Going from advanced to elite | How body alignment can transform your skiing

If a world-class instructor watched you ski past, what's the one piece of advice they would give to help transform your skiing?

We've teamed up with Carv Ambassador and APSI Level 4 instructor Tom Gellie to bring you another episode of our Carv Technique Teardown series.

In today’s lesson Tom takes a look at some skiing footage submitted by Renzo. Renzo is looking to improve his technique - he's an advanced skier, but there are a few big unlocks that can transform his technique.

Tom identifies some valuable learning points which can help a lot of advanced skiers:
- Learning to engage the edge early
- Using body alignment to create a stable structure
- Being smooth and patient in the turn

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What's a Technique Teardown?
Get advice direct from a pro, so you're ready for a breakthrough the next time you're out carving the groomers, or tackling the off-piste.
The best bit? The next video could be you.
Upload a video of you skiing for your chance to be featured in the next Technique Teardown.

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Timecodes
0:00 - Introduction to technique teardown
0:35 - Introduction to body alignment
1:00 - Early edging
1:30 - Introducing Renzo
3:03 - Diagnosing the body alignment
4:50 - Side by side analysis
7:51 - At home exercise 1
10:20 - At home exercise 2 - find a wall
12:04 - Final points

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[danlee]

I really like how Tom connects all of the pieces together, the skiers form, the correction, followed by the reasoning and an exercise to try it out to develop the movement in a static and safe environment. Thanks so much!

[neilplotkin]

Thank you very much for the very specific problem solving. As a very strong skier, it's so hard to understand the small things that we do that are holding us back. The dry land break down was very helpful

[adamev]

This is both excellent and timely. I have been in the mountain today using the early edging monitor. After watching this video, I wrongly assumed that early edging equates to high edge angle and this is wrong.

Thank you for posting, you are helping a poor skier become slightly less poor.

[peterf]

Another excellent Technique Teardown. To the non-expert eye (mine) Renzo is a very good skier. The changes you suggest for him are quite subtle, but you can see in the side by side videos just what a difference they would make. I hope I can start putting this advice into practice. You end by suggesting something that was probably the best single piece of advice I have ever received from an instructor: "Switch off the over-critical part of your brain and feel what's happening. Above all smile and have fun."

[robinroscoediamond]

Love it. Trying to learn movement analysis for level ii psia. This was great

[simon]

Yes, yes, yes! Feeling the effect of your movements and balance through your feet is the secret😊

[niklasgustafsson]

Great analysis Tom! Highlighting something that I think many really advanced skiers needs to work on. My feeling is that for many years, even experienced ski instructors, got this wrong. “Getting the hip in” have gotten to much attention - and in the process of trying to flex and get the hip low the fundamentals of outside ski pressure and balance have been overlooked. The “low hip” becomes a false focus and actually hinders further progression. WELL DONE 👍

[davidcogen-lkfk]

Thank you very much with the advise! This is actually a multisport relevant as the over flexion of the knees ruins lower and upper body connection. It really helped me to understand why sometimes i am doing well and sometimes underperform with no particular visible reason. Additionally, it helped with my golf swing as i had my over flexion of the knees though it was only few extra degrees that affected my game.

[nickst-a]

Thanks Tom! I've been watching your videos for a long time now and your tips have helped me progress considerably. That said, I'm currently skiing at around a 127 Ski IQ with Carv. This topic has been on my mind for too long, so thanks!!! My outside leg always "wobbles" under high pressure, more than likely as a results of doing what we saw in the video. My platform doesn't feel as solid as I would like in the turns. Looking forward to trying your technique. I'll practice indoors to get the "feel" before going to the hill to try it!

[drgnfr]

Excellent video, as always!
Your skiing is simply a masterpiece of art!

[yvonpelletier]

Thank you Tom! Love your explanations. From a person who didn’t flex enough, now understanding that you can over flex, as well. Thank you for pointing this out. It will help me greatly!

[onlinewen]

Tom, as always, you explained it in precise and easy language. I may be the one who over-does the flex., Thank you so much.

[patrickrooze]

Clear explanation again. My ski holiday is already over but I can take this for next year. What I discover this year a lot: I was focusing on outside ski pressure and I push my outside ski to much away from me instead to push it " in the ground". So I think I make the same mistake as you show here. thx

[warrenebbett]

Hi Tom,
Early edge angle is what I am working on this season. What a difference it makes carving in icy conditions. Also in steep terrain it prevents you picking up spee. I can understand your teaching and approach unlike some of the others out there.

[PedroPedross]

Thanks a lot; that was just the right kind of explanation I needed. I got frustrated lately with not getting better with my front/back pressure and now just realized that I have overdone it. Will try it out tomorrow and see how it goes. Peter (SIQ 154)

[jimrobert]

Been watching you for awhile. Just received my carv footbeds and can’t wait to try them. Your comparison and comments are right on my opinion. If I freeze the comparison of yourself and Renzo at the apex phase of the turn, stand you both up vertical and start piling weight on you both at the shoulders, it’s pretty obvious from an engineering point of view that Renzo as a structure would be quite weak. Your structure on the other hand appears to have much less tendency to buckle. Regarding a previous comment about dissimilar skiing conditions, in my clinics I always say good skiers look good in most conditions but great skiers look good in all conditions. Well done Tom!

[ramdisk]

excellent, loved this video, thanks Tom

[guyvaes]

Again a fantastic video Tom. Nobody can explain difficult things as simple and as good as you ! I got the (big) picture 🙂

[davidmckay]

Good stuff, Tom. I just recently learned how effective the early edging is, and had raised my scores accordingly, but my end of turn scores were very low, and tails were washing out. Also seemed to tire my legs more, and you’ve made it clear as to why.
Looking forward to using this

[paulwhetstone]

Nice clear analysis with good practice tips. I’ll try implementing your suggestions next time I ski.