Right side dominant

[M6chan]

Hi.

New member here and just wanted some feedback.

Intermediate skier, right handed and thus right dominant.

My left turns always feels more natural than my right turns and was wondering on how I can improve on that.

Thanks

 

[Josh Matta]

take your right ski off and go ski on just your left ski.

If that means on the carpet for 30 minutes, on the beginner chair for a couple hours , just do what ever is comfortable for you. When I first started skiing I couldnt do a single right turn on my left ski, 1000s o fdays later now I can bump fields on just me left ski. It still does nt feel as good as my right foot does, and probably never will.

Off snow you can hop around for a couple minutes on just your left foot.

 

[dbostedo]

I started doing single ski drills last season (very poorly, but it's a start). I plan to continue - seems very worthwhile in evening things out as I'm also somewhat right leg dominant.

One other thing to check - if your boot alignment or canting is off, it can cause, or exacerbate more difficult turns one direction versus the other.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Try a one-ski sideslip on the little toe edge of each foot. This is not easy, by the way, but a worthy exercise and determined retries do yield progress.
If you crumple up like a pretzel when trying it on one foot (or both), and can't get better with practice and determination, your boot(s) needs canting.
Your one-foot skiing is not going to get much better until doing this exercise is possible. It's a diagnostic tool.

 

[Josh Matta]

I started doing single ski drills last season (very poorly, but it's a start). I plan to continue - seems very worthwhile in evening things out as I'm also somewhat right leg dominant.

One other thing to check - if your boot alignment or canting is off, it can cause, or exacerbate more difficult turns one direction versus the other.

the alignment thing can be very real, but even when extremely off you can learn to ski on one ski.....

 

[Kneale Brownson]

You can do the one-ski exercise by turning both directions on the one foot but let the other ski just touch the ground, tracing the activity of the foot you're using. Much more safe to do tracer turns than to go around on one ski only.

 

[François Pugh]

You just need practice making right turns. It's hard to make more right turns than left turns on most runs. Once you're good enough (from enough practice) you can make three right turns instead of a left .

 

[Philpug]

Funny. Have you ever asked someone for directions? Ask a banker, they will say make a left at the First National, then a right after the Wells Fargo. Ask a car guy, Make a right after the Honda dealer then a left after the Chevron station. A boot fitter? If you are having trouble turning one way or another...start by having your alignment checked, take that variable out of the equation. M6 can do all the drills suggested above but if he is not on a flat ski,,as an intermediate skier he won't be able to do them. @dbostedo hit it early.

 

[JESinstr]

@M6chan , I am wondering about your claim of right side dominance. Is a strength concern, a balance concern (maybe a little of both) or maybe something else? One legged drills are clearly balance enhancing but as far as strength building, that could take a long time as some indicated above.

But, could mechanics also be a factor? Could it be that you are more comfortable initiating a left turn because the mechanics of your right foot and leg are better than the left?

If one thing is for certain from the input of others above, skiing today is no longer a sport where two skis act as one which is a very important point to understand!

The functional design of modern skis and the different forces they generate require an independent approach. In some ways, it's like how we pedal a bike. One leg lengthens while the other shortens. But unlike pedaling a bike, skiing also requires rotary mechanics of the foot and leg.

In the JF Beaulieu video below, watch from 3:00 to 4:55.

These are drills that will allow you to develop you rotary, pressure and edging skills as well as separation. It is incredible how many intermediate (and some "advanced") skiers cannot do these maneuvers when asked. I hardly see anyone practicing this yet it is very effective and a great warm up drill. And because it involves both legs you can feel the difference between what you right might be doing vs the left.

I encourage you to watch the whole video as well. Lot's of good stuff!

 

[HardDaysNight]

You can do the one-ski exercise by turning both directions on the one foot but let the other ski just touch the ground, tracing the activity of the foot you're using. Much more safe to do tracer turns than to go around on one ski only.

Yes and it’s a better exercise because it maintains the alignment of normal turns on two skis. The trick is to make sure that the tracing ski really has virtually no pressure on it at all and not to cheat by using it for support.

 

[Uke]

A variation of tracers that I like a lot. Start doing tracers and slowly and progressively move the pressure from one foot to the other until you are doing tracers on the other foot. Easy blue is the best terrain for this. The longer the transition form one foot to the other the better as it gives you more arcs to learn to direct the pressure where you want it to go.

uke

 

[geepers]

Yes and it’s a better exercise because it maintains the alignment of normal turns on two skis. The trick is to make sure that the tracing ski really has virtually no pressure on it at all and not to cheat by using it for support.

Like this?

 

[HardDaysNight]

^^^No. I think his foot to foot drills are great but they’re not tracer turns. In tracer turns one puts essentially all one’s weight on one ski, say the right, and makes a series of turns (both right and left) maintaining all the weight on that right ski. It’s like skiing on one ski but with the other tracing the turn lightly on the snow.

 

[geepers]

^^^No. I think his foot to foot drills are great but they’re not tracer turns. In tracer turns one puts essentially all one’s weight on one ski, say the right, and makes a series of turns (both right and left) maintaining all the weight on that right ski. It’s like skiing on one ski but with the other tracing the turn lightly on the snow.

Having trouble seeing how left/right turns on the same ski provides "...alignment of normal turns on two skis". Any vid of this?

 

[Kneale Brownson]

The "alignment of normal turns" come"s from the unweighted ski still being on the snow during turns in either direction, as opposed to the unweighted knee being held up and in front with a boot and ski on the end of the leg. Try standing in a doorway on one foot with the other just touching the floor while you roll both feet from pinky/arch to arch/pinky.

 

[HardDaysNight]

The "alignment of normal turns" come"s from the unweighted ski still being on the snow during turns in either direction, as opposed to the unweighted knee being held up and in front with a boot and ski on the end of the leg. Try standing in a doorway on one foot with the other just touching the floor while you roll both feet from pinky/arch to arch/pinky.

This. Skiing on one ski leaves a free boot to be controlled by holding it up in a position that is different from normal two ski turns. Tracer turns leave the “free” boot and ski in its natural position albeit unweighted.

 

[geepers]

This. Skiing on one ski leaves a free boot to be controlled by holding it up in a position that is different from normal two ski turns. Tracer turns leave the “free” boot and ski in its natural position albeit unweighted.

Maybe we can ask @Josh Matta to do a vid demo of tracer turns.

How about it, Josh - your demo offer thread got locked or I'd ask there.

 

[Josh Matta]

Sure but the reason why I suggested carpet with one ski is never Evers can do it.

 

[karlo]

Off snow you can hop around for a couple minutes on just your left foot.

I played around with Josh’s suggestion. I have a left hip injury that affects rotators and hamstrings. Checking into a flight, I played around. Standing on one leg, holding carryon bag in opposite hand, rotate both in and out. I could really feel the relative weakness of the injured side. BUT, I was far more able to retain balance on the left foot. That surprised me. Working on my right foot balance took attention to posture and core. I’m right handed, and I’m told I should surf left foot forward. So, I think that means I’m left foot dominant. Better balance to that side then makes sense. And, one-footed work to develop the weaker side makes a lot of sense.

 

[geepers]

Ok, we're looking for the image on the right at 1:06 (angulated).