10 Secrets on How to Use the Feet to Ski Well

In this comprehensive skiing tutorial, we unveil 10 secrets to mastering the art of skiing by harnessing the power of your feet. We'll dive deep into the pivotal role your feet play in sensing pressure, maintaining balance, and adapting to varying snow conditions. Throughout this tutorial, we'll guide you through drills designed to heighten your tactile awareness, ensuring you're always in tune with your movements on the slopes. Discover the role of the feet to ski with precision and control, and learn how to use feedback for continuous improvement in your skiing. Join us for a Ski Camp ⛷ stompitcamps.com/camps/ 🚡
How to Use the Hips to Carve: • How to Use the Hips to...
00:00 Intro, How to Use the Feet to Carve on Skis
00:39 Let the Feet Speak
01:13 Grip a Pencil with your Toes
01:21 Gently Press the 10 Toes Down for Better Connection to the Ski
01:31 Join a Stomp It Ski Camp for Adults
01:38 Awareness Drill 1: Feel How the Pressure is Moving Around Your Feet
01:49 Awareness Drill 2: Smooth Carving vs Skidding
02:24 Awareness Drill 3: Feel the Snow Conditions
03:02 Avoid the Barbarian Boot Tilt
04:41 The Feet Guide the Balance for Better Skiing
04:45 Let the Feet Guide You Side to Side when Carving on Skis
05:30 Bonus Tip: The Tripod Foot and How to Better Edge on Skis
06:12 Let the Feet Guide Your Fore and Aft Balance on Skis
08:12 Feedback
08:27 Level 1: Present Feedback: Feel for the Thing you are Trying to Improve
09:02 Level 2: Sectional Feedback: Watch a Replay in your Mind
09:31 Level 3: Lift Feedback: Video Analysis
09:57 Carv Feedback
10:57 Foot Scissoring: Alternate Foot Pressure for Smooth Basic Short Turns
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[@StompItTutorials]

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[@jonathanmcnee4856]

I've been watching your videos for years, Jens - they're just getting better and better! Love your work and thanks :)

[@StompItTutorials]

Thank you! It's a lot thanks to Carlos behind the camera :)

[@davec.1045]

This is the first time I've seen this video or any of your videos. This is also the first time I have seen an instructional video that even mentioned the big toe (I've been telling people about that little piggy for decades). I just started my 57th year in the Wasatch. I feel you have broken it down to the basics in a way that is very understandable for skiers of any ability. Feel and feedback are the keys (IMHO) to adapting to variable snow and pitch. Very well done, sir!

[@StompItTutorials]

Fantastic to hear :D Yeah maybe its not talked enough about from instructors?

[@linmorell1813]

This is what I was taught many years ago about feet especially the big toe on turning & it’s the first time I have heard anyone teaching it since

[@trashhook]

The content us very much appreciated. I'm looking forward to utilizing what I have learned here on the slopes...hopefully next week if my local ski hill gets enough snow.

[@StompItTutorials]

Thank you so much :) I hope you get snow so you can put It to practise!

[@Thorbenius]

Nice video, gonna take a closer look onto my footwork in the holidays! Btw. The video quality is really impressive from a filmmaker’s perspective, keep up the good work!

[@StompItTutorials]

Awesome, thank you! We try!

[@bellaroba]

Thank you for the videos. Best regards.

[@ruoguhou403]

I really love the illustration about the pressure, point of the feet, et al. This is much much better than merely talking or showing the results which make people bored or confused easily.

[@mogglie]

I think it’s a screenshot from the CARV app…

[@ruoguhou403]

@@mogglie learnt about it later, still it's a creative product.

[@alpean_academy]

next level man! top

[@vickz2985]

awesome vid Jens

[@butterflyenthusiast1008]

The dogs are barking

[@ThePineapSkis]

💀

[@OkAIok]

Six bucks and my left nut says we’re not landing in Chicago

[@appelflap420]

made me laugh

[@petercreagh8797]

You first point about big toe pressure on the base of the boots works for me and as soon as I take it off I end up no longer balanced and sitting back. Checking for any heel lift or foot twist when you turn is important too as that means your boots are too big or packed out.

