WAW just WAW. I'm a highly skilled skier and instructor in belgium and I don't think I've ever seen people improve this much from just one drill. Will definently try next time!
@@pliskind He is familiar with the skills you need as a carver, he is not familiar with this drill is what I am reading. I also consider myself a skilled carver, but I have never seen this drill before. I will try it next month on my ski vacation and see how it goes
Hand drags WORK! Just tested in Steamboat and Copper with my girl doing J-turns without even bring the fist all the way down. This new found feeling of speed control is exhilarating! Thank you TOM!!!!
Eric, this video is fantastic. I have tried to explain this to people in the past, but have had a hard time. Everything we are ever taught is to angulate against the turn, but there comes a point where it is counterproductive. I have shared this video with dozens of expert life long skiers that have been missing this last piece in the progression. I have found that it is important to remind people while working on this to start looking back uphill in between turns because you start making moves others do not anticipate. You are a beautiful skier. Thank you for sharing.
I watched this vid and went through the progression. BAM! My carving took a quantum leap. I can hardly say I was carving before, I was but clearly not exploiting the potential of the turn or my skies. Then I took a dive into Tom’s other videos and thought maybe I should subscribe. $50 a month I thought this might be a bit spendy but, $1000 for an all day private is the alternative. I would give it a try. Happy to say the I was blown away by the material, and what is offered in live programs. I am a believer and wouldrecommend the same to anyone who is serious about their skiing.
Thanks Ted for taking the time to comment about your experience. So happy that you’ve found the big picture skiing site has exceeded your expectations.
Best tutorial on yt I’ve found. Summary. - ski without poles for a more natural feel to fall low. - 3:47 be confident in falling low practice standing still 4:33 practice one turn at a time. J turn. Touching you hand to the snow. 6:07 practice the feel of high edge angles. 6:29 more J turns. 7:24 then go for it. 8:48 words of carving wisdom.
Hey Tom...this is brilliant! I've been wanting to learn this technique for a few years. You did a fabulus job explaining how it's done. I tried it today on a very blue beginners run at Palisades at Tahoe. I think I'm starting to get the feel of it. I will keep trying. Thank you for taking the time to enlighten us on this. This is the best video I've seen on this type of turn. Well done my friend.
Tom this has to be the most important break through tip for carving. Creates such a stable platform with no slippage Less effort, more control and consistently clean turns. Straightening the inside leg to initiate the next turn makes linking the turns super easy. Revolutionary thank you.
Great videos and explanations. You remind me of an old friend who always told me to start carving: "you have to imagine that you are tying your shoe" crush by dragging your hand on the ground. you are a top skier, nothing else.❤
Love this one! Sounds silly but I still have vivid memories of the most fun I’ve ever had on skis and it was doing this drill. The point about this helping to teach the topple rather than being overly angulated between the hips and torso really resonated as something I want to work on when I’m next on snow too.
Excellent tutorial video Tom! Your descriptions about what to feel while doing the physical motion helps tremendously. One thought I'm going to try since watching this video is to think of my uphill ski and outreaching hand as if they are connected on a string. As the uphill hand reaches for the snow my uphill ski knee follows and helps with the carving forces to better balance myself on the slope.? I have not tried this on the slope yet, but in my head it seems to make sense. Again, thank you for the carving tutorials. I'm learning a lot!
We had that same drill at Mt. Baldy in California. I remember the head instructor Dr. Jacques telling me to ski without the poles. I was also an instructor and couldn't believe how I was able to ski what I considered difficult earlier with ski poles. This was in 2007. My point is that it's an excellent technique and that good instructors push for it for very good reasons.
This is by far the best video I've seen in youtube! Thank Tom for this, I feel like I've improved so much though still not quite same level as Eric (definitely not the same level as Tom 😆). Will keep practicing! At the moment, I just feel like my legs are a bit too open/wide...
20 years ago I started dragging my hand to help me not stivot the top of the turn in gs courses.. it definitely cured wanting to stivy when in countering scary tracks above gate.. interestingly enough it also made running super tight slalom courses doable…
Awesome tutorial!!! I tried to touch the snow with pole this whole season but cannot do so. Now I just noticed that I should be the one with too much angulation lol. Cant wait to try without pole! Thank you Tom
What a great video! And it turns out that my favorite Sunpeaks run is Blazer, so it's nice to see the drills on it!! Saving this for review in November! Thank you!
What a great video! And it turns out that my favorite Sunpeaks run is Blazer, so it's nice to see the drills on it!! 🥰 Saving this for review in November! Thank you!
Awesome video! Even though I’m already comfortable with dragging my knuckles, I’ve never really focused on this action. I will definitely try to actively think about this action. Looking forward to future tutorials on how to further increase your edge angles so that you can drag your inside knee on the snow.
Thanks for your videos, they are really helping me as well as my seven year old, he started skiing in 2022, and started doing this drill 2 days ago, without any coaching from me. We have watched many of your videos together and one day about 6 weeks ago, out of the blue, he started practicing one ski skiing, I never told him anything about it, I think he just picked it up from your videos, listening to what you say and then starts attempting it on his own.
@@Bigpictureskiing I will definitely tell him that Coach Tom says to keep it up! He is going to a new ski area for the first time tomorrow and excitedly came to tell me all his bags were packed, he said his goal is to keep working on 180s and his carving skills. P.S. The video where you taught the lady how skiing on one ski would boost her ability really affected him, that seems to have been a turning point for him. I didn't push him at all, he just started doing it.
