Pole Planting
Your turns will develop a confident, rhythmic beat that improves timing and balance simultaneously.
Timing your downhill pole plant to trigger turn initiation — the heartbeat rhythm that gives advanced parallel skiing its cadence and balance.
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below:
Key Moments
Downhill side, level with your boot toe — not behind you
Plant comes from wrist and forearm, not the whole arm swinging
Plant triggers the turn — the pole hits just as you begin to tip the skis
Think of it as a metronome — plant, turn, plant, turn, consistent beat
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓The pole tap is light — a touch, not a stab into the snow
- ✓Each plant sets off the turn like a starting gun — you don't plant then wait
- ✓Your arms move forward constantly, not reacting after the turn is done
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Planting the pole too far behind
Keep hands in your peripheral vision at all times — forward, not back
Swinging the whole arm
Flick from the wrist — arms are mostly quiet, wrists do the work
Planting after the turn has already started
The plant must come first — it triggers the movement, not follows it
Practice Drills
Touch-the-snow drill: ski without poles and reach down to touch the snow where your pole would go — builds spatial awareness
Arm frame check: hold both poles out horizontally across your chest — they shouldn't move as you turn, only your wrists dip
Walk-the-talk: stand still and mime the plant motion slowly 20 times — wrist flick, arm stays still, imaginary touch down the hill