Garland Exercise
Garlands isolate the hardest part of carving — the turn initiation — and repeat it so many times it becomes effortless muscle memory.
Linked half-turns that swing toward the fall line and back without fully completing the arc — a classic drill for building edge feel and turn initiation.
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below:
Key Moments
Swing toward the fall line, then steer back across — like scalloped curves along the slope
Feel the ski load up as you tip into each swing toward the fall line
Keep the swings even in size and tempo — build a metronome quality
Run garlands in both directions across the slope — balance both sides equally
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like drawing linked S-curves on the slope that never quite close — a rhythmic, hypnotic motion
- ✓The edge loading builds and releases on each swing — you can feel the ski gripping and releasing
- ✓No complete turn means no speed buildup — it is a safe way to repeat the initiation phase endlessly
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Turning completely across the slope and stopping the rhythm
Stop before the full turn — only swing 60-70 degrees toward the fall line then return
Flat skis with no edge engagement
Tip the ski actively into each swing — garlands without edging are just traverses
Rushing the rhythm
Slow down and make each swing deliberate — quality of edge feel beats number of repetitions
Practice Drills
Counted garlands: perform exactly 10 garlands in one direction then 10 in the other — forces equal attention to both sides
Garlands to full turn: do 3 garlands then complete one full turn — the contrast between half and full turn teaches you what initiation feels like
Narrow stance garlands: perform garlands with feet touching — the close stance amplifies any imbalance and improves edge sensitivity