Wow, the effect of Big Picture Skiing on kids seems to be not a coincidence, then! My 6yo started one-ski skiing on her own as well, also based off my mutterings from Sam Robertson’s Emma videos. She actually got *me* to do it. Too bad our season ended before she got to try the hand drag drill (luckily, I did, to thrilling success!), but she’s bound to be doing ninja sessions of it next winter I’m sure!
@@kuanjuliu Yes, there is going to be a whole new crop of great skiers that will be able to trace their beginnings to these videos. Wish we had this when I was 7!
I found this out naturally after giving up my poles this year for the first time since learning (only about 12 days total). I wanted naturally to get my hand to the floor cause it was fun. (Hand dragging that is)
Tom, I really like all your carving instructions and particularly interested in this one for increasing edge angle. I have a CARV IQ of 134 and typical edge angle of 50-60 with an occasional 70. But still I don't feel I carve with high enough angle and not really connecting turns with perfect archs. I am 57 and not sure if it's a flexibility thing? I did try to reach the snow with my hand but feel hard to (probably not angulated enough because of flexibility limitation?) Now I see your drill and really want to try it out in my next skiing. Now the question, were the two kids really how they were like before the drill, or just acting to be like a less perfect carver? I look more like them before the drill and much less like after the drill. I really hope it's true that the drill can allow them improve so much in a day!
Very nice drill. But I would recommend dragging the outside ski pole basket on the ground while flexing your core more so on that outside ski pole drag side in conjunction with the same drill shown here. If it sounds weird sorry just my 2 cents!
I like this and it is also something I think about too. I also like to focus on standing up on/extending the uphill leg before and into the transition.
Wow...fascinating video...can't wait to try this! I'm an ex-racer-turned-instructor who has the same problem. My takeaway from seeing this: The inside hand drag causes some leaning (and less upper/lower body separation) so the end result is a carve that is less of a pure railed edge (i.e. has a slight element of steering in it). So the improved speed control comes from (a) a tighter turn shape which means less time in/near the fall line, (b) finishing the turn more across the hill, and (c) a turn that is not a totally "pure" carve means you're actually dumping a little speed through the whole turn. Do I have that right, Tom? By the way this isn't criticism in any way...I'm actually stoked to add this to my skill set. Just trying to see if I understand the "why". I'm going to try it when I go up tomorrow!
A little late to the party, but this is not creating steering in carved turns. This is still "pure" carving. We can see inclination and angulation as dials that can be adjusted independently based on speed, terrain, turn shape, etc. A common issue with these intermediate to advanced carving skiers is that they over angulate. This comes from learning to carve and learning to activate all of the lower joints when we are learning to carve. The reason that the coach wanted to increase inclination and reduce angulation in the video is because both of these skiers were relying too much on angulation for their edge angles. This puts their bodies in a weaker position without having the joints "stacked". That is why they could carve well on lower angle terrain, but when the forces increased on more difficult terrain they began to "fold". By aligning the joints you can achieve the same edge angles with a stronger body position, thus allowing for more performance. Now, here is where it is important to see inclination and angulation as dials. If you try to carve the same turn on low angle terrain with less speed and the same amount of inclination as the students were learning to use on the steeper high speed terrain; you would fall over. Same goes for if you are trying to do very short radius turns while relying heavily on inclination as opposed to angulation. Inclination is simply not going to let you move fast enough. I learned from a very talented course conductor to think of it this way: "Angulation sets the theme for the turn, inclination creates for the fine adjustments within it."
I can see the merits of this exercise to improve carving. I grimaced when I watched the video as I flashed back to the days I sustained injuires to both thumbs (skiers thumb). It is very important to understand the proper positioning of the hands, the timing, and the need to practice this move until it becomes habit.
THIS is the set of drills I've been looking for! Exactly where I am on the journey, and exactly the issues I'm having. After rapid progress learning to carve, I've hit a wall and unable to progress at same rate. Totally guilty of pushing for angulation, not inclination (assumed the former was required to achieve the later). Able to carve clean, until it gets steep, then can't control speed. Realized I need progressive inclination, but misguided to focus on more and more angulation trying to achieve it. Now can't wait for next season to try these drills. Will rewatch this video right before I go out, so drills and details are fresh.
Outstanding drills…thank you! My frustration is that I just left the mountain 2 days ago. Now I have wait another 300 days to try this out. I’ll be shopping for some good carving skis off-season… any recommendations?
Oh sorry about the timing. Ok carving skis. I’d say look for a medium radius (15-17m radius) and around 170-180cm. The longer the more stable. So depending on your height and weight. I really like my 175cm 16m radius skis I use here from Fischer. Im 179cm tall and weigh 73kg
I was on the slope last week! I wish I had watched this video before that :(((( Though, I felt it was easier to increase the edge angle on the steeper slopes.
@@Bigpictureskiing Great video Tom. That smile on his face says it all. Advanced skier but not a great carver. Can I expect similar results from a 102mm reasonably stiff ski? 18m radius. Heading to the mountains next week. Thanks
Hi Tom, thank a lot for awsome video. Can you clarify please what kind of ski radius is a best fit for such drills. Is it ok for short radius skis like a slalom?
