Phantom Move from Fall Line

(Animation Loading... Please give it time to play)

Your lesson, the "Phantom Move from Fall Line", will help you learn to engage your stance ski. An engaged stance ski grips and carves, rather than skidding sideways or twisting out from under you. Learning to engage the stance ski is the key to skiing successfully on hardpack and steeper hills.
The important feature of this lesson is how the free foot causes the stance ski to engage. Many skiers will attempt to create carving by forcefully edging the stance ski - using effort to roll that ski further onto the big-toe edge. Unfortunately, the effort to "dig in" with the big-toe edge of the stance ski actually has the opposite effect - the stance leg twists inward, and the tail of the stance ski washes out and slips away. Throughout this lesson, focus your efforts on tipping the free foot, and remain passive with the stance ski.
A mention of ski tuning is also in order. A poorly tuned ski will not grip on ice, no matter how accurate your technique. Lightly draw your finger along your skis’ edges. They should feel smooth, consistent, and sharp. If there are small burrs or nicks, remove them with a diamond stone. If there are significant nicks, burrs, or dull spots, have your skis stoneground and tuned at a reputable shop. Make sure the shop knows and will tune to the ski manufacturer’s recommended tuning angles.

Preliminary
If you have trouble with this lesson, start with exercises 5.1 and 5.2 in our book, Anyone can be an Expert Skier.

In Brief
Aim your skis straight downhill, down the fall line. With your feet close to each other, start to slide downhill. Lift the free foot and tip it toward the little-toe edge - the Phantom Move. Keep tipping the free foot until the stance ski has turned out of the fall line and come to a stop. The free foot should stay close to or in contact with the stance leg throughout the exercise.
Try this in both directions. Lift and tip the right ski to turn right; lift and tip the left ski to turn left. Start on gentle terrain, and practice there until you’re comfortable riding the stance ski to a stop in both directions. Then, try it on progressively steeper terrain. Next, link turns using the Phantom Move with the free foot to engage the stance ski.

Details
Fig. a. Slide straight downhill with the feet close together.
Fig. b. Lighten and slightly lift the free ski. Lift up with the arch to start tipping the free ski.
Fig. c. Tip the free ski strongly toward its little-toe edge.
Fig. d. Keep tipping the free ski as the stance ski rolls onto its big-toe edge and turns out of the fall line. Keep the free foot in contact with the stance boot.
Fig. e. Keep tipping the free foot. Pull it back underneath you so the arch stays in contact with the cuff of the stance boot. The stance ski will continue to turn across the hill.
Fig. f. Keep tipping with the free foot until you come to a stop.

top

back to contents

©1999-2002 Harb Ski Systems, Inc.
"PMTS", "Primary Movements", and "Primary Movements Teaching System" are trademarks of Harb Ski Systems, Inc.
"Direct Parallel" is a Registered Trademark of Harb Ski Systems, Inc.