Ever wonder how expert skiers carve powerful turns on steep or hard pack snow with ease? The secret lies in mastering lateral movement and balance. This essential aspect of advanced technique helps you stay in control, grip the snow with precision, and flow smoothly from one turn to the next. Without it, you’ll struggle to hold your edge on challenging terrain.
By learning how to adjust your body laterally, separate your upper and lower body, and respond to changing forces, you can ski with confidence, style, and precision. Here’s how advanced ski schools like Freedom Snowsports can coach you through the progression.
What Is Lateral Movement in Skiing?
Lateral movement in skiing is the movement of your body’s centre of mass across your skis and away from your feet. It’s what allows you to stay balanced against the forces that are created throughout each turn.
Think about driving a car around a corner, the resulting force that builds up feels like it pushes your body mass outward away from the direction of the turn into your seat bolster. This is the centrifugal effect, and it’s the same force you feel when skiing. The tighter or faster the turn, the stronger the effect. Unlike in a car, on skis you actively move your body into the turn to counteract and balance these forces into your skis edges, creating more grip and control. The faster or steeper the slope, the more lateral movement is required. Without it, you get pushed out of the arc.
How To Feel the Forces and Adjust?
Lateral balance isn’t a fixed position, it should change and adapt throughout each turn.
- Beginning of the turn – centrifugal force starts to build, needing smaller movements (think ankles and knees)
- Middle of the turn – force peaks, requiring the most lateral movement (hips).
- End of the turn – force reduces, and you ease off the movement (ankles and knees again).
The key is to feel the forces and adjust smoothly. Tilt your legs and move your body inside the turn enough to balance against the forces, keeping the majority of force against the outside ski.
Ankles, Knees, Hips, and Centre of Mass
Centre of Mass (CoM): the further you move your CoM away from your feet, there needs to be more resulting force from the turn to keep you balanced. Think of motorcycles racing on a track, those huge lean angles only work with speed around the corners.
Ankles and knees: Can be used to manage edge angles and arcs at slower speeds or when you need to keep your CoM closer toward your feet. This allows you to tilt your skis onto their edges taking you around the arc without compromising your balance too much by moving your CoM too far away from your feet.
Hips: with higher speed taken around the curve, and therefore more resulting force from the arc, you can move your hips away from your feet. This will move your CoM away from your feet, so you need to be able to feel how much force is created from the arc and be able to smoothly adjust the use of your hips, knees, and ankles in varying amounts. So that you can maintain an effective edge angle around the whole arc while keeping your balance against the outside ski with the changing forces of the arc.
What Is Upper Body Separation in Skiing?
One of the most common mistakes skiers make is leaning their upper body or shoulders into the turn instead of their legs and feet. This feels natural, but it results in a loss of balance to the inside of the turn and flatter skis; meaning less control over the direction of your skis and more skidding.
The solution is upper and lower body separation, also known as angulation. Here’s what it means:
- Your legs and feet tilt strongly into the turn.
- Your shoulders and upper body stay more level with the slope.
This separation lets you achieve more edge angle on your skis while staying balanced, giving you:
- More grip
- More stability
- More control on firm snow
How Do You Practice Lateral Movement on Skis?
Here’s a step-by-step progression to train lateral balance and edge control:
Step 1: Angulate, practice the steps above, don’t just incline and hope for the best.
Instead of tipping your shoulders inside the turn, start by tilting your legs and feet diagonally into the new turn. As the turn and grip builds, keep your weight stacked against the outside ski and keep your shoulders level with the slope.
Step 2: Build Strength on the Outside Ski.
Balance strongly against the outside ski keeping the outside leg long and strong, while allowing the inside leg to flex. This will move your hips and centre of mass further into the turn. Keep your shoulders level; this counterbalance allows you to tilt the skis further without losing balance and grip.
Step 3: Smooth Transitions Between Turns
As you finish one turn, flex the outside leg and begin extending the inside leg diagonally into the new turn. This switch over creates a natural pedalling rhythm where each leg alternates roles against the supporting outside ski.
Top Tip: Experiment With Angles and Speed
Play with different edge angles and turn speeds to explore your balance range. You’ll discover you can tilt your skis much further than expected while maintaining stability. This exploration builds confidence and adaptability on everything from groomed pistes to steep, icy slopes.
Why Is Lateral Movement Important in Skiing?
Lateral movement is the foundation of advanced skiing because it:
- Balances and compounds the centrifugal forces of each turn into effective edging improving your turn shape
- Increases the grip and effect of your skis edges
- Improves efficiency, balance, and control
- Unlocks the ability to carve clean arcs with power and influence over the turn shape
Final Thoughts
Mastering lateral movement and balance is what makes skiing feel powerful yet effortless. By learning to adjust your body to match the forces of each turn, separating your upper and lower body, and experimenting with edge angles, you’ll unlock smoother, stronger, and more confident skiing.
Whether you’re working on carving, tackling steeper slopes, or simply looking for more control, this skill will transform how you move on the mountain.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lateral Movement in Skiing
Q: What does lateral movement mean in skiing?
A: It’s the sideways movement of your legs which carries your body across your skis in a way that maintains your balance against your skis with the forces created through a turn.
Q: Why is lateral movement important for carving?
A: It allows you to create bigger edge angles, which means stronger grip and cleaner arcs. Without it, skis flatten and skid with less control.
Q: How can I improve my lateral balance on skis?
A: Practice angulation (tilting legs and feet into the turn while keeping shoulders level), balance strongly on the outside ski, and experiment with edge angles at different speeds.
Q: What is upper body separation in skiing?
A: It’s when your lower body tilts into the turn while your upper body stays level with the slope, giving you greater range of balance and control.
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