This is a 15.5m radius 175cm ski. 66mm underfoot so narrow. I find people are on too wide skis these days and it stops them being able to learn to carve. Sure if you’re already and expert it’s fine but mastering carving you want a narrower ski. 12-18m radius in there somewhere and 65-80mm underfoot max!
@@Bigpictureskiingthis is the 100% correct answer. Wider skis are very fun and can allow for a higher edge angle before you boot out, but the transition between edges is much slower and can take more width to get there. Start narrow and then work your way wider.
I have not watched all of this but instinctively, and for the first time ever watching anything you have offered Tom, I think this is putting the cart before the horse. I am really a student challenging the master here, but my best high edge angle skiing has come from driving my new down hill ski away from me like a runner out of the block with symmetrical retraction of the uphill ski. The power I get from timing the turn on my down hill ski and the control coming from the edge angle of my uphill ski creates the angle. If I my hand gets on the snow great, if not, as you guys say "no worries" but reaching with you hand... and when it gets steep? I think you need to clarify.
Your “driving inside knee” a la Deb Armstrong is fully compatible with this drill, just as any other method of pressuring the ski at apex. I know, because I also practice that method of “stacking” myself over the outside ski - but I also know that I was too scared to try for higher edge angles because I didn’t know how to approach the aggressive inclination (not angulation) needed. This drill changed all that - but I still “sprint” at the apex!
And I would note the the “long leg-short leg” is much more apparent at high speed/high slope angle. In general your downhill/outside let’s knee is still bent, NOT LOCKED OUT, but that the inside, driving knee is bent slight more to ‘get out of the way’ of the high edge angle of the outside ski.
Hi tom Thanks for great video I tried your drill and it worked excellent but others say it looks somehow that I'm back seated Can tell me where is problem ? should i bend forward more from waist? Our don't bend my knees more for reaching ground? Or should i try lean while body? Where the backseated look come from? Thank you tom
Tried the J turn, fell and hurt my leg, nothing too serious, maybe with some luck i can go ski to Lapland. Season might be over for me. Tho I managed to get confident enough to touch the snow with me left hand couple of times. Which was my goal for this year.
This really is an expert drill. Don’t forget the fundamentals before expecting results. The skiers in this video, particularly the one in orange, are the perfect candidates for this type of maneuver. I hope you are back on snow this winter.
Hi Tom, I watched your video the first time. It is amazing, your explanations and exercises are great. Í m realy excited. I will give you feedback as soon as possible, I think you are the key for my skiing to improve to the next level. Yours Mark
Thanks Mark. Looking forward to it. Not sure if you’ve checked out my site but I save the best stuff for on there. Lots more on everything. Big picture because I think people should know the whole aspect of skiing including equipment, body prep and psychology.
Fantastic. Was working on this today at Whistler. When I got lower on the hill and the snow got slushy I found that my outside boot/binding (?) would occasionally “catch” on the snow as I tried to get really low and angled. It was like being tripped. The first time I was not expecting at all and had a spectacular wipeout. I’m on 88 skis and Griffon bindings. Any suggestions Tom?
That snow just will do that. Not ideal for higher edge angle turns more so for short turns and bumps. At least that’s what I like to ski when the snow gets that way
I think I focus too much on separating my skis than proper body position of leg extension and flexion, so I'm still putting way to much weight on my inside skis, can't really go that low. I would assume you still feel majority of the weight on the outside skis
Hi Tom quick question, when I look at these turns. I see your shoulders tipping in towards the hill. I was wondering if that's correct or not. That I was instructed that that's not the greatest for balance in ability. I was hoping that you can explain a little bit more. Especially with inside hand touching the snow.
Shoudlers level with the slope is just a general cue. It is often helpful at the intermediate and advanced stage of skiing. However watch any good skier getting higher angles and the shoulders are not level or if they are its at phases where the skier is coming out of the turn. Not increasing the angles. Decreasing them.
I always imagined doing this would lead to reduced pressure on your outside ski? but it seems like there is an inside shoulder drop, which I've always found reduces pressure on the outside ski 6:02
Tom, your skiing is impeccable, as your demo’s and explanations. Can you elaborate on a little hop I see on initiation. It appears as if the tails come off the snow and pivot (rotate) about the tip to set the new direction. Is this due to trying to shorten the radius and get onto the new edge sooner and quicker? It appears that you are starting the turn with the ski at a high edge angle. Thanks!!
Its not a hop, but a pop (ie the flexed ski pops like a spring when unweighted). A poped ski does indeed get you on to the other edge quickly. A carved turn never requires any "help" from steering.
Great! And that means the uphill ski gets extended beyond the downhill ski, right?? I have asked this question of many pros online and no one has an answer? Yet all the best skiers are doing it.
@@Bigpictureskiing Many thanks for replying Tom! Yes, on the traverse, the uphill ski leads, in front of the downhill ski. I wondered if this is a result of extending the outside leg making the uphill ski then automatically extends forwards, only by a small amount, but clearly enough to be evident in all the ski videos. No one ever mentions it and I feel I may be missing some basic technicality...
@@Cameron-ue7lu it’s just a natural lead change that occurs between the feet. If you have ski boots on it limits how much your ankles flex and so you can’t really keep the feet level when your inside leg bends more. The inside foot advances ahead as that leg bends
@@Bigpictureskiing Great, thanks Tom, makes complete sense. I'm heading off to Three Valleys in Jan, hanging up my snowboard for skis and getting myself into the technical detail 😅 Thanks again for the great videos!
