Can't figure out the darn pole plant!

[Jilly]

Exactly!!

 

[Ermit]

This may not apply to you at all, but I could never ever do pole plants (as in, I would get so mentally off track that I would nearly fall) until I practiced drills specific to shaping turns with the tip of my inside ski. Those drills lead me to see that I wasn't adequately initiating turns with my inside ski, and once I started to do that that pole plants were immediately effortless. By effortless I don't mean elegant or graceful, but I can easily get the correct pole out with an approximation of good timing. I know from practicing martial arts that doing things with two separate hemispheres of my body is very very difficult for me, and that's what I was in effect doing when pole planting with my left pole and trying to initiate a turn with my right outer ski or perhaps both skis. With the plant and the initiation on the same hemisphere it became immeasurably easier.

Again, perhaps this doesn't apply to you, but it was the issue for me. I've watched countless videos, taken lessons, etc., but nothing clicked for me until I did this unrelated exercise.

 

[Tvan]

Looks like this is an opportunity to revive the infamous Joker thread ... while this promises ear worms for days (you’ve been warned!) there is also good info on pole planting: https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/long-steep-steeps.9120/

 

[liquidfeet]

....I wasn't adequately initiating turns with my inside ski, and once I started to do that that pole plants were immediately effortless. ....I know from practicing martial arts that doing things with two separate hemispheres of my body is very very difficult for me, and that's what I was in effect doing when pole planting with my left pole and trying to initiate a turn with my right outer ski or perhaps both skis. With the plant and the initiation on the same hemisphere it became immeasurably easier.

What a great personal insight!

 

[Latetotheparty]

Well, let's change that formula a bit.

--Ski with hands out in front as if you are carrying a cafeteria tray. Do not reach. The movement is not in the hands. This feels weird since there is no cafeteria tray and no obvious reason to hold hands out there. Just do it.
--Slowly flick outside pole's tip forward alongside your ski as the turn progresses, keeping its tip hovering in the air. It's the pole bottom, way down there, its tip, that does the swinging, not your hand or arm. The pole tip swings, not the arm. No reaching with the arm/hand allowed. This feels odd since we swing our arms when walking and running. Swing the pole instead. Keep the hands quiet.
--Drop that tip down to the snow for a tap at the end of the old turn. Avoid planting it solidly, just tap. Tap its tip onto the snow near the old outside foot, not forward of it. You swung it forward of that foot prior to tapping it, but at that forward point it was in the air. When it comes back and touches down, it does its touchdown right near your downhill foot.
--Make the turn as if you had not done the pole touch. You don't really turn around the pole. You just turn, as if not doing anything with the pole.
--Keep the hand where it was after the pole tap. Do not drop it back down by your side. It will really really want to drop. Dropping will feel right, because it's like swinging your arms while walking and running. Don't let it. Instead, if you keep the hand where it would be carrying that cafeteria tray, it should actually feel like you are projecting that planting hand forward as the new turn is starting. This sensation tells you that you are succeeding in not letting the pole planting hand drop back.

--So why plant the poles if you are not turning "around" them? ...Why bother if you can make turns without any pole plants? Why bother if they are so hard to do without swinging the hands/arms? Because the pole swings establish your rhythm. It's a timing thing, a tempo thing. The pole swings work just like arm swings do when running. If you want to run faster, swing arms faster. If you want to make turns faster, swing poles faster.
--Flick the wrists to swing the pole tips fore-aft. It's a small range-of-motion, just in the wrist. How much rigidity do you want in those arms? No rigidity, keep them relaxed. They will move a wee bit.

I love this! I am also struggling with my pole plants, and ski with several “0ld school” superb skiers who are constantly on my case. While I have heard everything you just said at least once, I never saw it laid out so methodically. This will help a lot, I’m sure! Thank you!

 

[Latetotheparty]

I love this! I am also struggling with my pole plants, and ski with several “0ld school” superb skiers who are constantly on my case. While I have heard everything you just said at least once, I never saw it laid out so methodically. This will help a lot, I’m sure! Thank you!

I tried out the techniques you laid out today, and I finally had a couple of hey , you are skiing well today comments. I felt much more in control and on top of my skis, and while I need to practice, practice, practice- this was a breakthrough! One of my best days skiing! Thank you, thank you! You are bringing great joy to my life- I yearn to ski even half as well as my friends, and this really helped. Bless you!

 

[BMR]

I think I have finally figured it out, thanks to all the helpful tips here. It's amazing how much it helps your skiing vs being just another thing to remember to do.

 

[Latetotheparty]

Well, let's change that formula a bit.

--Ski with hands out in front as if you are carrying a cafeteria tray. Do not reach. The movement is not in the hands. This feels weird since there is no cafeteria tray and no obvious reason to hold hands out there. Just do it.
--Slowly flick outside pole's tip forward alongside your ski as the turn progresses, keeping its tip hovering in the air. It's the pole bottom, way down there, its tip, that does the swinging, not your hand or arm. The pole tip swings, not the arm. No reaching with the arm/hand allowed. This feels odd since we swing our arms when walking and running. Swing the pole instead. Keep the hands quiet.
--Drop that tip down to the snow for a tap at the end of the old turn. Avoid planting it solidly, just tap. Tap its tip onto the snow near the old outside foot, not forward of it. You swung it forward of that foot prior to tapping it, but at that forward point it was in the air. When it comes back and touches down, it does its touchdown right near your downhill foot.
--Make the turn as if you had not done the pole touch. You don't really turn around the pole. You just turn, as if not doing anything with the pole.
--Keep the hand where it was after the pole tap. Do not drop it back down by your side. It will really really want to drop. Dropping will feel right, because it's like swinging your arms while walking and running. Don't let it. Instead, if you keep the hand where it would be carrying that cafeteria tray, it should actually feel like you are projecting that planting hand forward as the new turn is starting. This sensation tells you that you are succeeding in not letting the pole planting hand drop back.

--So why plant the poles if you are not turning "around" them? ...Why bother if you can make turns without any pole plants? Why bother if they are so hard to do without swinging the hands/arms? Because the pole swings establish your rhythm. It's a timing thing, a tempo thing. The pole swings work just like arm swings do when running. If you want to run faster, swing arms faster. If you want to make turns faster, swing poles faster.
--Flick the wrists to swing the pole tips fore-aft. It's a small range-of-motion, just in the wrist. How much rigidity do you want in those arms? No rigidity, keep them relaxed. They will move a wee bit.

It is SO hard not to drop your hands! But I am getting there! 3 days skiing after reading this 50 times, and it’s way better-the whole flow of skiing down a slope just comes together when your poles are in the right place at the right time. It changes body placement, edge and foot balance- everything! Now I know why my friends were always telling me “plant your poles!”. If only they had explained what they meant...