Step and shuffle
Pub
These are two basic drills that are very useful in figuring out the weight transfer, build some balance, align the stance etc... an awesome way to start your days, at any level.
Shuffling through the turn
While turning, simply shuffle the skis back and forth. Start with a small shuffle and keep shuffling faster and faster and more and more, without exaggerating (i.e. no more than half a boot long).
This is a great balance drill. It starts you thinking about weight transfer: to shuffle one foot, you need to move some weight to the other and stand on it. Also, it only works nicely if you keep the feet close, not in a wide stance.
On a green slow speed run, stand on both feet, flex the knees slightly. Make sure you are in the narrow stance: keep the feet close together.
As you turn, shuffle the skis back and forth throughout the turn, faster and faster, at least a couple of shuffles per turn.
Repeat this several times a day until you can easily shuffle at least half a boot. Then continue repeating it daily, while at the green level, as it will help improve your balance and feel for the skis.
Stepping through the turn
Basically, just step from one ski to the other other, during a turn. Start with a small step and make more and more steps, faster and faster, until you make 1000 steps in the turn (yeah, like that's even possible, right).
This is a progression from the shuffle turn, because you have to actually lift the "free" foot and step with 100% of weight on the other one. Great for balance building, weight transfer.
On a green slow speed run, stand on both feet, flex the knees slightly. Make sure you are in the narrow stance: keep the feet close together.
As you turn, keep stepping from one ski to the other, throughout the turn, faster and faster as you get used to it, at least a few steps per turn.
Repeat this several times a day until you can easily lift each boot cleanly off the snow at a nice pace, say 1 per second. Then continue repeating it daily, while at the green level, as it will help improve your balance and feel for the skis.
These are great day starter drills that you should do every day, even couple times throughout the day, especially if you're a green level skier.
They will refine your balance on and feel for the skis and introduce you to transferring the weight smoothly from ski to ski.
So we'll collect them in your daily bucket as you move to the next topic.
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Hi there,
I think I need some help with these exercises. The problem is that for me (maybe because I already have some experience) is totally unnatural to balance on the inside ski and without doing so there is no way to perform shuffling. In most of the cases, I am properly balanced on the outside ski, maybe sometimes it's not 100% but more 80/20. Do you think I need to continue working on these? Actually I am already going through the Green advanced level, it's just that I noticed these drills in my On Snow | drills sections.
One more thing... I am having some trouble understanding how to use the aforementioned section. What is the difference between the current worklist, start day and start season sections?
These drills are good for balance and weight transfer. I think all skiers should be able to do them. I find I have to slow down and ski with less edge angles when doing these, indeed - stepping at high edge angles is not easy. As most green level drills, they are meant for green runs.
As you go through the levels, the tasks you should do on snow keep collecting in the different "on snow" lists. The current work list is the important one - when you get on snow and you can dismiss the tasks once they are done. The others are meant to give you some ideas to work on at the start of the season or the start the day.
Thank you for the reply.
So basically stepping through the turn and shuffling are basically about switching balance from outside leg to inside leg and back to outside leg. Or at least that's how I interpret it.