Perfect timing for doing this drill in soft spring snow! Can you speak as to how this might be reflected in Carv edge angles? I had thought until now that the maximum edge angle is achieved at apex, but it looks like this happens toward the bottom of the turn instead?
Just tried this this morning AND IT WORKED. My reaction when it finally clicked was just like Eric's: utter amazement and exhilaration. So to answer my own question: I've been able to achieve 80º or so degrees in the past as one-offs, but I've never been able to successfully maintain average edge angles beyond 55º during a run. But just a couple runs of the drill (and a change-up of equipment, see below) and I started being able to predict when I was going to produce higher edge angles, and had a run with an average of 63º. Sadly the day was already warm to start with and by the time I got really going the snow had became too soft, but there was no question the drill was a success. I had been taught previously not to try reaching for the snow as it would cause me to lose angulation, i.e. pressure against the snow. But without inclination, the high edge angles simply wouldn't be produced, so ... glad you produced this to burst that myth. FYI: I had to use my more flexy skis with 12-meter turning radius (Head Supershape e-Original) or else I'd run out of trail doing the J-turns (I'm in Massachusetts and was skiing at Wachusett).
Oh man, these videos hit so hard. Wonderful skiing, great tips, can't wait to get on skis again. Still can't decide which skis to get though. Would you be able to recommend me some for these types of turns? I'm 203cm tall, and my weight is around 105kg.
Which pista color (i am EU based) are you practicing on? I started skiing for the first times in 2023, and tried to get some speed on greens and blues, to get more inclination doing this exercise with no results. Some days ago I tried to push my comfort zone using a steeper red pista for a few times, and suddenly my carv score went up from 70-90 to 105-120 and I really felt that inclination more. I am curious to know which pista were you running, and I can't wait to try this excercise in a nice steeper red.
Thats an element of the whole picture. Creating a balanced against the outside ski position. But never will you see and expert skier drag their outside hand. If you see one let me know. Drills that encourage that outside hand to be lower are good but there is a Goldilocks ammount. Skiing is about exploring ranges and outcomes of doing something to the max and bringing it back from there. I can highly recommend trying this as you saw the results from the two boys and how much fun they had.
WAW just WAW. I'm a highly skilled skier and instructor in belgium and I don't think I've ever seen people improve this much from just one drill. Will definently try next time!
ik ga hetzelfde doen. 😎
those skills should know every carver and youre trying to tell me, you were not familiar with it?
@@pliskind He is familiar with the skills you need as a carver, he is not familiar with this drill is what I am reading. I also consider myself a skilled carver, but I have never seen this drill before. I will try it next month on my ski vacation and see how it goes
Hand drags WORK! Just tested in Steamboat and Copper with my girl doing J-turns without even bring the fist all the way down. This new found feeling of speed control is exhilarating! Thank you TOM!!!!
The orange dude did SO well and made so much progress. Inspirational and great instruction and learning. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome tutorial! While I can carve, I feel these drills can take me to the next level. Can't wait to try them.
Eric, this video is fantastic. I have tried to explain this to people in the past, but have had a hard time. Everything we are ever taught is to angulate against the turn, but there comes a point where it is counterproductive. I have shared this video with dozens of expert life long skiers that have been missing this last piece in the progression.
I have found that it is important to remind people while working on this to start looking back uphill in between turns because you start making moves others do not anticipate.
You are a beautiful skier. Thank you for sharing.
when should you angulate?
I watched this vid and went through the progression. BAM! My carving took a quantum leap. I can hardly say I was carving before, I was but clearly not exploiting the potential of the turn or my skies. Then I took a dive into Tom’s other videos and thought maybe I should subscribe. $50 a month I thought this might be a bit spendy but, $1000 for an all day private is the alternative. I would give it a try. Happy to say the I was blown away by the material, and what is offered in live programs. I am a believer and wouldrecommend the same to anyone who is serious about their skiing.
Thanks Ted for taking the time to comment about your experience. So happy that you’ve found the big picture skiing site has exceeded your expectations.
This is exactly where I am on the learning curve. Can’t wait to try this and finally break through to the next level!
Best tutorial on yt I’ve found.
Summary.
- ski without poles for a more natural feel to fall low.
- 3:47 be confident in falling low practice standing still
4:33 practice one turn at a time. J turn. Touching you hand to the snow.
6:07 practice the feel of high edge angles.
6:29 more J turns.
7:24 then go for it.
8:48 words of carving wisdom.
Hey Tom...this is brilliant! I've been wanting to learn this technique for a few years. You did a fabulus job explaining how it's done. I tried it today on a very blue beginners run at Palisades at Tahoe. I think I'm starting to get the feel of it. I will keep trying. Thank you for taking the time to enlighten us on this. This is the best video I've seen on this type of turn. Well done my friend.
Awesome, thank you!
Tom this has to be the most important break through tip for carving. Creates such a stable platform with no slippage Less effort, more control and consistently clean turns. Straightening the inside leg to initiate the next turn makes linking the turns super easy. Revolutionary thank you.
Wonderful to hear Steve. Thanks for sharing your results.
