Short Turns
You'll develop a crisp, confident turn rhythm that keeps speed in check without ever feeling like you're fighting the mountain.
Compact, rhythmic turns with a tight arc and quick edge-to-edge transitions — the engine of speed control on steep groomed runs.
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below:
Key Moments
A short turn stays tight to the fall line — think quick windshield-wiper, not long arc
The transition between turns must be decisive — no flat-ski gliding between arcs
Every single turn gets a pole plant — it is the metronome that locks your rhythm in
Shoulders stay square to the fall line while legs flick left and right below
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓A rapid wiper-blade motion of the feet while your torso floats calmly downhill
- ✓Each pole plant fires off the next turn like a trigger — plant, flip, plant, flip
- ✓Speed is controlled without braking — the frequency of turns does all the work
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Pausing between turns and letting speed build
Flow directly from one edge to the next — no flat-ski moment between arcs
Shoulders rotating with each quick turn
Lock your chest to face downhill — only hips and below do the turning work
Skipping pole plants when the rhythm gets fast
Slow down until every turn has a plant, then rebuild speed with the habit intact
Practice Drills
Hop-turn entry: start by hopping your skis side to side down a gentle groomer — gradually lower the hops into short carved arcs as confidence builds
Metronome app: set a beat at 100 BPM and try to match one full turn per click — builds the automatic rhythm short turns require
Count the turns: pick a fixed section of slope and try to fit the maximum number of turns in — more turns means better short-turn control