perma-grin
Instructor PSIA L 3, APD Alpine Ski training MHSP
Under the plastic directly on top of the tongue, I like it snuged up but not so tight as to restrict comfort or circulation. The idea is to keep the liner in better firmer connection with the shaft of your lower leg and ankle hense transmitting the driving lateral power to the shell of the boot and the ski. If the liner and cuff are loose and sloppy, energy and control are lessened. You want your tongue to respond with a progressive flex. Your tongues of your boots should be moving laterally as your legs are knees and lower legs are tipping into the new turn also. (pretend you are standing on the face of a giigantic clock. Your skis are pointed directly at 12:00,tipping both boot tongues and knees to 10:00 for a turn to the left and to 2:00 for a turn to the right. ) If your boots are loose and slopy these tipping movements are less efficent to tip the ski up on edge( because of the slop in the boot). Nothing should ever be worn so tightly that it restricts your ability to open and close your ankle joint to maintain kinetic balance over your ski and to allow yourself to accept terrian changes( bumps ,crud, ruts in the course). Or for that matter the energy that the ski may give back to you in the form of rebound.