This movement is an Essential skiing ability, without it skiers are limited. Young racers should become totally comfortable using this in everyday skiing. Please feel free to respond with questions.
Based on and derived from: my "Essentials of Skiing" book this is the "Super Phantom Move".
In the sport of skiing, to advance, you must learn to transfer the balance to the uphill, specifically to the outside (little toe) edge of the inside ski, to create a transition, called the "Super Phantom". This is also described in my book "Anyone can be an Expert Skier 2".
Mastering this transition will take your skiing to a higher level. With the PMTS system, we teach this to all levels of skiers. It is especially helpful for those skiers still using wedge entries or in a snow plow. However, as you can see from these photos, the "Super Phantom is used to transition by the best world cup skiers.
Qualities and abilities: It is obvious that all the top ski racers have the ability to transfer balance whenever needed. Sometimes deliberately or accidentally, most world-class skiers have this figured out. The first movement you need to learn is the transition. In this Check Point # 2, releasing the outside stance ski is done by relaxing, flexing and removing pressure from the outside ski and transferring it to the LTE ski.
Refinement: At the point of transition, ideally, the inside ski and leg need to be tipped to the same angle as the outside ski's leg. A stable counter-acted complimentary upper body and hip relationship relative to the outside ski and boot is essential at the end of the arc and, it has to be held at the point of transfer for the transition. The counteracted torso and hip should face the outside ski and be held during the release.
Shiffrin, "Super Phantom'!
Mechanics or Movements: Complete a round arc, finishing into the falline. At this point in the arc, change the balance from the outside to inside little toe edged ski. Hold counteracting and counter-balance, keep the inside ski angled, and the inside leg ready to support your balance shift to the "Little Toe Edge." LTE. Engage the inside ski edge, relax the outside foot, ankle, and leg, raise or lift the outside leg making the knee come up toward the chest and lift the front of the ski from the snow, then tip and pull back the former weighted outside leg.
Training Objectives: All skiers participating in this training session, should be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the coach, stationary examples of the movements for this exercise, with ski balance changes and stance ski transferred to the LTE. Then, demonstrate and practice a traverse with total weight and balance on the uphill inside ski. All skiers should then demonstrate, first in one turn, then in a series of turns, a release with the previous outside ski lifted, for at least a ski length, before another turn is initiated. The goal is to achieve at least 5 good examples of this movement completed by all participants by the end of the training session.
Quality of Movements: By the end of this training, the skiers should have numerous opportunities to demonstrate little toe edge balancing ability. And, at the same time, upper body coordination with counter-balancing and counter-acting should be maintained. The arms and poles should be held wide and pole tips should remain quiet and preferably on the snow.
Benefits of this exercise and variations of this exercise: Placing the emphasis on your Balance shifting ability from one foot to the other, achieve independent balance with upper and lower body coordination. The key is to support a lower body balance change to the uphill edge while holding a counter-acted upper body relationship, while retracting the outside leg and lifting the ski. Without a solid Counter-acted relationship, which means holding the upper body and hip in place, this "Check Point" is very difficult to achieve at race speed.
Notice at the point of retraction and ski lift, it's the ski tip that comes off the snow first not the tail.
Footnote: All "Harb Trained" coaches have a working understanding of foot and boot needs any alignment issues directly handicap or limit young skiers from performing these types of transitions. If these exercises are not attainable it may have more to do with boot fit, alignment or correct footbeds, and is not as much a balance or technical lack of ability.
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