Great videos and explanations. You remind me of an old friend who always told me to start carving: "you have to imagine that you are tying your shoe" crush by dragging your hand on the ground. you are a top skier, nothing else.❤
Hi from Czech Republic. I've never seen a better explanation. Awesome drill for carving. Thanks a lot!
Thanks and hello back to you!
I'm an expert skier....wow this has improved my ski....way more consistent now. Thanks so much!
Great to hear!
Love this one! Sounds silly but I still have vivid memories of the most fun I’ve ever had on skis and it was doing this drill. The point about this helping to teach the topple rather than being overly angulated between the hips and torso really resonated as something I want to work on when I’m next on snow too.
I tried this in January in Breck, trying to touch my inside hand and dragging the pole and it was a game changer on large radius turns! Thanks!
by far the best tutorial on carving i have seen
Damn! I've learn so much in last 20 minutes!
Looking forward to trying this out. I have been struggling with carving on slightly steeper pitches.
Excellent tutorial video Tom! Your descriptions about what to feel while doing the physical motion helps tremendously. One thought I'm going to try since watching this video is to think of my uphill ski and outreaching hand as if they are connected on a string. As the uphill hand reaches for the snow my uphill ski knee follows and helps with the carving forces to better balance myself on the slope.? I have not tried this on the slope yet, but in my head it seems to make sense. Again, thank you for the carving tutorials. I'm learning a lot!
Good connection
We had that same drill at Mt. Baldy in California. I remember the head instructor Dr. Jacques telling me to ski without the poles. I was also an instructor and couldn't believe how I was able to ski what I considered difficult earlier with ski poles. This was in 2007. My point is that it's an excellent technique and that good instructors push for it for very good reasons.
Really enjoyed this and can't wait to try it when our snow arrives. Thanks, Tom.
Tom is simply outstanding, my skiing has improved hugely since subscribing to his online lessons and this drill was a game changer.
thanks user-cq6kb1rh1u, that totally doesn't read like an advertisement
You will be a believer when you try the drill. Credit where credit is due. Let me know if you find a better online resource.
This is by far the best video I've seen in youtube! Thank Tom for this, I feel like I've improved so much though still not quite same level as Eric (definitely not the same level as Tom 😆). Will keep practicing! At the moment, I just feel like my legs are a bit too open/wide...
20 years ago I started dragging my hand to help me not stivot the top of the turn in gs courses.. it definitely cured wanting to stivy when in countering scary tracks above gate.. interestingly enough it also made running super tight slalom courses doable…
Begining with Carving, and start trying it, absolutely Love it... Thank you.
The absolutly best explanation how to improve carving in steep terrain I have seen so far. I will copy these exercises :) Thanks for the great video.
Eric sweeping his arms back literally looks like he’s flying. Must’ve been an amazing sensation!
He was so happy
Excited to try this in a week in Flachau
Thanks for the tips, I too love edging on the slopes!
How did I just now find this channel??? This is great!
Thanks for the comment. Glad youre enjoying it!
Awesome! Thanks for mentioning Ryan Knapton, my snowboarding hero.
Thanks for the precious advice Tom, will work on this drill this coming week!
Awesome tutorial!!! I tried to touch the snow with pole this whole season but cannot do so. Now I just noticed that I should be the one with too much angulation lol. Cant wait to try without pole! Thank you Tom
Clear, complete and super useful lesson. Gonna try as soon as I can. Thank you!
That was an awesome progression. I think this is it for me. Thanks Tom!
What a great video! And it turns out that my favorite Sunpeaks run is Blazer, so it's nice to see the drills on it!! Saving this for review in November! Thank you!
Beautyful skiing!!
So much positive energy there! Congrats guys. Fantastic drills Tom! Thank you.
Thanks so much!
I am almost there, I hope I get to touches still this season in the next couple of weeks.
Awesome video, look forward to trying this.
Eric = top of the class!
Gonna try this this weekend!
Could be one of your best videos yet!!!
Thanks Ed
Ooo. Great stuff Real pro
Compliments
Amazing. Thank you so much for this fantastic video, Tom.
You’re welcome
That's an incredible improvement in just one day! It only took one relatively effortless drill.
Yes it was!
Really nice video! many thanks! I will certainly be trying this out! many thanks !
Let us know how you go!
What a great video! And it turns out that my favorite Sunpeaks run is Blazer, so it's nice to see the drills on it!! 🥰 Saving this for review in November! Thank you!
such a great drill....can't wait to test it out.
Hope you enjoy it!
Skiing is a braingame de luxe. Daring and getting aware and voila. ❤
Awesome video! Even though I’m already comfortable with dragging my knuckles, I’ve never really focused on this action. I will definitely try to actively think about this action. Looking forward to future tutorials on how to further increase your edge angles so that you can drag your inside knee on the snow.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your videos, they are really helping me as well as my seven year old, he started skiing in 2022, and started doing this drill 2 days ago, without any coaching from me. We have watched many of your videos together and one day about 6 weeks ago, out of the blue, he started practicing one ski skiing, I never told him anything about it, I think he just picked it up from your videos, listening to what you say and then starts attempting it on his own.
How cool! Tell him I love that he’s doing this from watching the videos and to keep it up!
@@Bigpictureskiing I will definitely tell him that Coach Tom says to keep it up! He is going to a new ski area for the first time tomorrow and excitedly came to tell me all his bags were packed, he said his goal is to keep working on 180s and his carving skills. P.S. The video where you taught the lady how skiing on one ski would boost her ability really affected him, that seems to have been a turning point for him. I didn't push him at all, he just started doing it.
