Glove Squeeze

Starting position; arrow points to glove

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Your lesson, the "Glove Squeeze", falls into the category of "You want me to do what?!". Once beyond your initial surprise, you’ll find this to be a very useful exercise to develop foot and ski control for ungroomed snow, bump, and crud skiing. Since you’re already making short turns and using your poles, the glove squeeze will help you learn to keep the skis and legs lined up correctly. In ungroomed conditions, especially powder, crud, and windpack, it’s crucial that the skis and legs work and stay together. When the skis come apart, they will invariably head in different directions, perhaps crossing, perhaps diverging, often leading to a tumble.

Preliminary
If you’re not sure of how to make linked, parallel turns using the Phantom Move, refer to exercises GB-10 and GB-11 in the Primary Movements Teaching System™ Instructor Manual.

In Brief
Place a glove (or hat, nerf ball, or similar soft object) between your ski boots, at ankle height. Squeeze your free foot toward your stance foot to hold the glove. Aim both skis into the fall line, start sliding, then link turns using the Phantom Move. Keep the ankle of your free foot squeezed or pressed against the stance boot so you don’t drop the glove. A friend can be of assistance for this lesson, both in placing the glove and retrieving it if needed.

Details
Start on extremely gentle terrain, with the skis parallel and close together, aimed down the fall line. Place the glove between your feet, and squeeze it tight. Once sliding, lighten the free foot. While you lighten the foot, continue pressing it toward the stance foot to keep the glove in place. Use the Phantom Move of the free foot - tipping it toward the little-toe edge - to change direction. Keep the free foot squeezed against the stance foot throughout the turn. As soon as the stance ski has changed direction sufficiently, switch the stance and free foot: balance momentarily on the little-toe edge of the free foot, and immediately lighten and tip the previous stance ski. Alternate feet to link turns.

Summary
The free foot is light, not supporting balance; that’s why it’s "free" to move. Keep the free foot very light on the snow and it will be easier to squeeze it against the other boot.
The stance foot must remain passive throughout the turn. If you attempt to edge or turn the stance ski, your feet will come apart (even slightly) and you’ll drop the glove. Perform the Glove Squeeze for a long stretch in which you can link numerous turns, perhaps on a catwalk. In this way, you’ll identify the muscles you need to use to keep the feet together, and you’ll reinforce the actions of the free foot (lightening and tipping) in creating linked turns. Then try some linked turns in ungroomed conditions, keeping the feet squeezed together just as if the glove were still in place.
Have a friend ski behind you so you won’t have to hike up the hill to retrieve a dropped glove.

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"PMTS", "Primary Movements", and "Primary Movements Teaching System" are trademarks of Harb Ski Systems, Inc.
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