Pole Swings in Skiing
June 21st, 2006The use of ski poles in skiing can add important timing, balance, and flow to your skiing movements by acting as a starting motion for a new turn. Just what is that motion called, anyhow? Thirty years ago, ski instructors taught “pole plants”. Welcome to the new Millenium, where that move is more commonly called “pole swings”.
The imagery of a pole plant vs. a pole swing is very different. A pole plant sounds like something that happens in a Maine potato field; it gives you the image of something hitting with enough force to create a thud and bury itself several inches into the ground. A pole swing sounds smooth and deliberate; it gives you the image of something rhythymic swinging through the air continuously and without an abrupt halt.
The focus of a pole plant vs. a pole swing is very different. The old pole plant focused on setting the pole at a distinct point in the snow, where the striking of the tip was essential to the movements. With a pole swing, the focus is on the motion of the pole, where the path of the ski tip is essential to the movements.
Try making pole swings that move the pole tip along the ski, parallel to the edge and staying in the air as much as possible. Sure, letting tip touch the snow at the farthest reach of the pole can give you a firm mental and physical cue to start a new turn. From experience, the pole tip doesn’t have to touch the snow to provide that cue; it may do so less than half the time.