Question: Toes - Have you paid attention to them?

[lisaski]

While skiing yesterday, I started to pay attention to my toes. Weird thing to do, but intriguing. I notice that I clench the toes on my left foot while I ski while those on my right foot are relaxed. I don't know why I do this, but I would think that having my toes relaxed inside the boot is the preferred way to ski. Anyone have any comments or insights on this?

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I often find that I clench if the boot is not holding me super snugly and I am skiing fast or choppy snow. It may be that one foot is looser than the other. Super common as most of us have a shorter foot and a more muscular foot.

Cool that you are aware of this. That awareness is so useful in skiing.

 

[SallyCat]

I lift my toes in the boot when I'm having trouble staying centered. Seems to be a little cue that gets my body forward.

 

[liquidfeet]

To keep my feet relaxed, I sometimes clench and unclench both sets of toes in a rhythmic fashion, and work on doing that without screwing up my turns.

 

[lisaski]

I often find that I clench if the boot is not holding me super snugly and I am skiing fast or choppy snow. It may be that one foot is looser than the other. Super common as most of us have a shorter foot and a more muscular foot.

Cool that you are aware of this. That awareness is so useful in skiing.

Thanks! I believe that was the issue. The front buckle on my left boot was all the way unscrewed. I inadvertently loosened it instead of tightening. I should repeat to myself "righty tighy, lefty loosie"

 

[Jilly]

If I'm clenching my toes, I'm on something that I'm not comfortable with. It's my fear signal. I have to relax them and then enjoy the ride!

 

[DebbieSue]

What she said ^^^. Also, when I clench/curl my toes I get more skid, less carve, which does not help matters at all!

 

[jthree]

So my ski instructor (I've taken a multi-week women's group class the past 2 years) is ALWAYS talking about our toes. I think in my very first lesson with this group she talked about "releasing the pinky toe" of the inside foot when initiating a turn. I've realized I clench my toes too. Just a natural reflex for me- I do it in other settings- but yeah, worse if I'm tensed up.

I've been thinking this season that perhaps my boots are slightly too big too and that is part of the toe-clenching reflex.

 

[lisaski]

So my ski instructor (I've taken a multi-week women's group class the past 2 years) is ALWAYS talking about our toes. I think in my very first lesson with this group she talked about "releasing the pinky toe" of the inside foot when initiating a turn. I've realized I clench my toes too. Just a natural reflex for me- I do it in other settings- but yeah, worse if I'm tensed up.

I've been thinking this season that perhaps my boots are slightly too big too and that is part of the toe-clenching reflex.

Yesterday, after tightening the front buckle on my boots, which are new and I am breaking in, I was not clenching my toes and instead could feel them flat on the footbed. Needless to say, that is much better for edge control.

 

[Iwannaski]

I find that there is a distinct correlation between my neck angle and my toe clenching. (haven’t figured out which one causes which...)

If my neck is scrunched, my toes are scrunched. If my neck is relaxed with a focal point down the mountain, my toes are a little more relaxed too. This isn’t rocket science, but it’s helpful. I definitely have noticed times when my toes are NOT chill and it’s a vicious cycle of terror —> backseat —> less control —> more terror.


Lesson: toes and neck gotta chill.

 

[lisaski]

I find that there is a distinct correlation between my neck angle and my toe clenching. (haven’t figured out which one causes which...)

If my neck is scrunched, my toes are scrunched. If my neck is relaxed with a focal point down the mountain, my toes are a little more relaxed too. This isn’t rocket science, but it’s helpful. I definitely have noticed times when my toes are NOT chill and it’s a vicious cycle of terror —> backseat —> less control —> more terror.


Lesson: toes and neck gotta chill.

I agree clenched toes are an impediment to staying forward and using the skis front edges to turn and control speed. I had an all day lesson with Wendy Fisher in Crested Butte three years ago and she told me to pretend there are tacks under my heels in my ski boots to stay forward.

 

[liquidfeet]

I agree clenched toes are an impediment to staying forward and using the skis front edges to turn and control speed. I had an all day lesson with Wendy Fisher in Crested Butte three years ago and she told me to pretend there are tacks under my heels in my ski boots to stay forward.

If there were tacks under my heels in my ski boots I'd keep my heels up in the air to protect them from puncture. Is that what she was instructing you to do?

 

[lucy]

And here I thought I was the only one who has to say silently or sometimes out loud, “Toes flat!! Weight forward!” before heading down a run. Looks like I’m in good company. ;)

 

[liquidfeet]

I agree clenched toes are an impediment to staying forward and using the skis front edges to turn and control speed. I had an all day lesson with Wendy Fisher in Crested Butte three years ago and she told me to pretend there are tacks under my heels in my ski boots to stay forward.

