Upper ski edge work

[Jcb2ski]

I read the skid vs carving thread and not sure it exactly addresses what I want to learn.
So I am hoping to get a few tips here maybe! I took a lesson with an instructor yesterday and explained I wanted to learn how to get more on my edges and get control on steeper terrain and ice of blues trails so I could feel in control and not go to fast. But not what he wanted to work on at all. Very weird lesson. Oh well.

I further explained to you all since you have not seen my skiing. When I ski on a steep pitch I usually get off fine then get going to fast or hit ice and will start to do my old approach of slowing down by zigzag into a turn ( not completing a nice round turn but rather zigzagging) as I can not get my upper ski to get on the edge and this causes the tip to float or the back of ski will skid. therefore I ma out of control.

I want to feel able to control my speed by completing my turns and not half way through the turn zigzag to slow down. It is not the way to ski I know but not sure how to correct this.

I have been told about using your big toe little toe exercise to help with the pressure in boot. This I can do mostly with only the bottom ski. I need to get balance better on my upper ski and get more on my edge. Yet not sure how to do this. know both skis need ot be on more of the edge but will start with my upper.

For those of you who want to give tips, would you be willing to write it a a simple form to help me understand. Easier than long descriptions of how to do it. Also any tips ons a DVD or videos that might help would be great! Since, I am such a very hands on visual learner!!
Thanks everyone!

 

[mountainxtc]

what did your instructor end up teaching you? sometimes a skier comes to a lesson with a problem. They describe the symptoms, e.g. lack of speed control on steeps. then they say "I need to work on x (e.g. edging) to address this". in my experience, what the student believes they need to work on to address the problem is very rarely the cause of the symptom. hence, the student learns something different than what they were expecting, but still wind up addressing the symptom at hand. maybe this was the case with you?

unfortunately sometimes it can be the case that the instructor does not listen to your goals or else decides that you would be better served by working on something else first. what they should do in this case is explain to you why they feel this so you don't think your wishes are being ignored.

it's hard to help you without being able to see why you are having trouble. if you could post a video of you skiing the steeps....?

PS, it's great that you know what type of learner you are. as an instructor, I love when students tell me that before we start, it saves a lot of time!

 

[whitewater girl]

Harald Harb's "Anyone can be an Expert Skier" teaches a technique for turning by lifting what will be your inside foot & placing it down on edge (your outside foot automatically follows). A ways from how I ski now, but spending time doing this really improved my balance, my confidence, my edge control & my turning (oh, & it taught me to hockey-stop, which I couldn't do before...oh, and to ski on one foot, which I do from time to time, though never on purpose )

...I gather what my problem was (and alot of people's!) was not fully releasing my edges from my previous turn before initiating the new turn (not "letting go of the mountain" as one book put it)...lifting your foot forces you to release your edges...

 

[frenchgirl]

Harald Harb's "Anyone can be an Expert Skier" teaches a technique for turning by lifting what will be your inside foot & placing it down on edge (your outside foot automatically follows). A ways from how I ski now, but spending time doing this really improved my balance, my confidence, my edge control & my turning (oh, & it taught me to hockey-stop, which I couldn't do before...oh, and to ski on one foot, which I do from time to time, though never on purpose )

I thought the outside ski does the "driving"? Am I thinking wrong?

 

[whitewater girl]

OK, if I've got this right...

the outside "drives", but the inside is what tends to get "hung-up"...when you lift & "tip" your inside foot, your outside foot naturally "tips" to match it, edging & "driving" the turn (while your inside foot ends up with a clean, light, parallel edge)...

...not everybody like this technique (maybe some of our instructors can explain why? I'm sure there's a good reason), but I found it helpful to break out of a rut (& some very bad habits) I had gotten into...