How to do The Basic Pole Plant in Skiing

The pole plant can make a huge difference in your skiing!
In this skiing lesson, I share my best tips on how to do a good pole plant, so you can practice and learn good pole planting fast.
If done in a poor way, the pole plant will disturb your balance and make your skiing suffer. If done in a good way, it will support your balance and make the whole body work together.
A good pole plant will also help you ski with more flow and maintain a nice rhythm, that will make it even easier to start the next turn.
Learning a good pole plant will thus make your overall skiing a lot better!
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SECTIONS
0:37 Why a good pole plant is important
1:24 What characterises a good pole plant
1:47 Tip to learn the pole plant faster
1:58 The arm and hand position
2:48 Exercises to practice the arm and hand position
3:36 The most important secret to a good pole plant...
4:01 Common mistake 1
4:14 Which side to plant the pole
4:29 Common mistake 2
4:46 Get the timing right
5:20 One of my best turns that season
5:25 The up and forward move
6:20 Focus 1
6:39 Focus 2
7:22 Next level pole planting
7:46 Will I land it...
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[@rabihrabouh3167]

best training ever thank you for your fruithful inspiration

[@InspirationalSkiing]

This is very good to hear, Rabih Rabouh! I am so happy you liked it, and you are welcome. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@rabihrabouh3167]

@@InspirationalSkiing thank you sir have a nice evening God Jesus bless you and your lovely family !

[@robertmcculloch4078]

I try to learn several sports on KZbin and this guy is really clear and easy to understand compared to most.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, @robertmcculloch4078. This is so encouraging to hear, I do my very best to be a clear as I possibly can to get the message across. We will keep making content for you guys to enjoy. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@amandabertino2272]

I have been trying to learn how to pole plant all winter! This is the first video that taught it in a way that made sense to me! Thank you!!!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome,Amanda Bertino. Thanks for letting me know. I am very happy the video helped you. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@jameszeng2666]

"Now use your thumb to push the like button!" ... lol I not only liked, I also subscribed :) Nice video!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

We are so happy you did, James Zeng! Welcome on the channel! We wanted to do a fun thing with the like request and we are happy you appreciated what we came up with. And thanks for letting us know. It encourages us to do more like it in the future. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@nemoniemann7936]

Thanks! Helps me refine my explanation during instruction.

[@ricercr44]

I see so many skiers just holding their poles behind them and not using them for anything but to get back to the lift. They’re there for a reason! I think they help improve your skiing so much when you learn how to use them. Thanks for the video.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, ricercr44. I agree! /Janus

[@vicky6580]

Thank you! Great video!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, @vicky6580. I am happy you like it. /Janus

[@comandante9312]

Precious, thank you.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, comandante! You are very welcome! /Janus

[@helentian7798]

Thank you very much! This video does help!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, Helen Tian. I am glad you found the video helpful. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@meannoname7210]

Great tips! 👍🏼👍🏼 Thank you!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, Me Ann Oname! I am happy like the tips. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@kevinmurphy8644]

Excellent- just excellent 👍

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thank you so much, for your comment, Kevin Murphy! I really appreciate it. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@lucyli1679]

Thank you so much! I have watched so many times, good coach! Good video！

[@InspirationalSkiing]

That's awesome, @lucyli1679! I hope you will have a wonderful winter with great progress on your skiing. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@dmitriyyankovskiy8196]

Janus, tanks, one of the useful video about poles plant

[@InspirationalSkiing]

That is good to hear, Dmitriy Levchenko! I hope you will have a good time with pole planting the next time you get on skis. /Janus

[@rayj3215]

explicit demonstration and great video, thanks

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, Rayj321! You are most welcome, We are glad you like the video and demonstration. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@Rocstoneau]

Thanks for that instruction, I’ll try that.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, Rocstoneau! I hope it worked out great for you. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@lawyh1506]

Top stuff! I always wondered why ski coaches do not teach the pole plant at an earlier stage. Still remember when I started to link skid turns my coaches would always shout I was in the backseat. Figuring out how to do a correct pole plant (from KZbin, of course) solved the problem, with ease! Looking forward to more videos! Anything on early edge/high edge angle would be absolutely brilliant!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks, lawh! This is a really good point about the pole plant, that I didn't include in the video. I totally agree that the pole plant can function as a great tool to help you get out of the back seat and into a better middle position. Thanks for sharing that point. In my experience the pole plant must be taught at the right time in a skiers individual journey. If it is taught too early, it may just confuse the skier. In many cases it will be beneficial to build other movement skills, like for example the up and forward move, first. Then integrating the pole plant becomes easy. On the other hand practicing the pole plant can be a great way to practice moving more forward in the beginning of the turn as well. A good coach have an eye for when the timing is right and what approaches will work for each skier, in my opinion. I would love to make a video on early edge and high edge angle! This is something I really love to play around with in my own skiing. A real challenge for sure. A few things for you to try: 1. A low transition (bend knees and waist) between carved turns will give you high edge angles early in the turn. 2. With a very high edge angle, you need a lot of outside ski pressure to make it work well. So a great focus is to be aware to build the angles with outside ski pressure and move and balance over your outside ski as you build the angles through the turn. Check out @Paul Lorenz, @Tom Gellie and @Reilly McGlashans stuff. They have a lot about early edge/high edge angle. And hopefully I will have some good stuff on this topic, at some point, when I get a chance to get back on snow. It is on the wish list for the future for sure. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@lisezeuthen9978]

