• The less you have to think about skiing, the better. Repetition builds on muscle memory and lets the mind concentrate on tactics.

Power for the outside leg
Stand on a flat spot with your skis about hip width apart.

Plant one ski pole next to the inside of the tip of one ski and plant the other on the outside of the tail of the same ski. Lift this "boxed-in" ski and twist it against the poles.

Close your eyes and feel the muscles along the top of the thigh and in the lower leg as you turn the leg to press the ski against the poles.

This is what it should feel like as the outside leg steers the ski around the turn.

Now try the other leg.

Active guiding of the inside leg
This is perhaps the most overlooked skill in skiing. The muscles used in this exercise need to be well trained to make effective parallel turns.

• Super-sidecut skis help, but mastering this action will eliminate many common skiing problems.

Stand on a flat spot with your skis about hip width apart.

Plant one ski pole next to the outside of the tip of one ski. Plant the other pole next to the inside of the tail of the same ski. (This is just the opposite of the exercise described above.)

Lift the ski that is boxed between the poles and twist the leg and foot to press the ski against the poles.

Close your eyes and feel the muscles along the outside of the thigh as you turn the foot outward to press the ski against the poles.

This is what it should feel like as the inside leg guides the ski around the turn.

Try these exercises with the other legs, and repeat it often as you develop your parallel turns.