to Pole or Not to Pole, that is the question...

[Doby Man]

I can certainly understand the questioning of the pole plant from intermediates and advanced intermediates who have “yet” to develop a good pole plant. For many, it just seems like an extra task as they are not yet able to read into and understand all the benefits of a good pole plant. Some benefits can’t be seen until they reach fruition which is why many, most or all disciplines require instruction. Many may watch WC SL skiers skipping the plant in many turn sets on the course, but, that is a disciplinary exclusion exacerbated by the quick timing needed for cross blocking breakaway slalom gates with the outside hand, a circumstance of which is completely non-existent elsewhere. We also see the occasional newbie retraction turner that looks pretty good on flat terrain not using a plant at all. It is something that is usually accompanied by carving the ski from only one fore/aft spot under the foot. I can guarantee that, in these cases, that “pretty” retraction turn is fragile and tenuous at best as they usually appear. Throw one kink in that chain whether it be steeps, bumps, trees, ice, crud. etc, just about everything falls apart.

The best way to look at the development of a pole plant is to develop and install a full and complete conventional pole plant that, at later stages of development, may see some reduction to any type of disciplinary exclusion that may occur such as pole tapping or touching to avoid unnecessary disruption of the CoM. Many skier’s (not all) who only use very light pole touches simply do not have the skill required to use a conventional pole plant at speed without causing problems of disruption. If a pole plant is causing arm movement or CoM disruption, it may be time to back off a touch until the timing and absorption of an aggressive pole plant can be navigated. If a skier never fully develops the pole plant skill, they often end up with a much less effectual pole touch or tap. All they are doing is using wrist flexion for timing and are not doing anything to help read the high speed, real time, neurological data that a real, kinetically meaningful, pole plant can generate. Also, I have never met an expert skier with an expert pole plant that would tell anyone that they are not needed. Usually, all those who question the pole plant do so from the bottom looking up. Basic logic suggests that one cannot give up something they’ve never had.

If you are an aspiring skier who wishes to master their technique to the expert level, you need to start developing a solid pole plant well before all its advantages come to full fruition at later stages of development. That’s the trick. It has to be sold and I guess that’s what I am attempting here. Though that is not too far from the story of the fundamentals that must be developed well before the more visually accessible refinements are placed on top of them in the skill pyramid. My definition of a “fundamental” refers to the movements that are absolutely required for skiing to happen: flexion, extension, angulation, inclination, rotary, tipping and skidding. Though much of skiing can be performed without the pole plant, that is because the benefits are not as deep as the other fundamentals listed but, instead cover a much wider range of smaller benefits. They add smaller benefits across the board of alpine technique such as stance, fore/aft pressure control, rhythm, timing, rotary orientation, terrain based tactical control, an overall increased tactile and telegraphing relationship with the slope and a “neurological umbrella” that brings many of our moves into a solid collective.

It is no wonder why so many people do not know how to use their poles or what they are even for when a list of 18 reasons to use them only include 3 that are technical. Well, let’s make it an even 20 and not forget the life saving alcohol storage and a makeshift ski and pole backrest, often used in succession. There are so many technical and tactical benefits to the pole plant that I couldn’t care less about their convenience outside of actual skiing and, IMO, the equivalent of using a $300K sportscar as a cigarette lighter.

The alcohol storage ski pole will help you both maintain and erode your balance. A truly self sustaining device.

But, by all means, do not take it from me:

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I've tried a few inches shorter pole than the 'that's the way we've always done it at 90 degrees' length. During a lesson I was reaching too much to plant and it was putting me too far forward and flexed. It wasn't causing me to fall or miss a line but it was creating bad mechanics. I went back to the 'everyone else does it at 90 degrees so you're a turd if you don't' length and it works. I'm not a fan of convention or doing things the way 'everyone else does' so I had to test. What if shorter was better for me? I have not tested a longer pole length. Maybe during my next lesson the instructor will point out the need for a new pole length.

I like having the poles now that I have an idea of how to use them. During my beginner lesson we didn't use poles and it was no problem. I actually felt like they were a bit of clutter when I rented for my first season and I was given poles. But once I watched some drill videos and experimented the poles became important to me. They took me out of the back seat, made me focus on timing, and I paid more attention to the trail and possible lines. The next problem was that I was dragging the pole and leaning on it when I was losing balance in a turn - which made the problem worse. To beat that I studied turn phases and mechanics. I focused on better weighting and balance in my turns. Finally, I would practice skiing top to bottom in a mid or high tuck and not use the poles at all, but turning as I would with them. My turns got better and my use of the poles got better. Meaning my balance improved, my turn shapes are more varied and speed controlled, upper body is more calm regarding poles and plants. I have experimented with swinging my arms (leaving the arm behind with a plant) versus keeping the poles up front. It provides superior balance at speed to keep hands up front. Leisurely tooling about has less requirement regarding mechanics but to keep in mind that it may reinforce bad habits.

