Alpine Movement Analysis
Pressure Control
Watch the video with these questions in mind:
Are the ankles, knees, and hips joints flexing?
Is the spine slanted forwards, upright, or aft?
Are some joints flexed more than others or are the joints flexing proportionate to one another
Does the flexion of the joints move throughout the turn or does the skier remain fixed and the joints don’t flex and extend?
What is the relationship between the two legs? Is one more bent than the other or do they look similar?
How much or little flexion is between the two legs and where does it occur in the turn?
Where is the upper body titling?
Where is the upper body facing?
Did you notice the following?
During the middle of the turn the skier is pressuring the skis from the middle to the tails. The skis: the skis bend mostly for the middle to the tail. The body: the head is over the feet. The knees are flexed more than the ankles and hips.
During the finish of the turn the skier is pressuring the skis from the middle to the tails. The skis: the skis are bending mostly from the binding heel piece to the tail. The body: the knees are joint that is flexed the most which moves the head further behind.
During the transition between turns the skier is balanced over the heel pieces of the skis. The skis: the tips of the skis are released from the snow and the ski is bending most
from the heel piece to the tail. The body: the knees are flexed more than the other joints and the head is over the heels.
Rotational Control
Watch the video with these questions in mind:
Is the upper body rotating before the lower body or is the upper body stable with active rotation of the legs?
How much does the body rotate and where does the movement occur during the turn?
Do both legs turn the same amount, at the same time, or in the same direction?
Are both skis turning constantly at a progressive rate throughout each turn?
Are the legs turning across the hill more than the upper body?
Did you notice the following?
At the beginning of the turn the skier sequentially rotates the skis. The skis: The outside ski rotates before the insides ski. The body: The upper body is aimed the same direction as the lower body.
Through the shaping phase of the turn the skier rotates their skis all at once, but at two different rates. The skis: The inside ski rotates faster than the outside ski. The body: The outside half of the body has a larger range of rotation than the inside half of the body.
During the finish of the turn the skier rides the edges of the skis. The skis: The skis have stopped rotating. The body: The upper body is aimed in the same direction as the lower body.
In the next video, continue to focus on the skier’s rotational control and compare it to what you observed in the first video to determine two things: what is the difference in the skier’s rotational control and is there is a significant impact on any of the outcomes?
Did you notice the following differences? Which of the three outcomes (turn shape, turn connection, or speed) was most noticeably impacted by the skier’s improvement of rotational control?
At the beginning of the turn the skier still sequentially rotates the skis, but the difference is smaller. The skis: The outside ski begins to rotate slightly before the inside ski rotates. The body: The upper body is aimed in the direction of the new turn while the skis are aimed across the hill.
Through the shaping phase the skier progressively rotates the skis. The skis: the skis are rotating at more similar rates than in the first video. The body: The outside and inside half of the body have a more similar range of turning than in the first video.
While finishing the turn, the skier continues to guide the ski. The skis: The skis continue to rotate a similar amount to each other. The body: The upper body is aimed in the direction of the new turn while the skis are aimed across the hill.
Edge Control
Watch the video with these questions in mind:
What parts of the body are tipping?
What part(s) of the body is/are angulating?
How much are they angulating?
What is the combination of angulation and inclination?
Is there too much of one over the other?
Do both legs tip the same amount, at the same time, or in the same direction?
Did you notice the following?
At the beginning of the turn, the skier sequentially edges the skis. The skis: The new outside ski edges before releasing the old outside ski. The body: The upper body tips in the direction of the new turn before the downhill leg tips.
In the middle of the turn, the skier releases the edge of the old outside ski. The skis: The edge is released by lifting the tail of the inside ski. The body: The left hip and knee flex to lift the left foot.
At the end of the turn, the skier achieves their highest edge angle. The skis: The downhill ski is edged more than the uphill ski. The body: The upper body is tipped up the hill/to the inside of the turn.