- Three main things to consider in the pole touch: Where,
How and When.
Where to touch
Stand in a traverse position.
Imagine a clock: 12 o'clock is at the tip of your skis; 3
o'clock and 9 o'clock are directly to your sides (90 degrees from the front.)
In short radius turns, you swing your pole and touch it
down the hill, in about a 3 or 9 o'clock direction (almost straight down the
hill and diagonally across the skis' direction of travel.)
How to touch
As gently as possible, but there's a bit more to it:
- Do not "plant" the pole--just a gentle touch.
- Your arms are held mostly steady--let the wrists alone
swing the poles.
- At the point where the pole touches the snow, roll that
hand forward and over the pole--keep the hand moving forward and avoid it
getting bounced back at you.
- The two poles swing continuously, but out of sync--as
one swings forward, the other swings back.
When to touch
In short radius turns, the pole touches right after your
skis have crossed the flow line and are pointing across the hill. The touch
happens just before the new turn starts.