Now I just have to convince my sister that you don't need poles to learn to ski. She skis once a year on her visits and is still a beginner. She just passed that phase where you just want to go straight and fast and now realizes you need to be able to turn and stop if you want to be safe for yourself and others. The problem is once you give someone that literal crutch they don't want to give it up even for a single run. Security blanket... I love skiing without my poles when I take my kid up (she is just starting out and she doesn't use poles). It is the feeling of freedom. And since I'm only piste skiing it isn't a problem to be without poles.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

@Doby Man
Those Burke Mountain Academy videos are awesome. I watched them as part of my learning to pole plant better when I started skiing.

 

[Rich McP]

Hah!, yes I see it is shorter.

The question still remains for skiers, where does the right angle arm thing relate to in actual skiing? As far as I can see it's in the lift line. Literally standing in line.

The lift line is where I need them most. I can ski pretty much anything I ski - pretty well - without poles. If I go into the lift line without poles...well mayhem ensues.

 

[Monique]

During a lesson I was reaching too much to plant and it was putting me too far forward and flexed. It wasn't causing me to fall or miss a line but it was creating bad mechanics.

I believe this. Perhaps for the same reason, I find short poles helpful - because I spend much of my time in (preferably) steep terrain or (okay, fine) bumps. I find it very helpful to have a short pole in steeps because it "encourages" me to get forward on slopes that are intimidating. However, others have said that it "encourages" them to break at the waist (lower body still "safely" back up the hill) rather than truly getting forward.

Compare the poles pro bumpers use to the poles pro DH skiers use. Different purpose, different equipment. I choose a length that is less helpful on groomers (I'm not a racer) but more helpful on "terrain." For me.

I suspect that everyone can agree (no?) that the longer a pole is, the easier it is to drag along behind you like a security blankie. Which is not optimal.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Poles should be flicked into touching position by the wrist. Too long a pole will make you raise your hand so the tip can clear and interfere with a quick, smooth action.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

I skied without poles a couple days ago and it was a blast! I don't know if it was that the poles were absorbing bandwidth to pay attention to other things, but I noticed a few things. First, no poles, no yard sale! Haha! Just kidding, only half a yard sale. I noticed some things about my skiing regarding my balance and turning. I am using too much uphill ski when I carve and sometimes it is defensive which causes me to lose speed. I think using the poles also makes me put a bit more weight into balancing forward than I need.

Then somehow I lost the trail I was on and ended up coming out of some trees onto the bottom half of Extrovert, which was a bit moguly, but they were friendly moguls. There I learned that my mogul skiing was not so good using the poles because I don't flex and extend enough because I rely on the poles too much. Without the poles I did well, but like I said these bumps were friendly that day - soft snow, lines from other skiers, and Goldilocks sized.

I think there were some other technical inefficiencies that moved towards auto correction without the ol' security blankies but I can't remember what they were. In general, I got to practice a few different turn techniques, without poles, on different pitches that were a little bumped up. So if you were there during the snow storm on Tuesday and saw a guy pretending he was an airplane flying down Sugarloaf or Supreme you just met me! I highly recommend losing the poles once in a while for training purposes and because it's fun. It is a great confidence builder!

 

[DavidSkis]

I've tried a few inches shorter pole than the 'that's the way we've always done it at 90 degrees' length. During a lesson I was reaching too much to plant and it was putting me too far forward and flexed. It wasn't causing me to fall or miss a line but it was creating bad mechanics. I went back to the 'everyone else does it at 90 degrees so you're a turd if you don't' length and it works.

90 degree elbow bend poles tend to encourage a big "up" movement in your skiing.

Standing bolt upright in transition isn't good in performance turns or short radius. The transition is where both of your legs will generally be midrange in the range of motion you're using. So if you're bolt upright at transition, there's a blockage in your skiing. There are skiers who can flex through transition despite long poles, but 90% of recreational skiers on too-long-poles end up upright. And I'd suggest that even those who can flex through transition with longer poles can't get all the benefit from the pole; some of those benefits are to reduce the spinning forces acting upon you, cue you as to whether or not you're balanced over the outside leg, etc. And I find a long pole is a hindrance in bumps as it hooks up on terrain or doesn't position where I need it for maximum effectiveness.

Once you're skiing steeper pitches, skiing at higher performance, and managing more forces (and therefore bending more through transition), and skiing bumps, you really benefit from a shorter pole. Most of my poles have been cut down by 5-10CM and it's really helped my high end skiing.