Falling Leaf
Your edge control and fore-aft balance will improve dramatically, and sideslipping in any direction will feel natural and precise.
A controlled diagonal sideslip that alternates forward and backward — drifting down the slope like a leaf floating in wind — a key drill for edging and balance.
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Watch & Learn
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Key Moments
Begin from a static sideslip — flat skis, sliding straight down the fall line
Press your toes to shift weight toward the tips — the skis drift diagonally forward-downhill
Press your heels to shift weight toward the tails — the skis drift diagonally backward-downhill
Alternate forward-drift and backward-drift in a flowing S-pattern down the slope
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like you are steering a boat with your weight rather than your hands
- ✓The skis responding instantly to where you shift your pressure — fore moves tips, aft moves tails
- ✓A drifting, fluid motion that feels effortless once the fore-aft balance clicks
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Edging too hard and stopping the drift
Keep skis nearly flat — just enough edge to control speed, not enough to grip and stop
Using the whole body to shift instead of just the feet
Pressure comes from rolling your ankles toward toes or heels — the hips barely move
Looking down at your skis
Eyes forward and across the slope — looking down shifts your weight back and disrupts the balance
Practice Drills
Pure forward drift: sideslip and just press your toes — only drift forward-diagonal until you feel consistent control before adding the backward phase
Rhythm counting: say 'forward, forward, back, back' out loud as you drift — the verbal cue links the weight shift to the movement pattern
Narrow vs wide: do the falling leaf with a narrow stance then a wide stance — feel how stance width changes your balance point and drift direction
The full guide
Reviewed September 2026
How to learn Falling Leaf
The falling leaf is a sideslip drill in which you drift down the hill while your skis travel diagonally forward, then diagonally backward, zigzagging without ever turning. It suits skiers who can already sideslip and make wedge turns and want sharper control of their edges and fore-aft balance. Afterward, you should be able to steer a sideslip in almost any direction by moving pressure along your feet.
What it is and when you'll use it
Picture a sideslip with a steering wheel added. Your skis stay pointed across the hill, but by moving pressure toward the balls of your feet or toward your heels, you make the slide angle forward or backward. Seen from below, your track looks like a leaf rocking its way to the ground.
You won't ski whole runs this way, but the underlying skills show up everywhere: sliding past a rock on a narrow trail, losing height on a pitch that feels too steep to turn on, and fine-tuning where your skis point at the end of a turn. Many instructors also use it to check whether a skier's balance is centered or stuck on the heels.
Before you start
You need a dependable basic sideslip: stand across the hill, flatten your skis until they slide, and roll them back onto their uphill edges to stop. If that still feels like a gamble, spend a session on it first.
Pick a smooth, groomed slope steep enough for flat skis to slide on their own, but not so steep that you feel rushed. Firm, packed snow works best; deep or sticky snow resists the slide. Choose a wide section, look uphill before you start, and stop where people above can see you.
Step by step
Work through these in order, and don't link the phases until each one feels predictable on its own.
- Stand across the fall line on the uphill edges of both skis, feet about hip-width apart, uphill ski slightly ahead, chest facing a little down the slope, hands in front where you can see them.
- Ease your ankles and knees slightly downhill to flatten the skis until they slide straight down. Hold this plain sideslip for a moment so you know your neutral starting point.
- Move pressure gradually toward the balls of your feet. The tips start to lead, and the slide angles forward and down the hill.
- Before you gather much speed, roll gently back onto your uphill edges to slow, then return to a centered sideslip.
- Now move pressure toward your heels without sitting down or bending at the waist. The tails lead, and the slide angles backward and down.
- Link the two with a brief centered moment in between, so the pattern flows forward, center, back, center, down the slope.
- At the bottom, face the other way across the hill and repeat, since most people have a stronger side.
Why it works
Skis glide easily along their length and resist moving sideways. With pressure centered, the tips and tails slip at the same rate, so you drop straight down. Move pressure toward the front or back of your feet and that end of the skis slips downhill first, so the slide picks up a forward or backward component.
It also trains edge management. Too much edge and the skis grip and stop; too little and you slide faster than you want. Holding that in-between setting while your balance moves fore and aft teaches you to separate tipping from pressuring, a foundation for controlled skidded turns.
How to practice it
Start on the gentlest slope that lets flat skis slide and do only the forward phase for a few runs. Once you can start and stop it on demand, practice only the backward phase, which usually feels less natural.
Next, link the two in wide, slow zigzags, then gradually shorten each leg so the changes come more often. When that is smooth, try a slightly steeper or firmer pitch, where small errors show up quickly.
If you get stuck, step back a stage. Skis that refuse to slide usually need the knees eased a little further downhill; sliding too fast means rolling back onto the uphill edges and starting again.
Common questions
Why is it called the falling leaf?
The name describes your path. Like a leaf rocking back and forth as it drops from a tree, you zigzag while steadily losing height, without ever pointing your skis down the hill.
Is the falling leaf the same as sideslipping?
It builds on sideslipping. A basic sideslip travels straight down the fall line; the falling leaf adds deliberate forward and backward drift, so it trains fore-aft balance on top of edge control.
Should I do the falling leaf on a steep slope?
Not at first. Learn it on a moderate groomed pitch, then take it to steeper terrain once you can reliably start, steer, and stop the slide.
Why can't I make my skis drift backward?
Most skiers try to get there by sitting down. Stay tall and move pressure toward your heels while your shins keep light contact with the front of your boots. Practice the backward drift on its own before linking it.