Favorite Drills for Early Season?

[Beartown]

Heading out on the snow next week for the first time since March. No new snow in the forecast, so likely dealing with groomers for the most part. Did a pretty intensive 2 month fitness prep, but I always find that skiing is the best preparation for skiing, so I'm looking for your favorite drills to dial in my skills during my first week out. Bonus points for video examples!

 

[DanoT]

I start out attempting "Top to Bottom Non-Stop Skiing". Speed doesn't matter, in fact going slower means turning more, so more of a workout.

 

[Philpug]

Pivot Slips

 

[Bad Bob]

Step turns, pivot slips, pivot slips to short radius in a corridors, 360s, some jump turns. Those are some of what I did last Saturday. And i smiled a lot.

 

[jimtransition]

Speiss/Hop turns, when I can do sets of 50 I know my legs are good to go. Other than that, my regular favourites of javelin, dolphin, one ski skiing.

This was my first summer off skis since 2008, hopefully going to ski on Wednesday, will be ski touring though as Niseko isn't scheduled to open till the weekend.

 

[Pierre]

Speiss/Hop turns, when I can do sets of 50 I know my legs are good to go. Other than that, my regular favourites of javelin, dolphin, one ski skiing.

torture, I would be dead if I tried half of that.

For me, I will start out skiing my regular turns on a set of blades. Finishing turns to 90 degrees across the fall line, slow and carved until they are super smooth. Then I transition to regular skis.

 

[Pierre]

Another exercise that I will do first day is from a traverse 90 degrees across the fall line roll onto the new downhill edges and carve a turn downhill with no sideslip during engagement.

Another on blades is pivot slips 45 degrees across the fall line in a narrow corridor.

Neither of these two exercises requires great strength but they do require precise timing, center of mass movements edging and steering skills. There is slop in my skiing if I can't do them.

 

[jimtransition]

torture, I would be dead if I tried half of that.

For me, I will start out skiing my regular turns on a set of blades. Finishing turns to 90 degrees across the fall line, slow and carved until they are super smooth. Then I transition to regular skis.

I expect to be dead the first time I try it as well! At least Hokkaido is low altitude, start of the season in Portillo is a killer (3000m at the base).

 

[Beartown]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Can't wait to get on the snow!

 

[Chris V.]

All kinds of variations on the falling leaf. Carvy, slippy, forward, backward, shallow, steep, slow, fast. On groomers. In bumps!

Exaggerated boot touch drills.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Flat 360ºs focused on foot and leg work for controlling at least three things: fore-aft pressure, maintaining precise edge control, and managing amount and timing of weight transfer.
Pivot slips and backwards pivot slips for all the above along with separation.
Super-short radius turns down the fall line, very narrow corridor, maximizing time spent above the fall line. Just because.
RRTrx with pencil-thin lines in the snow for reminding oneself what an engaged ski feels like.
RRTrx progressing into carved turns to rediscover the blissful sensation of an engaged ski performing its role - if trails are uncrowded.
Those drills cover both ends of the ski-snow-interaction spectrum.

 

[François Pugh]

JK,
Favourite drills, no; drills are work, not favourite.

OK, maybe railroad tracks top to bottom, except not really railroad tracks because the width between the tracks gets wider at the apex and narrower at transition.
Wait, that's just my regular skiing.
Sorry, no favourite drills for early season.

 

[Steve]

 

[Steve]

I don't do many drills either. Just ski and focus on things. Fore/aft, etc.

 

[LiquidFeet]

I had one of ^^those brace-and-bits. And one of these sprial drills. Loved them both. Especially the brace-and-bit. Prop end of handle on hip, push while rotating the handle. Perfect job every time.

 

[JESinstr]

Pole Drag Drill. Thanks Heluva...where ever you are...

 

[LiquidFeet]

No wires, no batteries. Loved this push drill too. No wires, no batteries, no chargers. Less storage.
So easy.
Drill thread drift. Why not?

 

[Bad Bob]

Did a bunch of 'Thumper Drills' yesterday. Hadn't done those for a long time, great for getting your stance in the right place.

Set a lot of screws with a "Yankee Drill" like above. Great tool.

 

[martyg]

Depends on where your inefficiencies are. In my case, carving is a strong point. Rotary motions, due to injury, are not. So I emphasize pivot slips.

Day one is the best day to seek out a private lesson. Several if my long-time private clients believed it was best to get "their ski legs" before booking. Now they see the light. Addressing inefficient movement patterns on day one starts your progression on day one.

Someone posted top to bottom runs. I don't agree. The way that you change movement patterns is by making 10 - 20 perfect executions. Stopping. Assessing. Making mental notes on what worked. What didn't. Repeating. Skiing yourself to physical failure will do zero to improve skiing efficiencies, unless you are in that perfect pkace already, and you do not waiver due to fatigue.

 

[François Pugh]

I agree with @martyg , if a top to bottom run is going to tire you out, as a general rule (there are always exceptions), don't do that.
And I also agree, it all depends on where your at (and where you want to go and what direction works best to get you there).