Ski Season Drills

Drill 1 – Javelin Turns
Targets:
  • Outside-ski dominance
  • Hip angulation & upper/lower separation
  • Strong inside half (inside hand/shoulder not collapsing)
How to run it:
  • On an easy blue, lift the inside ski and cross the tip over the outside ski while turning.
  • The outside ski does almost all the work; balance over it while keeping the upper body quiet.
  • Switch legs every few turns.
Video:
2. Railroad Track Carving – For Stance & Early Edge EngagementFocus: hip-width stance, clean parallel arcs, feeling the ski bend and grip.
3. Outside Ski Pressure / Turns – For Outside-Ski DominanceFocus: committing to the outside ski, feeling 100% pressure there, stopping the hip dump. This is about learning to really live on your outside ski.

4. Shuffle/1000 Step Turns – For Forward Movement & BalanceFocus: constant gentle shuffling through turns so she must stay forward and balanced.
5. Falling leaf drill
Teaches control, edge angle and balance
▶ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqW2AnC01kc

Bonus
1. One-Ski Skiing (Outside Ski Only)
Targets:
  • High-level balance on the outside ski
  • Clean edging and steering without help from the inside ski
  • Fore–aft discipline (you can’t be back and survive this long)
How to run it:
  • Very easy terrain only.
  • Pick one ski to keep on; carry the other or click it off and hold it.
  • Make medium-radius turns only on that one ski, then switch.
  • For SL transfer: have her think about this feeling when she’s in a stubby course—“I could almost do this on one ski.”
Video:
​2. Pole-Plant / Timing Drill (Short-Radius with Pole Focus)
Targets:
  • Pole usage tied to timing and forward movement, not rotation
  • Upper/lower body separation (hands and torso more stable, legs doing the turning)
  • Rhythm that transfers directly into SL
How to run it:
  • On a groomed pitch, set up short-radius turns corridor.
  • Task:
    • Hands in front where she can see them.
    • Quiet torso facing generally down the hill.
    • Precise pole touch at the start of each new turn, combined with moving the body forward into the new outside ski.
  • If she starts swinging the arms or planting late/behind her feet, reset.
Video resources (pole usage + drills):

Resources