Phantom Wedge Closure

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Your lesson, the "Phantom wedge closure", will help you to bring your skis to parallel from a wedge position. It’s the introduction to the Phantom Move, where the lightening and tipping of the free foot makes the stance ski turn. Starting in a wedge traverse allows you to practice the Phantom wedge closure that will create a parallel finish to your turns.

The lightening and tipping of the free foot is called the Phantom Move. The Phantom Move, when performed properly, is smooth, progressive, and barely detectable, hence its name. Notice how with the emphasis on the Phantom Move, the skis are parallel by fig. c. The last three photos, fig. d-f, emphasize the strong tipping of the free foot.
All this activity starts with the free foot (here, the uphill foot). The tipping of the free foot activates the kinetic chain, up through the pelvis and over to the stance leg, producing the turning action of the stance ski. Efficiency and balance are diminished if the actions start higher in the body. Sensations from the feet tell us how the skis are behaving and how to adjust the feet. Consequently, focusing on the feet yields precise control.

Preliminary
If you have trouble with this lesson, start with exercises 3.1 through 3.3 in our book, Anyone can be an Expert Skier.

In Brief
On an easy slope that’s well within your comfort range, stand with the skis pointed across the hill. Open the tails into a wedge position, aim the skis slightly downhill, and start to slide across the slope with the skis in the wedge position (look uphill before sliding to avoid oncoming skiers). From this wedge traverse, lighten the uphill foot (it becomes the free foot), draw it toward the stance foot, and tip it strongly toward its little-toe edge to create a parallel turn finish.
Practice the Phantom wedge closure in both directions. Once you can perform it both ways, link wedge turns on easy terrain and use the Phantom wedge closure to finish each turn.

Details
Fig. a. Start in a wedge, but balance primarily on the stance foot (here, the skier’s right). Slide down and across the slope.
Fig. b. Tip the free foot (skier’s left) over to its little-toe edge as that ski glides over the snow.
Fig. c. No time to be passive - keep coaxing the free foot over to its little-toe edge and draw it closer. Tipping is easier as the feet get closer together.
Fig. d. Tip the free foot more aggressively to bring it farther onto edge than the stance foot.
Fig. e. Don’t stop now! Keep your free foot light, pull the free heel toward the stance heel, and continue to tip the free foot. Watch the skis turn.
Fig. f. Remarkably, the skis are turning with virtually no effort or strength. This results from the Phantom Move.

Summary
Emphasis on tipping has yielded a free ski that is tipped uphill farther (fig. d) than the stance ski. The knee of the free leg points uphill, but that is a result of actively tipping the free foot. The movement starts at the foot.
Note the lack of activity in the stance leg. There is no effort of the stance leg to engage the stance ski, tip it on edge, or twist it.
Shaped skis make it easier and quicker to learn, although traditional skis will respond to the movements of this lesson. To experience immediate success at low speeds with the Primary Movements Teaching System™, use shaped skis.

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©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.