Your videos inspire me during the corona isolation while I'm dreaming of my next holiday on skies🌈

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Yeah, we are also looking forward to get back on skis. We are happy this video helps a bit. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@r4keys]

A great instructional video. It clearly shows how to do correct pole plants.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, @r4keys. I am happy you like the video. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@StephenGBarr]

I used these exercises today with great results...thank you!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Awesome, Stephen G. Barr! Love to hear that. You are welcome. I hope you keep progressing. /Janus

[@vivolexadvokatfirma1114]

Nice video 😁😁 love it.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thank you, Vivolex Advokatfirma! We are happy you love it! Have a nice day! /Janus

[@ib7541]

The best educational video I've ever seen.Thanks!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Wow, thanks Igor Bavsky! I really appreciate your comment, it is very encouraging! Right now we are packing the car because we are going to Austria tomorrow morning to shot some more awesome content. I hope you will love that too. I wish you a nice ski season and that you will find our videos helpful, when you are skiing the next time! /Janus

[@ib7541]

@@InspirationalSkiing I realy like your project. Could I make a small post in fb?

[@InspirationalSkiing]

@@ib7541 you are welcome to share our videos on Facebook, that would be awesome. Thanks!

[@chaotan046]

Pole is off, thumb is up, now it’s time to click the thumb button. Haha thanks for the fun.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, CHAO TAN! We thought we would integrate a bit of humor, we are glad you liked it. Watch out for future videos, we might integrate more of that kind. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@ivanmachuca8688]

Thank you

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are welcome, Ivan Machuca! Have a nice day! /Janus

[@jex190]

Good video, thanks ❤️

[@InspirationalSkiing]

You are most welcome, Jex ❤️ Have a nice day! /Janus

[@triggerost9023]

The best pole plant tutorial across the whole internet! Fantastic!

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Wow, thanks! Thank you for the kind words, TriGGeRosT! I really appreciate it. It sure does encourage us to keep at it and create much more helpful content. Please feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions for future videos. /Janus

[@InspirationalSkiing]

This topic of how to do a pole plant was requested by @Stacey Vang in the comments under our video How to Maintain Balance on Skis. We thought it was a great idea, and something that would help a lot of skiers - so here it is! Feel free to let us know in the comments, if you have any topic requests - and we might just make a video about it! /Janus

[@Crazy-Roland-vDrums]

THANKS 4 Video... sometimes you let the poles DRAG on the snow... why does no one discuss this?

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your question, Basil Tab. I think this is an interesting topic. Even though a pole drag can become a problem in your skiing, for example if you lean too much on the dragging side, here are my thoughts on the matter. I believe that one of the possible functions of the pole is to get extra data directly from the snow through the pole by letting it drag lightly on the snow. In doing so you will get additional information about the snow quality and where your body is in relation to the snow which can be helpful when adjusting your balance. A focus on tilting your wrist forward in order to lift the pole from the snow through the turn might also be an unnecessary distraction from more important focus areas in your skiing. This is especially true if you are skiing with high edge angles and getting close to the snow. In this case your inside hand might even touch the snow which makes it challenging to make sure the rest of the pole isn't touching. Dragging your inside hand/pole forwards through the turn might also be used as a way to counter. Dragging your outside pole through the turn while also moving over your outside ski might also be a useful way to emphasise and guide the energy in the turn for expert skiers if they can avoid unwanted bodyrotation while doing this. In conclusion, for me it is more about focusing on the most important things, situational choices and options rather than correct or incorrect. I hope this helps. /Janus

[@Crazy-Roland-vDrums]

@@InspirationalSkiing OK THANKS AGAIN!!