[@puregsr]

This is good stuff. Last season I learned to carve based on Harb's method and all he talks about is the feet, how the feet starts the chain of movements of the rest of the legs using balance. But you're adding the fine tuning of toes / heels (fore and aft)! So hopefully this season I can master short turns. And with Tom Gellie adding the concept wedging of the pelvis into different part of the foot, I'm really going to take my skiing to a whole different level. It's weird to say, but since I've been watching your video just 2-3 years ago, you were already an expert skier that I thought was humanly possible with all the jumps, tricks, speed. But now I can see the transition of you all of a sudden becoming a true expert alpine skier! The smoothness, confidence, power; It's really subtle but you're like a completely different skier.

[@StompItTutorials]

Thank you that was lovely to read! Keep learning this season!

[@sebtkach6057]

I've been using my hands to ski this whole time, can't believe I've been doing it wrong!!

[@StompItTutorials]

Classic mistake 😜

[@punaxni]

thanks

[@StompItTutorials]

You're welcome!

[@THUVU62]

So beautiful the snow and the mountains. May I know where is it?

[@niklas2331]

I want to know more about the pen idea? What does it mean and what does it do?

[@vitaliy1515]

Очень красивая природа ⛷⛷⛷⛷⛷🏂🏂🏂🏂

[@StompItTutorials]

?

[@clekkas]

Great tutorial. Off topic question, what is the brand of your ski jacket?

[@StompItTutorials]

It's a State of Eleven ate, Bec De Rosses Jacket and pants.

[@clekkas]

Thank you for the info@@StompItTutorials Maybe a post about ski wear would be fun :)

[@andrey007728]

обожаю ваши видео!

[@StompItTutorials]

Google translated, and thank you very much.

[@brycebutleryogaandfitness]

😂 great presentation of an important concept

[@teknik12k]

All this is good but when I was actually thinking about it on snow I realized my turn starts with my pinky finger. My inside pole starts rising up which makes it reach towards the outside of the current turn. From there as soon as I start the pole flick it shifts my body in unison and I start putting the foot pressure down. It's that following tip I really liked focusing on from there!

[@dmshanks1]

What resort is that at 35 seconds in? Awesome!

[@julia3za]

Exactly, wondering the same!!

[@thecrazydonut]

Honestly, Carv looks cool. I would be down to spend 3 or 400$ to buy the setup. But the 250$/year mandatory membership is absurdly unreasonable.

[@StompItTutorials]

Yea its cool but costs some and so does ski lessons.

[@skulpi_tcg886]

@thecrazydonut i am a ski instructor my self (from germany) and the pricing of the cours is very fair. in our ski school 4 days cost about 325$ and we dont really make a whole bunch of profit, since we are not profit orientated(we try to ceap the costs for the consumer as low as possible). so 250$ a year is very fair

[@drdecco1]

About 06:20 when you are carving down the hill with the foot pad sensor/pressure graphic….. it’s lighting up heaviest on the one side regardless of the side of the slope you are on - should it not alternate to the right and left (foot/big toe graphic) depending on which side you are turning/turning back to?

[@jermstan]

Trying to understand why this is so as all the pressure sensor videos I have seen also show this effect

[@Deepthought-42]

Thought this was about barefoot skiing and put my heated socks on charge🤣👍👍

[@kasperkat454]

Fantastic, didn't know it was called death cookies *haha*

[@StompItTutorials]

Great term right?

[@cvn6555]

We encountered those at Jackson Hole. Last run of the day, heading back to the rental, cut into the Hobacks and the entire slope was nothing but death cookies. None of us thought this was possible. We just stopped and sat there in the snow for about ten minutes, trying to marshal the energy to embrace the suck. It sucked. Never had to deal with them again.