Wow, the effect of Big Picture Skiing on kids seems to be not a coincidence, then!
My 6yo started one-ski skiing on her own as well, also based off my mutterings from Sam Robertson’s Emma videos. She actually got *me* to do it.
Too bad our season ended before she got to try the hand drag drill (luckily, I did, to thrilling success!), but she’s bound to be doing ninja sessions of it next winter I’m sure!
@@kuanjuliu Yes, there is going to be a whole new crop of great skiers that will be able to trace their beginnings to these videos. Wish we had this when I was 7!
@@SkiProgression I wish I *started* skiing at 7! 🤣
amazing instruction as always
Excellent presentation and results!👏
I found this out naturally after giving up my poles this year for the first time since learning (only about 12 days total). I wanted naturally to get my hand to the floor cause it was fun. (Hand dragging that is)
Always the best videos. Thanks.
Can’t wait to try this I have the same problem with steeper terrain
Let us know. Ive had a lot of people try it and have built breakthroughs in one day
Tom, I really like all your carving instructions and particularly interested in this one for increasing edge angle. I have a CARV IQ of 134 and typical edge angle of 50-60 with an occasional 70. But still I don't feel I carve with high enough angle and not really connecting turns with perfect archs. I am 57 and not sure if it's a flexibility thing? I did try to reach the snow with my hand but feel hard to (probably not angulated enough because of flexibility limitation?) Now I see your drill and really want to try it out in my next skiing. Now the question, were the two kids really how they were like before the drill, or just acting to be like a less perfect carver? I look more like them before the drill and much less like after the drill. I really hope it's true that the drill can allow them improve so much in a day!
Very nice drill. But I would recommend dragging the outside ski pole basket on the ground while flexing your core more so on that outside ski pole drag side in conjunction with the same drill shown here.
If it sounds weird sorry just my 2 cents!
I like this and it is also something I think about too. I also like to focus on standing up on/extending the uphill leg before and into the transition.
exactly the same problem im facing atm. Wish i saw that earlier, now i gotta wait a few months with a broken arm cuz i didnt know this lol
Wow...fascinating video...can't wait to try this! I'm an ex-racer-turned-instructor who has the same problem. My takeaway from seeing this: The inside hand drag causes some leaning (and less upper/lower body separation) so the end result is a carve that is less of a pure railed edge (i.e. has a slight element of steering in it). So the improved speed control comes from (a) a tighter turn shape which means less time in/near the fall line, (b) finishing the turn more across the hill, and (c) a turn that is not a totally "pure" carve means you're actually dumping a little speed through the whole turn. Do I have that right, Tom?
By the way this isn't criticism in any way...I'm actually stoked to add this to my skill set. Just trying to see if I understand the "why". I'm going to try it when I go up tomorrow!
A little late to the party, but this is not creating steering in carved turns. This is still "pure" carving. We can see inclination and angulation as dials that can be adjusted independently based on speed, terrain, turn shape, etc. A common issue with these intermediate to advanced carving skiers is that they over angulate. This comes from learning to carve and learning to activate all of the lower joints when we are learning to carve.
The reason that the coach wanted to increase inclination and reduce angulation in the video is because both of these skiers were relying too much on angulation for their edge angles. This puts their bodies in a weaker position without having the joints "stacked". That is why they could carve well on lower angle terrain, but when the forces increased on more difficult terrain they began to "fold". By aligning the joints you can achieve the same edge angles with a stronger body position, thus allowing for more performance.
Now, here is where it is important to see inclination and angulation as dials. If you try to carve the same turn on low angle terrain with less speed and the same amount of inclination as the students were learning to use on the steeper high speed terrain; you would fall over. Same goes for if you are trying to do very short radius turns while relying heavily on inclination as opposed to angulation. Inclination is simply not going to let you move fast enough.
I learned from a very talented course conductor to think of it this way: "Angulation sets the theme for the turn, inclination creates for the fine adjustments within it."
Wonderful Video with good Interpretation. 😊
I'm DYING to try Handies! Nothing like flying downhill and getting into the "G's" whilst swooping S's.....
I can see the merits of this exercise to improve carving. I grimaced when I watched the video as I flashed back to the days I sustained injuires to both thumbs (skiers thumb). It is very important to understand the proper positioning of the hands, the timing, and the need to practice this move until it becomes habit.
Great video, excellent drill. Everyone skied very well
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome tutorial keep up the good work!!
Thanks, will do!
exactly the tutorial I was looking for ! I can carve in somehow but my inclination it's not at all there
This is amazing tanks !
What is the best ski radius for carbone like that? Thanks!
Fabulous tutorial ⛷️
Will try today 😉
All the best
Best vid I have seen
THIS is the set of drills I've been looking for! Exactly where I am on the journey, and exactly the issues I'm having.
After rapid progress learning to carve, I've hit a wall and unable to progress at same rate.
Totally guilty of pushing for angulation, not inclination (assumed the former was required to achieve the later).
Able to carve clean, until it gets steep, then can't control speed. Realized I need progressive inclination, but misguided to focus on more and more angulation trying to achieve it.
Now can't wait for next season to try these drills. Will rewatch this video right before I go out, so drills and details are fresh.
Awesome Russel.