[@boscoau117]

I have 2 questions: Its a good video, while I have 2 questions: 1) I doubt if the pole is long enIough to plant after raising our body 2) Do we need to extend our forhand a bit to do the pole planting thx

[@JB91710]

In order for your skis to turn, your upper body has to be over the tips of your skis. The tips are like the front steering tires of your car. In order for your skis to turn when you step onto your uphill ski, it has to roll over onto the downhill or inside edge. Your arch. That means you have to be facing and falling down the hill so your legs fall over which will roll your uphill ski over. So this is what you think about to make that happen. You are balancing on your Right arch in a traverse across the hill. Your hands are on the handlebars of a bicycle. When you want to turn, point your hands and the front tire of that bike, (Your chest), down the hill. Plant your Right pole down the hill and get off your Right foot and balance on your uphill arch. It is more important to think of getting off your downhill foot than thinking about getting on your uphill arch. Where else is your weight going to go? If you stay too long on that downhill foot, you will end up in a snowplow with your body twisted in a knot. If you want to make a sharper turn to control your speed, you add the Barstool Christie. Point the front tire down the hill. Plant your Right pole down the hill. Get off your Right foot, lift your Right cheek and slide it over onto the edge of the Right Barstool. Notice that all your thoughts are to the direction you want to turn to. Try this at home. Stand sideways at the bottom of a staircase with your left foot on the first step. You are balanced on your Right foot. Rotate your upper body so it is facing down the hill and get off your Right foot. Notice you will instantly fall away from the stairs and look at the angle of your left leg. Your left foot is hard on your arch or inside edge of your ski. Now try it without facing down the hill. Face forward and step up onto your left foot. You won't immediately fall down the hill and your leg angle won't change so the skis won't turn very fast. If you want to make sharper turns, stand next to a heavy couch or arm chair. Lift the leg closest to the arm, lift your cheek and slide it onto that arm. Notice how step you leg angle is and how erect your upper body is. If you want to ski slow, that's what you do as your skis will turn really quick. Two things that are easy to remember and practice at home. Oh yeah, I did throw that pole plant in there to show how it can help get you leaning down the hill.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, JB91710. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@rogerpalin5864]

The pole plant initiates the turn and comes before all other movements

[@chanp8563]

nice view may i know where are you skiing?

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Sure, chan p. Almost all of the clips are recorded in Trysil/Norway. /Janus

[@cjtaylor5917]

I see a video that demonstrates pole flicks. I don't see pole plants anywhere in this video

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, CJ Taylor. I guess you can call it that. In my experience the exact words for different ways of letting the pole touch the snow as part of your skiing may differ depending on who you talk to. A ski instructor in Norway, Austria or Chile, or a ski racer from France or a freestyle skier from Japan may have different words for the same thing. To me "the pole plant" refer to a broad category of touching the snow with the poles as part of your skiing. It can then be styled more or less aggressive/with more power or emphasis depending on your goals. The range can then be described from going from a light touch to a powerful plant. Other words (like flicking to punching) may capture this range as well. In this video the pole plant is more to the light side. I have made a whole video (POLE PLANT // Types and Styles (for advanced and expert skiers)) about some of the different types and styles of pole plants and what benefits I see relating to them. I hope this clarifies a bit what I mean by a pole plant. You are very welcome to let me know how you see the difference between pole pant and pole flicking as well as other perspectives on the pole plant. It is always good to hear more perspectives on the matter. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@jerrytravelstead1075]

Barely grazing the snow with the pole tip does not add grip - for moguls, a good pole “stab” can obviously help. Isn’t the PP simply an added motion to separate ski snobs from weekend warriors?

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment and thoughts, @Jerry Travelstead. These are interesting topics, you raise. Here are my thoughts on them: 1. You are totally right that the pole plant at edge change does not provide any additional grip. It does, however, provide a point of contact to the snow that will help the overall balance in a challenging balance situation. Just like if you are standing on one leg with your eyes closed, a simple finger on a stable surface will make a huge difference to your sense of balance. 2. Yes, I agree: in the moguls a pole plant is a great help. On nice groomers, the need for a good pole plant is less obvious, but it still helps. 3. To me the pole plant is yet another thing you can do to gain more control in your skiing. I see many weekend warriors swinging their arms and planting their poles unevenly without any specific intention. In this case the plant itself often becomes a corrective or even a rescue move at times - which of course also have some merit for all of us, when we lose balance. But, for this type of weekend warrior, I think the pole plant can be used to improve how the different parts of their body works together. Then the pole plant becomes less of a rescue move and more a part working to support the flow of the whole. By practicing what I suggest in this video, they will discipline the arms, so they don’t disturb the balance with unhelpful arm swing and random pole plants. They will even get the additional benefits of a support touch in the snow as well as a rhythm support. You can of course find many great skiers who don’t use their poles much. But, the pole plant is an option, and it can be done in a variety of helpful ways. So, if you exclude the pole plant in your skiing, you will just have less helpful options. And I want to have as many helpful options available to gain the most freedom and fun in my own skiing. Stay tuned for our next video, where I will share some of my favourite options the pole plant provides. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@grahammurray6785]

Hi i struggle with getting the legs /feet to turn at the end of the turn into the fall line and on to the transition i lift up with pressure on both skis pole plant ,,,,but dont seem to always feel light enough to turn the skis before starting the edging ,,,,help please

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Hi and thanks for your question, Graham Murray! Try moving up primarily on your new outside ski. When skiing the way I demonstrate for The Basic Pole Plant, the weight transfer should feel kind of like walking on stairs or riding a bicycle when going from one turn to the other. I hope this helps your skiing. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@richardabbene3975]

How can I ski narrow trails that have bumps, and ski it slowly?

