Wedge Turns
You'll have your first reliable way to steer and slow down, giving you the confidence to safely navigate any beginner slope.
The foundation of learning to ski — pushing your tails out into a pizza shape to create drag, then steering with weight shifts to turn left and right.
Saved on this device — no account needed. View your progress →
Watch & Learn
Not clicking? Try a different teaching style below.
Key Moments
Tips together, tails apart — stand in this wedge shape on flat ground first
Press on right foot to turn left, press on left foot to turn right
Eyes down the slope — where you look is where you go, always
Let the turn finish fully before starting the next — don't rush transitions
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Your legs feel like a compass opening and closing as you steer across the slope
- ✓Pushing the tails wider while keeping your shins against the boot tongues creates the braking
- ✓Speed drops naturally when you turn across the fall line — the slope does the work
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Looking at your ski tips
Eyes always downhill toward where you're going, not down at your feet
Sitting back on the tails
Lean forward into your boots — shins pressing against the boot tongues
Arms pinned to your sides
Hands out in front at hip height like you're carrying a serving tray
Practice Drills
Straight run and stop: point straight downhill, build a little speed, then use a full wedge to stop — repeat until stopping feels automatic
Linked turn count: connect turns down the slope and count how many you can chain together — aim for 10 clean ones in a row
Traverse and turn: ski diagonally across the full width of the run before each turn — it slows you down and lets you focus on steering
The full guide
Reviewed September 2026
How to learn Wedge Turns
A wedge turn is the first real turn most skiers learn: skis in a narrow pizza shape, tips close and tails apart, steered from one side of the run to the other. It's built for first-timers and anyone returning after a long break. Once you have it, you can ride a beginner lift, choose your line down a green run, and control your speed by turning instead of hoping for a flat spot.
What it is and when you'll use it
In a wedge, both skis sit slightly on their inside edges, which gives you a wide, stable platform with some built-in friction. A wedge turn keeps that shape and makes the skis travel in an arc, first one way and then the other. Linking those arcs is what turns a nervous slide into a controlled descent.
You won't wedge forever, but the skill never goes away. Strong skiers still use a small wedge in lift lines, on crowded cat tracks, and when easing around a group of people.
Before you start
All you need is snugly buckled boots and the ability to glide a few feet on flat snow. Start in a beginner area or on a gentle slope that runs out onto flat ground, so the terrain slows you down if a turn doesn't.
A good beginner check is that you can stop twice in a row before you try linking turns. If stopping feels rushed, make the slope gentler before adding speed or distance.
Soft, freshly groomed snow is the friendliest surface, and a helmet is worth wearing from day one. Before you push off, glance uphill to check that no one is coming. When you stop, pull over to the side of the run where people above can see you.
Step by step
Work through these on a gentle slope, repeating each one until it feels easy before moving on.
- On flat ground, slide your tails apart until your tips are about a fist's width apart and your tails are a little wider than your hips.
- Flex your ankles and knees until your shins rest lightly against the front of your boots, with your hands forward where you can see them.
- Point downhill in a small wedge and glide slowly, holding the wedge the same size instead of pushing it wider.
- To stop, gradually push your tails a little wider while keeping your shins against the front of your boots, and let the wedge slow you to a halt. Practice stopping several times before you try your first turn.
- Look where you want to go, then gently turn both feet and knees that way while letting a little more pressure move onto the outside ski, your right ski to go left. Keep the pressure steady and let the skis arc around.
- Stay in the turn as it carries you across the slope. Your speed will drop the farther across the hill you travel.
- Shift pressure smoothly onto the other ski and look toward your next turn. The skis will point down the hill briefly before arcing the other way.
- Link turns in an even rhythm, making each one round and complete, and save a wider wedge for moments when you need to stop.
Why it works
Skis have an hourglass shape called sidecut, so a ski that's tipped on edge and pressed wants to travel in a curve. In a wedge, each ski already points slightly toward the other. Add weight to one and it becomes the dominant ski, steering you in the direction it's pointing.
Speed control comes mostly from turn shape, not from the wedge itself. When you travel across the hill, gravity pulls you less, so you slow down without fighting. A huge braking wedge works for a moment, but it tires your legs and makes turning harder.
Standing centered matters because a ski turns well only when its front is engaged. Lean back and the tips go light, so the skis drift downhill no matter how hard you push.
How to practice it
Start with single turns to each side from a shallow line across the slope, stopping between them. When both directions feel equally easy, connect two turns, then three, then the whole slope.
Once you can link turns without the wedge creeping wider, move to the easiest green run from the lift. Ski it when it's quiet, stay toward one side, and keep your turns round enough that speed never builds.
As confidence grows, narrow the wedge slightly on flatter sections. A smaller wedge that you still control is the bridge toward matching your skis and, later, parallel turns.
Common questions
Is the wedge (pizza) a bad habit?
No. It's the standard starting point in most ski schools because it's stable and easy to control. It only becomes a habit worth breaking if you keep a wide, braking wedge on terrain where you could turn with your skis closer together.
Why do my thighs burn so much in a wedge?
Usually the wedge is too wide, you're sitting back, or both. Narrow the wedge, stand tall over the middle of your feet, and let turn shape slow you down. If something actually hurts rather than just feeling tired, stop and rest.
How long does it take to learn wedge turns?
It varies a lot. Some people link basic wedge turns on their first day, especially with a lesson, while others need several sessions. Judge progress by how controlled you feel, not by the clock.
What should I do if I start going too fast?
Turn, don't just push. Steering the skis across the hill, or even slightly back uphill, is the most reliable way to slow down. If you still can't manage your speed, that slope is ahead of your skills for now, so return to gentler terrain.