If there were tacks under my heels in my ski boots I'd keep my heels up in the air to protect them from puncture. Is that what she was instructing you to do? @lisaski, did she really want you to lift your heels inside the boots? This is so opposite of what works that I'm flummoxed that anyone with credentials would ever suggest this. I'm wondering if I am misunderstanding what you were told.

 

[lisaski]

If there were tacks under my heels in my ski boots I'd keep my heels up in the air to protect them from puncture. Is that what she was instructing you to do? @lisaski, did she really want you to lift your heels inside the boots? This is so opposite of what works that I'm flummoxed that anyone with credentials would ever suggest this. I'm wondering if I am misunderstanding what you were told.

It was for keeping weight on the front edges of the skis. If you have all the weight on the balls of your feet, you will never be in the back seat. Skiing the front edges of your skis provides more control of speed and allows one to ski closer to the fall line, ski a tighter line through trees. I have been practicing that now for three years and it really works. Also, it allows one to engage ankles more - rolling ankles inside the boot to apply extra pressure on the front edges on groomers.

 

[Jilly]

That analogy is a little severe, but if it works for you, let it. Getting forward isn't just about the toes, its the whole lower body. Foot, ankle, knee and hip joints.

I prefer the "bouncing a ball" or "ready position from tennis" to tacks under my heels. And sometimes you need to move the weight on the foot back a bit. Depends on your conditions.

 

[lisaski]

That analogy is a little severe, but if it works for you, let it. Getting forward isn't just about the toes, its the whole lower body. Foot, ankle, knee and hip joints.

I prefer the "bouncing a ball" or "ready position from tennis" to tacks under my heels. And sometimes you need to move the weight on the foot back a bit. Depends on your conditions.

I agree. The analogy of tacks under the heels isn't just about the toes. It's more about how to stop skidding out of turns by riding the tails of ones skis - using front edges for control, thus keeping tighter with the fall line in steeps and trees.

 

[liquidfeet]

For those of you who ski with most or all of your weight on the balls of your feet, you should know that there are two camps. Yours is one. Your camp uses ball-of-foot pressure to direct weight to the front half of the skis, or at least to the center of the skis. The more enthusiastic members of this camp even go so far as to unweight the heels, lightening them or even lifting them inside the boot if room allows. I used to be a member of this group, but no more.

The other camp has the whole foot weighted, with most of the weight hovering over the back of the arch directly under the tibia, and the shin contacting the front of the cuff - always. This second camp directs pressure to the front half of the ski by hovering upper body weight over the shins, so that each shin tilts forward, levering the front of the ski down against the snow.

The disadvantage of the first camp is that the tails can wash out if they don't have enough weight or pressure on them. One way to avoid this is to move the outside ski forward at the end of the turn.

The disadvantage of the second camp is it takes a while to learn to work that boot tongue as a lever that can press the ski shovel downward. However, this process can be manipulated with great precision without losing the tail's grip. It gives the skier the ultimate amount of control over under-ski pressure.

 

[lisaski]

For those of you who ski with most or all of your weight on the balls of your feet, you should know that there are two camps. Yours is one. Your camp uses ball-of-foot pressure to direct weight to the front half of the skis, or at least to the center of the skis. The more enthusiastic members of this camp even go so far as to unweight the heels, lightening them or even lifting them inside the boot if room allows. I used to be a member of this group, but no more.

The other camp has the whole foot weighted, with most of the weight hovering over the back of the arch directly under the tibia, and the shin contacting the front of the cuff - always. This second camp directs pressure to the front half of the ski by hovering upper body weight over the shins, so that each shin tilts forward, levering the front of the ski down against the snow.

The disadvantage of the first camp is that the tails can wash out if they don't have enough weight or pressure on them. One way to avoid this is to move the outside ski forward at the end of the turn.

The disadvantage of the second camp is it takes a while to learn to work that boot tongue as a lever that can press the ski shovel downward. However, this process can be manipulated with great precision without losing the tail's grip. It gives the skier the ultimate amount of control over under-ski pressure.

Weight on balls of feet also pressures the tongue of the boot. It's not a black or white thing.

 

[Jilly]

Well, this is one where I'm actually with LF. Weight really should be centred through your arch. But most skiers are on the heel and no where near the arch or the toes. So telling them to get forward by putting the weight on the balls of the foot works to get it centered.

I see a lot of skiers that are very straight from the waist up. That means that they are not using the tongue as the lever per LF. Shoulders back, puts them in the back seat.

With shaped skis we don't need as much pressure on the tips as we did with the straight skis.