[@mikehoffman7131]

Would you say when just standing in your ski boots(not on skis), is your weight distribution more towards the balls of your feet?

[@j4s0n67]

I don't comment very often but I need help on the pressure point shown on 1:26 I always get an blister and I don't even have an big toe box but I don't know why, I just started skiing so I don't have an good boots but whenever I try different boots its either too big which kind of fixes the blister issue or it fits perfectly but I always have blister

[@MiElas]

YEEEEHAAAAAA!

[@StompItTutorials]

Yiho

[@blondincountryman7245]

What's the brand of your Coat / Helmet / Mask please ?

[@SingaporeSkaterSam]

Helmets and goggles have become ridiculously dominant in the skiers’ look!

[@mogglie]

:) it’s all about the eyes.

[@Leggir]

I've had my current ski boots for the 11 years. Is it time to replace them?

[@Montoya2005]

Yes! I had mine for 15 years and during that time ski boot tech has changed. Eventually your inserts will wear down and stop supporting the feet and your padding will also lose thickness. Both resulting in a boot that doesn’t support your feet and impact your turns. Like having a loose steering wheel. I changed mine for Atomic Hawk and new boots are so much better. Go to your local ski shop and get measured. Biggest change for me… my feet had changed shape and size since my first boots.

[@cvn6555]

Yes. Make sure you get them in a store that has experienced boot fitters with a wide range of boot brands. Custom foot beds.

[@663066x]

Did you live in Zermatt?

[@tzlilkesemamos6357]

Its in laax or zermat ?

[@simongrafton4123]

Whoa whoa whoa First off, it is easy to find an error in a video, even easier than it is to find an error in a comment. I'm sure there is a point below where I make a mistake. However, I'll offer a different opinion here on how best to use the toes during skiing. I do so with full respect to the creator, who's content I find very good! I make the case that pressing down on the toes (generally) is not efficient technique. Why we might lift our toes UP to the top of the boot (much of the time) when skiing: 1) Lifting the toes encourages dorsiflexion (front of the foot lifting up) because it recruits muscles in the same group as the anterior tibialis, the prime muscle of dorsiflexion. Dorsiflexion is optimal in skiing as it pulls the lower leg toward the tongue of the boot, and the skiers body forward. If the foot is in plantar flexion (pushing the toes and foot down) we tend to bend the knee and straighten the hip joint - this can put the skier in the back seat, and will reduce effective pressure control due to the geometry of the hip and knee joint. Dorsiflexion, on the other hand, supports the knee and encourages bending of the hip. The result is an athletic stance with proportionate bending of the ankle, knee and hip. 2) With the ankle actively in dorsiflexion, the skier should feel their weight on the bottom of the boot balanced toward the back of the arch. This is right under the load bearing tibia, and is an efficient position for carrying your weight as the calf muscle does not need to be recruited to support weight as it would if you were balanced on your toes. The less energy you expend carrying your weight, the more you can direct to supporting balance and controlling your skis. 3) Pronation of the outside foot (often referred to as the "downhill" foot) is essential to edge the ski effectively, it rolls the boot and ski to increase edge angle, and aligns the tibia (the load carrying bone of the lower leg) closer to the edge of the ski, which reduces torque on the ankle -for this reason, having a bit of room for this movement in your boots is important. Pronation also creates a gripping action between the foot and boot increasing control (additionally the foot takes up more volume in the boot when the toes lifted adding to this effect.) But most importantly here, dorsiflexion is a component movement of pronation, along with eversion (rolling the foot so the inside of the foot faces down,) and abduction (twisting the foot so the toes point to the side away from the center line.) You can still achieve pronation with toes pointed or curled, it's just much easier and more effective with the toes lifted. 4) Sensory information, the creator makes a good point that we get a huge amount of information from our feet, but it is not significantly hampered by lifting our toes as they are still in firm contact with the boot and we still experience a good "feel" for the snow. Load bearing and ski inputs can, and should, be done at the head of the 1st and 5th metatarsals (the bases of your 1st and 5th toes) with the toes still in a lifted position. However, It is effective to balance over the heel for most of the turn and it is especially important to do so at the completion of the turn to adequately pressure the tail of the ski. We then to initiate a new turn by redirecting our balance over the front of the ski by, 1) retracting the feet fore aft (to balance forces), and 2) pressing down with the front of the foot (and yes, occasionally the toes as required!) It is less effective to pressure the front of the ski momentarily with the front of the foot already carrying weight as would be the tendency if we were to press our toes down. We would likely be forced to make slower, less coordinated, moves with our upper body. 5) The ankle is more stable in dorsiflexion so it might be beneficial to promote it even if it only reduces the likelihood we end up "opening" the ankle from time to time due to pressing the toes down. Well, that escalated quickly, I was just going to make a few points. Lastly, if you feel more comfortable pressing your toes down, I strongly suggest spending at least several hours (more if you have skied a lot) skiing with your toes up as you will be working to overcome practiced motor patterns, not an easy feat...no pun intended.

