Trencher

Aye Trencher, I was waiting with bated breath! You didn't let us down!

Most of us need sticks to stop us falling over, when we get bumped! Apart from that, it just makes us feel good, helps keep your hands warm, and gives us something to do with our hands. :-)

And since your centre of gravity rarely gets more than about 30" off the snow, you would not be a prime candidate for sticks. :wink:

For the uninitiated, you need to watch Trenchers Ski & Board mixed avatar, which was panned by Admin, (quite rightly, it made my eyes sore :-) Just searched for it but couldn't find it.

ellistine wrote:as my girlfriend does, just counting - 1,2,3 turn 1,2,3 turn. She does this out loud which can seem a bit odd but it works for her :wink:

Nothing wrong with that. I have to verbalise every movement. My wife thinks I'm a right wally.

"and UP and plant and down and so one"

Brucie wrote:The video illustrates a subtle change in ski-ing technique which has developed from racing in the past few years.
Prior to this change the shoulders were used in a counter rotational manner to assist upper and lower body separation(shoulders to ze valley!!).
The change to which I refer is that throughout phase 2 of the turn( the apex) the outside shoulder comes around with the outside or uphill ski.(It has been described to me as a slow punching movement).
By looking to plant the pole ahead, this movement should remain smooth and rhythmical and the pole plant willprevent over rotation.
God, that sounds really technical, but it does work!!

Text Book Terry!!!

That's what I was looking for, thanks. Actually I think there are some other things that the arm movement also accomplishes, but let's just consider that aspect. Do you need poles in your hands to make that movement ? As there is no actual pole plant (or anything close), wouldn't the skilled racer make this movement anyway ?

Trencher

Dave Mac wrote:
For the uninitiated, you need to watch Trenchers Ski & Board mixed avatar, which was panned by Admin, (quite rightly, it made my eyes sore :-) Just searched for it but couldn't find it.

Take a couple of pain killers dave. Headache comming on ? (I think it was banned, not panned)




Trencher

I always thought of it as a tool for beating pesky boarders. I use em' for positioning, put the right in and make the turn, left turn etc etc. I will take a look at those movies
:shock: I just did. Are you supposed to ride your edges like that? The awesomeness amazes me

I use them to push me up when I fall over...