Hats of to you if you can carve on a green slope, I can only go straight there or skate or walk.
Super cool drill ❤ thank you ❤❤❤
Outstanding drills…thank you!
My frustration is that I just left the mountain 2 days ago. Now I have wait another 300 days to try this out.
I’ll be shopping for some good carving skis off-season… any recommendations?
Oh sorry about the timing. Ok carving skis. I’d say look for a medium radius (15-17m radius) and around 170-180cm. The longer the more stable. So depending on your height and weight. I really like my 175cm 16m radius skis I use here from Fischer. Im 179cm tall and weigh 73kg
I was on the slope last week! I wish I had watched this video before that :(((( Though, I felt it was easier to increase the edge angle on the steeper slopes.
@@Bigpictureskiing Great video Tom. That smile on his face says it all. Advanced skier but not a great carver. Can I expect similar results from a 102mm reasonably stiff ski? 18m radius. Heading to the mountains next week. Thanks
@@reddottx no not from those skis. Rent some narrow carve skis 70mm underfoot or roughly there. 14-16 m radius too
Hi Tom, thank a lot for awsome video. Can you clarify please what kind of ski radius is a best fit for such drills. Is it ok for short radius skis like a slalom?
This is a 15.5m radius 175cm ski. 66mm underfoot so narrow. I find people are on too wide skis these days and it stops them being able to learn to carve. Sure if you’re already and expert it’s fine but mastering carving you want a narrower ski. 12-18m radius in there somewhere and 65-80mm underfoot max!
@@Bigpictureskiingthis is the 100% correct answer. Wider skis are very fun and can allow for a higher edge angle before you boot out, but the transition between edges is much slower and can take more width to get there. Start narrow and then work your way wider.
Thank you
I have not watched all of this but instinctively, and for the first time ever watching anything you have offered Tom, I think this is putting the cart before the horse. I am really a student challenging the master here, but my best high edge angle skiing has come from driving my new down hill ski away from me like a runner out of the block with symmetrical retraction of the uphill ski. The power I get from timing the turn on my down hill ski and the control coming from the edge angle of my uphill ski creates the angle. If I my hand gets on the snow great, if not, as you guys say "no worries" but reaching with you hand... and when it gets steep? I think you need to clarify.
Watch the whole thing and then comment is what I’d suggest. It’s a drill.
Your “driving inside knee” a la Deb Armstrong is fully compatible with this drill, just as any other method of pressuring the ski at apex. I know, because I also practice that method of “stacking” myself over the outside ski - but I also know that I was too scared to try for higher edge angles because I didn’t know how to approach the aggressive inclination (not angulation) needed. This drill changed all that - but I still “sprint” at the apex!
And I would note the the “long leg-short leg” is much more apparent at high speed/high slope angle. In general your downhill/outside let’s knee is still bent, NOT LOCKED OUT, but that the inside, driving knee is bent slight more to ‘get out of the way’ of the high edge angle of the outside ski.
Perfect video for me. I'm a master at carving until things get too steep for my 60 year old legs.
Hi tom
Thanks for great video
I tried your drill and it worked excellent but others say it looks somehow that I'm back seated
Can tell me where is problem ?
should i bend forward more from waist?
Our don't bend my knees more for reaching ground?
Or should i try lean while body?
Where the backseated look come from?
Thank you tom
it's the end of the season, lol ... or you in australia. ... great tips, thanks.still got a week to practice.
Thank you man!
No worries
Tried the J turn, fell and hurt my leg, nothing too serious, maybe with some luck i can go ski to Lapland. Season might be over for me. Tho I managed to get confident enough to touch the snow with me left hand couple of times. Which was my goal for this year.
This really is an expert drill. Don’t forget the fundamentals before expecting results. The skiers in this video, particularly the one in orange, are the perfect candidates for this type of maneuver.
I hope you are back on snow this winter.
@@alexnelson8 Got back to slopes this year. Getting better everytime.
Hi Tom,
I watched your video the first time. It is amazing, your explanations and exercises are great. Í m realy excited.
I will give you feedback as soon as possible, I think you are the key for my skiing to improve to the next level.
Yours Mark
Thanks Mark. Looking forward to it. Not sure if you’ve checked out my site but I save the best stuff for on there. Lots more on everything. Big picture because I think people should know the whole aspect of skiing including equipment, body prep and psychology.
Me, a skier that is still struggling with parallel turns, nodding at the drills saying “this looks helpful”
Fantastic. Was working on this today at Whistler. When I got lower on the hill and the snow got slushy I found that my outside boot/binding (?) would occasionally “catch” on the snow as I tried to get really low and angled. It was like being tripped. The first time I was not expecting at all and had a spectacular wipeout. I’m on 88 skis and Griffon bindings. Any suggestions Tom?
That snow just will do that. Not ideal for higher edge angle turns more so for short turns and bumps. At least that’s what I like to ski when the snow gets that way
wow it seems amazing
How to incline without banking? We used to coach dragging DOWNHILL hand?
I understand bending the inside leg, but do you also consciously slide it a forward during the turn?
I think I focus too much on separating my skis than proper body position of leg extension and flexion, so I'm still putting way to much weight on my inside skis, can't really go that low. I would assume you still feel majority of the weight on the outside skis
Yea but it more comes from turn forces as the ski progressively edges and bends more
Hi Tom quick question, when I look at these turns. I see your shoulders tipping in towards the hill. I was wondering if that's correct or not. That I was instructed that that's not the greatest for balance in ability.