[@akairborne]

The moustache is a little distracting, it keeps making me think of Lt Jim Dangle in Reno 911! Enjoying this video over some morning coffee and dreaming of carving some beautiful (for me) turns this winter!!!

[@StompItTutorials]

Haha just goggled it and I`m not certain that is a complement but I´ll take it as one 😂

[@jask320]

Ahhh ohhh

[@Time782]

What kind of shoes are those? 5:49

[@StompItTutorials]

Altra superior zero drop, wide toe box. I reccomend.

[@vitaliy1515]

💰💰💰

[@StompItTutorials]

Thank you

[@NolieRavioli]

i was listening to my feet all day today they were screamin

[@StompItTutorials]

Haha new boots?

[@Huttify]

Feet are input. Could you consider making the same video, but with knees, not feet?

[@StompItTutorials]

Makes sense to make a knee video after making this foot video and the hip video.

[@Sawer]

This sounds a lot like Toph's Seismic Sense in ATLA...

[@StompItTutorials]

What is Atla?

[@Sawer]

Avatar, the last airbender😂. There is this character that sees by feeling vibrations with her feet. Great video man, wish you a great season❤

[@vrwgq3q]

three things that people don't seem to understand, which makes all the difference for high performance carving: For on-piste, you need to be dynamic and dive tip in at the fall line and engage the tips of your ski to set the edge. Shortening the inside-leg. You don't go wide with your legs (may look like it), but really you set the lean angle by pulling the the inside leg closer to your chest. This controls and allows you to lean your (inside edge) of the outside leg more. Flexing ankle on the inside leg. Just like the latter part of your ski video here, your outside leg initiates the tip in of the turn and to patch parallel on edge angle (shin lean) you need to "flex" up your inside ankle, which also aides in shortening the inside-leg. This is the same feeling like with hockey turns - tight turns, whee you see the spray of ice coming off the outside edge of your inside leg, is the same thing. The majority of your turning is done on the inside edge of your outside leg, but the radius of the turn is set by the outside edge of the inside leg.

[@ian2000]

Taking your boots and socks off in the snow for a thumbnail is unnecessary but it got me to click.

[@dydhcyshdj]

My feet just hurt like crazy and want to get out of those boots - that’s pretty much it…

[@Steph-iw3hr]

Foot scissoring explanation is not very clear ?? Could you get into more details please 😊

[@src248]

For free?!

[@StompItTutorials]

Why do you ask this?

[@oscardias7798]

Put those toes away !

[@StompItTutorials]

Haha

[@Oliveandlove______]

Lol😂

[@woodge7863]

For Free?

[@StompItTutorials]

Why do you ask for free?

[@sougol248]

he let the stinkers out

[@StompItTutorials]

Ops

[@guidouytterhaegen]

Here again,after watching the “ hip position “ video,its all not possible for skiers who are not able to practice at least a week off 4 a season. If you are an skiier who goes one time a year ,just have fun please…… Of course your tutorials are ok,informative ,but these are for advanced,to expert skiers.

