PSIA-AASI

Need help…I’ve got two students with chronic sit back. So far only partial successes in getting them forward. I’ve had them concentrating on pushing their shins into the cuffs of their boots and on keeping hands and poles forward but after two/three turns they’re right in the back seat again. Pitch of the terrain isn’t an issue. I’m looking for additional exercises to help with the problem. Thanks.

One suggestion is to have them initiate turn to the 2 or 10 o’clock position to get them moving to the inside of the turn. This will help them extend their outside leg and get them out of the back seat. The other is to have them make a turn with their inside ski touching tip only—i.e. lifting their ski slightly but balancing with the tip pressured. You can’t do this successfully sitting back.

First, you need an exercise that is gender and age-appropriate, so evaluate those characteristics first.  Second, does your students’ equipment hinder their ability to get “out of the back seat”?  If they’re wearing the old rear-entry boots, then there’s no way you’ll succeed.  With that, I’ve had some successes by leading students through a drill where they’ll see/feel the benefit of keeping the body forward.  While in the more gentle areas of a terrain park, take them over the side of a ramp at moderate to slow speed, without telling them what to look for.  Let them discover how the skis tend to slide out forward from under them as they either get a little air, or try to keep the skis from leaving the snow surface.  Watch for facial reactions to see if they’re caught by surprise, etc.  Pull to the side, discuss it with them/ask what they felt, then try a second pass and have them focus on keeping the tips firmly on the snow as they go over the crest of the side of the ramp/ridge.  They should feel oveall more stability and realize the immediate benefit of staying forward.  Once they get that connection, have them focus on keeping their feet “tucked underneath”; it’s more of a mental than physical thing, but if they keep only that in their heads and try to just enjoy the ride, they should start to take ownership of the concept.  Good luck!

I tried “Pole boxes” for the 1st time and had considerable success.  I found them in the Skiers Encyclopedia of Skiing by Bob Barnes.  ”...skiing while keeping the pole tips in imaginary boxes attached to the sides of the boots.  Begin by standing still and planting both poles comfortably off to the sides, directly in line with the centers of the boots. Relax, and let the pole grips tilt forward as the hands find their natural position somewhere in front and to the sides. Now ski a series of turns, keeping both poles scratching the snow precisely in their boxes.  Do not let either pole come off the snow, or forward or back of its box.”  Also, try having the student balance their poles on the back of their hands.  No cheating by using thumbs or elbows.  I start with marching in a traverse and then have them actually make turns while balancing their poles.  It has helped with their balance.

Some good ideas. Many thanks for the help.

Dave

I’ve polled kids and they say “Money in the Boot” got them forward. I knew an instructor who actually swatted his student in the bottom with his ski pole telling them to “Get your butt forward” which I don’t recommend, he was fired.

Many students at all levels need a stance lesson to succeed; someone told them to “bend-zee-knees” instead of their ankles. I would suggest you just check at the beginning to see if they are in a tall stance over the entire foot base and they are flexing their ankles to contact boot-to-shin instead of flexing their knees putting them in the backseat. Also, depending on the students level, see if “settling” in the hips to control/complete their turn is a possibility. If this is a possibility ask them to complete their turn to almost a stall out which will hopefully add a better feel of control to their turns for them. They simply may feel a lack of control of the end of their turns; efficient turns do feel faster to the student.

Depending upon where in the turn this person is sitting back—if they sit back as they enter the turn, have them shuffle INTO the turn and begin carving out of the turn at the shaping phase (apex) of the turn.  If they sit back at the end of the turn, have them carve into the turn and shuffle OUT OF the turn (again at the apex of the turn).  In either case, the shuffling makes them maintain contact with the boot.  You can’t really shuffle and sit back.