Forward Pressure

[.Morton]

A couple recent threads have been mentioning forward pressure, I haven't really heard of it until recently and would like to know what it is. Whenever I am spinning I seem to land kind of backseat, if I understand correctly, forward pressure should help me stomp the landings. So whats the trick to it and how can I work on learning to get it perfect?

 

[.CJ.]

Keep them knees over your toes

and keep your shins against the tongues of your boots.

 

[brov1]

s. So whats the trick to it and how can I work on learning to get it perfect?

so i first want to say this is not intended to sound at all rude, but you need to learn to ski with correct form if you are asking this question. when skiing anything ever you should have your shins pressed into the front of your boots, never leaning back. always. when on the snow always remind yourself skis as close together as possible, shins press firmly into the front of boot, and hands in front of you. of course thats not all there is to skiing but thats the basics. the key to landing any trick or skiing hard terrain correctly is to lean your shins forward on the takeoff and landing the exact same way

 

[.Morton]

^ I understand skiing with the correct form, I guess I didn't realize that forward pressure is kind of the same thing. Thanks for the help.

 

[casual]

so i first want to say this is not intended to sound at all rude, but you need to learn to ski with correct form if you are asking this question. when skiing anything ever you should have your shins pressed into the front of your boots, never leaning back. always. when on the snow always remind yourself skis as close together as possible, shins press firmly into the front of boot, and hands in front of you. of course thats not all there is to skiing but thats the basics. the key to landing any trick or skiing hard terrain correctly is to lean your shins forward on the takeoff and landing the exact same way

why do you have to have your skis as close together as possible? If it were 1994 and you were on straight skinny skis with no sidecut, maybe. Go with an athletic stance, knees bent, legs about shoulder width apart or slightly less. Yeah. you can ski with your legs together in a straight line or just cruising for "style" I guess, but if you're on real terrain or even steep groomers, you need to be in a dynamic position.

To OP, to feel forward pressure, try skiing with your knees slightly bent and at least even with your toes if you drew a vertical line between knees and toes and while your skiing, lift your toes upwards. It sounds weird, but try it. By doing that, it'll flex your ankles, and push your shins into the front of the boot. Do this throughout the day occasionally as a reminder. Even sitting at your comp with no boots on stand up, bend your knees slightly, shoulder width apart, and lift your toes as hard as you can. You will lean forward or even fall. It's just a little muscle memory "feel" tip I picked up that helped me a lot.

Forward pressure is a AHA!! lightbulb moment. I skied for years recreationally and growing up and because my skis were glued together making "parallel" turns and I skied fast and never fell, I thought I was a really good skier. However, like sooooooo many people at that intermediate plateau, I was back seat, and didn't know it. Steep bumps or difficult terrain lets you know real fast whether you have forward pressure in your boots or not.

Honestly, percentage wise, so few people on any given day at any given mountain ski with forward pressure that as soon as I see someone balanced and forward in their boots, they stick out like a sore thumb. Chances are if you see someone that sort of looks like they're eating up the terrain, and accelerating out of turns, and their upper body is quiet, they're driving their skis and you should emulate what you see. It helps with popping and absorbing terrain an enormous amount.

 

[rtl32]

why do you have to have your skis as close together as possible? If it were 1994 and you were on straight skinny skis with no sidecut, maybe. Go with an athletic stance, knees bent, legs about shoulder width apart or slightly less. Yeah. you can ski with your legs together in a straight line or just cruising for "style" I guess, but if you're on real terrain or even steep groomers, you need to be in a dynamic position.

To OP, to feel forward pressure, try skiing with your knees slightly bent and at least even with your toes if you drew a vertical line between knees and toes and while your skiing, lift your toes upwards. It sounds weird, but try it. By doing that, it'll flex your ankles, and push your shins into the front of the boot. Do this throughout the day occasionally as a reminder. Even sitting at your comp with no boots on stand up, bend your knees slightly, shoulder width apart, and lift your toes as hard as you can. You will lean forward or even fall. It's just a little muscle memory "feel" tip I picked up that helped me a lot.

Forward pressure is a AHA!! lightbulb moment. I skied for years recreationally and growing up and because my skis were glued together making "parallel" turns and I skied fast and never fell, I thought I was a really good skier. However, like sooooooo many people at that intermediate plateau, I was back seat, and didn't know it. Steep bumps or difficult terrain lets you know real fast whether you have forward pressure in your boots or not.

Honestly, percentage wise, so few people on any given day at any given mountain ski with forward pressure that as soon as I see someone balanced and forward in their boots, they stick out like a sore thumb. Chances are if you see someone that sort of looks like they're eating up the terrain, and accelerating out of turns, and their upper body is quiet, they're driving their skis and you should emulate what you see. It helps with popping and absorbing terrain an enormous amount.

Hit the nail on the head^! But one thing, someone who is exercising proper form will not stick out like a sore thumb they will in fact flow very nicely with what they are doing. It's the park rats and gapers that stick out like boners in the backseat!

Op, as much as you might think its stupid or gay, watch racers. You will see how they put pressure into their skis forward, and the skis flex and they carve through the turn properly without sliding, and accelerate out of it. The same concept applies to park, you want to be pressuring your boots and doing things properly.

 

[L0gic]

Before your first run of every day, unbuckle your boots (enough so you can lean forward intensely yet not so it puts your ankles at risk). Ski as frontseat as you can. Take advantage of that enormous flex you can create. Then when you finish that run buckle them back up. You will be in an improved stance for the rest of the day. It works for me everytime, and I hope you get the same results.

 

[brov1]

why do you have to have your skis as close together as possible? If it were 1994 and you were on straight skinny skis with no sidecut, maybe. Go with an athletic stance, knees bent, legs about shoulder width apart or slightly less. Yeah. you can ski with your legs together in a straight line or just cruising for "style" I guess, but if you're on real terrain or even steep groomers, you need to be in a dynamic position.

To OP, to feel forward pressure, try skiing with your knees slightly bent and at least even with your toes if you drew a vertical line between knees and toes and while your skiing, lift your toes upwards. It sounds weird, but try it. By doing that, it'll flex your ankles, and push your shins into the front of the boot. Do this throughout the day occasionally as a reminder. Even sitting at your comp with no boots on stand up, bend your knees slightly, shoulder width apart, and lift your toes as hard as you can. You will lean forward or even fall. It's just a little muscle memory "feel" tip I picked up that helped me a lot.

Forward pressure is a AHA!! lightbulb moment. I skied for years recreationally and growing up and because my skis were glued together making "parallel" turns and I skied fast and never fell, I thought I was a really good skier. However, like sooooooo many people at that intermediate plateau, I was back seat, and didn't know it. Steep bumps or difficult terrain lets you know real fast whether you have forward pressure in your boots or not.

Honestly, percentage wise, so few people on any given day at any given mountain ski with forward pressure that as soon as I see someone balanced and forward in their boots, they stick out like a sore thumb. Chances are if you see someone that sort of looks like they're eating up the terrain, and accelerating out of turns, and their upper body is quiet, they're driving their skis and you should emulate what you see. It helps with popping and absorbing terrain an enormous amount.

haha sorry i was talking for just skiing around my bad that i did not specify that. for in the park and taking off for a trick anywhere widen your stance and CASUAL got the rest perfect