[@lamesamebame8476]

for free?

[@StompItTutorials]

What's for free?

[@lamesamebame8476]

@@StompItTutorials the feet pics, its a joke lmao

[@brucejones8749]

Ski with your boots unbuckled ….. That’s what pro racers do

[@StompItTutorials]

Also a fantastic drill. I talked so much about it in the past that I left it out for this video.

[@albertmaziarz6739]

nonsense-avrege-skier-like-you-roll-and-flex-ankles-elite-w.c.-flex-forward-pelvis-not-ankles-they-.rotate-pelvis-and-ankles

[@msysmilu]

Here's a challenge, Jens... To me you seem back heavy in your demos (need to be a bit more forward, at every part of the turn). :)

[@StompItTutorials]

I think the fore is just fine I got other issues like not quite getting the hip close enough to the snow. That's just what skiing looks like from the side. Remember the position is not the same on skis vs when standing still as when your skiing you gotta think about the combination of gravity and centripetal forces. It's not enough to only think Jens looks backseated in relation ship to the ground and it's ok to be back seat in the transition. Does my rough answer make sense to you?

[@msysmilu]

​@@StompItTutorials it makes sense as in theory. I have some comments though: - Social media and putting the hips on the snow... ts ts ts; it looks cool, but it's also biodynamically impractical. If you want to achieve that, get massively back heavy/seated and put the camera somewhere down the run (not from the side) -> money shot - I looked again, frame by frame, and one thing I can spot is the ankle mobility and (partial) activation. I can see you're getting forward at the beginning of the turn by hinging and I would like to see more ankle flex. I would work with this first, imo, as you're a fantastic skier up to there! :) - I also noticed the transition is too tall. If we'd ski together, I'd suggest you try to shoot your CoM down into the new turn (that's part of the meaning when I used "forward" above). Essentially get an early edge, shorten the time you're back-heavy, and go straight in with the CoM. And... forget the "altitude" of the hips because you'll be able to keep the centrifugal force just from the hip angulation (which you definitely have more to spare before any inclination). Regardless, I appreciate this small exchange in these comments. Curious what you think (and if it makes sense). :D

[@norivondoren1696]

Fun stuff, but to me that's not really skiing. If you need a grooming machine to prepare the slopes for you, it should be called something else. Maybe sliding on skis for tourists. It's the trees, the bumps, the powder, the steep and deep where skiing happens. The myriad of improvisations, techniques and adjustments needed to navigate those conditions That's real skiing. But I understand. Like everything else these days, it's sell, sell, sell! :)

[@StompItTutorials]

I agree with the part, that freeride skiing is the most fun skiing for me too. Although that is my favourite type of skiing, followed by freestyle, then piste skiing, I would say all forms of skiing are skiing.

[@Montoya2005]

It’s not driving if you’re on a motorway. Only driving it you’re going up mountains or over mud and dirt.

[@dorufodorean7535]

@@Montoya2005 correct! driving on a motorways is like sitting in a car train. not much skill needed. on the other hand, driving in mud, mountains, snow, etc, now that takes some skills. :)

[@cvn6555]

Developing good technique on the groomed stuff helps many when they transition to the bumps and trees. What makes a good turn in the steep and deep terrain is the same things that make a good turn on the blues. And everyone has different goals and abilities on the mountain. It is all skiing, from the bunny slopes to the couloirs. We are all joined by the love of being on the mountain.

[@user-xl3dr7ws5c]

I've been watching your videos for years, Jens - they're just getting better and better! Love your work and thanks :)

[@StompItTutorials]

Wow, thank you!

[@user-hq2nn2tw5h]

Nice video, gonna take a closer look onto my footwork in the holidays! Btw. The video quality is really impressive from a filmmaker’s perspective, keep up the good work!