PMTS Check Point, number 8

Here is the two time Overall World Cup champion, and arguably the best technical skier since the great, Alberto Tomb, demonstrating the Phantom Move.

This begins by lifting the old stance ski and foot off the snow.

Once lifted the ski is tipping toward the little toe edge to increase angles.

As the tipping increases the body angles  increase, weight is totally on the outside ski.

This is a skill that every skier should develop if they want to become experts. The Phantom Move is a copy write and trademark of Harb Ski Systems, invented by Harald Harb.

Check list 10 Little Toe Edge mastery!

A short while ago I received an e-mail from a racer. He was asking about transfer to the LTE. He said a coach told him that it isn't something you should use.  Well, I do advise you learn what it is and how to use it.

Once you release the big toe edge of the stance ski your weight and balance need to go somewhere and this is where it should go. 

PMTS Check number 9, Counter Balanced and Counter Acted,

Shoulders level, torso vertical, outside leg long, inside leg flexed and tipped.

The word "stacked" in skiing is batted about often these days. I don't like words like this because everyone can interpret them differently. And they have different meaning for different people. Effective words are accurate and they say exactly what you want to see done.

Counter acting is reversing the forces that act on your body in an arc. In this case it's counter acting with your hips. To counteract you have to physically make an effort to move your outside hip back.

Counter balance is to keep your upper body from leaning into the turn or toward the gate. To accomplish these tenants of skiing you have to move the inside hip higher and keep it engaged. This makes it look like the pelvis is more level, that's what you want. 

PMTS Check Point number 1

Is the skier balanced on the outside ski? All the way through the turn? Can you hold this inside ski like this, all the way through the arc?

(below) My inside leg flexed and ski lifted, one of the best tests for high level skiing.

Alexis Pinturault (below) has it all, his inside foot management rivals Hirscher and Neureuther. Here his inside ski is light on the snow and just slightly lifted. Perfect!

PMTS Check points, number 7

Is there a point in every turn where your outside leg is straight, (stretched) and the knee is touching the inside ski boot?

Mistakes: Most skiers stance is too wide, this has been taught for decades by the instructors of traditional methods. If you use a wide stance it really hurts your skiing development. A wide stance  limits lateral movements, it causes two footed weighting and lack of balance.

Achieve your best angles by flexing and tipping the inside leg and keep your inside ski from spreading away from the outside ski. No stepping the inside ski forward or to the side.

Mario Matt, notice how there is almost no weight on his inside ski. His inside boot is pulled back and the shin angle is dramatically forward. This makes for fast slicing arcs.

PMTS Check List number 6

The inside arm and ski pole tip should be moving forward through the arc, this helps to hold the counter acting and stop rotation of the torso.