I was hoping that you can explain a little bit more. Especially with inside hand touching the snow.
Shoudlers level with the slope is just a general cue. It is often helpful at the intermediate and advanced stage of skiing. However watch any good skier getting higher angles and the shoulders are not level or if they are its at phases where the skier is coming out of the turn. Not increasing the angles. Decreasing them.
I always imagined doing this would lead to reduced pressure on your outside ski? but it seems like there is an inside shoulder drop, which I've always found reduces pressure on the outside ski
6:02
Tom, your skiing is impeccable, as your demo’s and explanations. Can you elaborate on a little hop I see on initiation. It appears as if the tails come off the snow and pivot (rotate) about the tip to set the new direction. Is this due to trying to shorten the radius and get onto the new edge sooner and quicker? It appears that you are starting the turn with the ski at a high edge angle. Thanks!!
Its not a hop, but a pop (ie the flexed ski pops like a spring when unweighted). A poped ski does indeed get you on to the other edge quickly. A carved turn never requires any "help" from steering.
Great! And that means the uphill ski gets extended beyond the downhill ski, right?? I have asked this question of many pros online and no one has an answer? Yet all the best skiers are doing it.
It might be the way you ask the question. Im not 100 percent on what on mean by extended. Do you mean in front of? Laterally away?
@@Bigpictureskiing Many thanks for replying Tom! Yes, on the traverse, the uphill ski leads, in front of the downhill ski. I wondered if this is a result of extending the outside leg making the uphill ski then automatically extends forwards, only by a small amount, but clearly enough to be evident in all the ski videos. No one ever mentions it and I feel I may be missing some basic technicality...
@@Cameron-ue7lu it’s just a natural lead change that occurs between the feet. If you have ski boots on it limits how much your ankles flex and so you can’t really keep the feet level when your inside leg bends more. The inside foot advances ahead as that leg bends
@@Bigpictureskiing Great, thanks Tom, makes complete sense. I'm heading off to Three Valleys in Jan, hanging up my snowboard for skis and getting myself into the technical detail 😅 Thanks again for the great videos!
@@Cameron-ue7lu you’re welcome
Perfect timing for doing this drill in soft spring snow!
Can you speak as to how this might be reflected in Carv edge angles? I had thought until now that the maximum edge angle is achieved at apex, but it looks like this happens toward the bottom of the turn instead?
Just tried this this morning AND IT WORKED. My reaction when it finally clicked was just like Eric's: utter amazement and exhilaration.
So to answer my own question: I've been able to achieve 80º or so degrees in the past as one-offs, but I've never been able to successfully maintain average edge angles beyond 55º during a run. But just a couple runs of the drill (and a change-up of equipment, see below) and I started being able to predict when I was going to produce higher edge angles, and had a run with an average of 63º. Sadly the day was already warm to start with and by the time I got really going the snow had became too soft, but there was no question the drill was a success.
I had been taught previously not to try reaching for the snow as it would cause me to lose angulation, i.e. pressure against the snow. But without inclination, the high edge angles simply wouldn't be produced, so ... glad you produced this to burst that myth.
FYI: I had to use my more flexy skis with 12-meter turning radius (Head Supershape e-Original) or else I'd run out of trail doing the J-turns (I'm in Massachusetts and was skiing at Wachusett).
Oh man, these videos hit so hard. Wonderful skiing, great tips, can't wait to get on skis again. Still can't decide which skis to get though. Would you be able to recommend me some for these types of turns? I'm 203cm tall, and my weight is around 105kg.
Yes the Fischer Curv in a 185cm would give you the stability and confidence to lay it right over. Awesome ski
@@Bigpictureskiing Thanks ! Will look into it
@Bigpictureskiing Having my inner battle between the Curve vs RC4 Worldcup CT M/O-Platte. Same price atm, have you skied the CTs?
I know I am gonna be that happy someday.
Which pista color (i am EU based) are you practicing on? I started skiing for the first times in 2023, and tried to get some speed on greens and blues, to get more inclination doing this exercise with no results.
Some days ago I tried to push my comfort zone using a steeper red pista for a few times, and suddenly my carv score went up from 70-90 to 105-120 and I really felt that inclination more.
I am curious to know which pista were you running, and I can't wait to try this excercise in a nice steeper red.
This pista is in Canada so I don't really know the conversion to EU but I can tell you that its more of a blue in Canada's terms
This is a solid blue run so would be like a decent pitch red run. Steeper is better for this drill
First time i tried this , I felt like the pressure went to the inside ski, even with the long and short leg. Have to try again tomorrow.
Try on a steeper slope. You need a ton of centrifugal force to lean on to make this work.
Should you not drag opposite hand to get that c shape angulation over the outside ski ???
Thats an element of the whole picture. Creating a balanced against the outside ski position. But never will you see and expert skier drag their outside hand. If you see one let me know. Drills that encourage that outside hand to be lower are good but there is a Goldilocks ammount. Skiing is about exploring ranges and outcomes of doing something to the max and bringing it back from there. I can highly recommend trying this as you saw the results from the two boys and how much fun they had.
What Fischer Ski are you using and what is the lenght . Is it a 165cm slalom ski or the CT model
It’s the 175 cm CT