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for you comment and topic request, Richard Abbene! I have put that on the wish list. Here are a few general tips to master the described task: 1. You must first master controlled, slow short turns. Watch our video How to do The Hockey Stop on Skis (WITH BONUS TIP!), for some tips on that. Practice keeping your short turns within a narrow corridor on a nice groomer to begin with. 2. Then you should practice absorption and extension on bumps to maintain snow contact. Maintaining snow contact in bumps is a skill that would make for a great video topic in itself. Snow contact is essential for staying in control and keeping the speed down on narrow, bumpy runs. 3. On the narrow bumpy trail in mind, practice a few turns towards a planned stop a few bumps down. Start out with a single turn, if necessary. This will strengthen your ability to stay in control over your speed. As you feel confident, do longer and longer runs before the planned stop. Suddenly you will be able to ski on the narrow bumpy trail for as long as your strength and endurance allow. I hope this helped. /Janus

[@rogerpalin5864]

Ooooh the irony of getting your pole plant at the wrong time!

[@amundekroll7490]

Why is this old stuff still being shown on this website.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, Amund Ekroll. I do agree that a pole plant has been around for a long time. And for the reasons mentioned in the video, I believe it is still relevant. If you refer to the up and forward move, I encourage you to go to my video Two Keys to Parallel Skiing and read the description as well as my respons to Jack H. In relation to see my thought on why I believe this move is still relevant, even though it is sometimes associated with "old" technique. In relation to The Basic Pole Plant the up and forward move provides an easy to understand and easy to perform movement pattern for learning the timing of the plant. As I mention in the video it can also be performed in different types of turns with less up movement, like I demonstrate at 7:30 and even in many of the short turn demonstrations. So, no ruling out other great options, I only add viable options to your skiing. I don't believe in trying to reduce good skiing to one specific and superior style. I am more interested in exploring and expanding what good skiing can be with different styles and effective techniques in specific situations relating to specific goals. If you refer to the steered turns (a specific technique) also demonstrated, they are a great tool to control your speed (a related goal) and the modern shaped carving skis also help with the steering. If you refer to the plant itself, that it should be more of a touch, like I know for example Harald Harb promotes as a more modern style of skiing, I have nothing against that approach. I think his PMTS system is awesome, but I believe the pole touch is one of several options all relating to specific goals in specific situations. I have made a whole video (POLE PLANT // Types and styles (for advanced and expert skiers)) expanding on that point, where I share some of my favourite pole plant options. I hope this clarifies why I believe why I think the stuff I share in this video is still relevant today. /Janus

[@MichaelCoburn]

Jeg elsker Danemark. But how is a Dane teaching me skiing 🤣

[@georgiasmaglee3511]

I just had a friend come from a PSIA clinic and she was told you don't pop up and down when you turn. I said that I was taught that you do come up when you make the turn. I'm a ski instructor and have been sking 40+ years and I never heard of trying to stay level when making the turn. I think the PSIA instructor is totally wrong.

[@martalepage9812]

In more advanced skiing, the vertical movement shifts to lateral movement and the popping up is eliminated. I am a level 2 instructor with the CSIA. In preparation for level 3 you learn to eliminate the popping up by staying low as your feet cross underneath you. Weight changes become smoother and more efficient and the popping up is removed. Good on your PSIA instructor for helping you advance your skiing 🌟 🌟 🌟 ✔️✔️✔️

[@felixbergfors]

I tried this 1 time the ski pole got stuck in the snow and I got the ski pole right in my stomach it hurt a lot !!! I do not recommend anyone to try

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Felix Bergfors. It sounds pretty bad. Trying new things will sometimes involve a process filled with failures on the road to success. Failures, frustration, falling and taking some beating has definitely been part of my own skiing journey. And so has excitement, thrill and pure joy on the way and once I got this new thing I was working on. The pole plant is definitely not the right thing to try for everybody. It depends on where they are on their skiing journey. There are a bunch of other things that I would recommend practicing and learning before trying the pole plant, to increase the chances of success and achieving the benefits from it. Often times, you will have to be an experienced intermediate or advanced skier before trying to achieve the pole plat, just like the thumbnail suggests. I would say that one bad experience with the pole plant does not rule out the entire thing. If you look at the best technical skiers, they will have some sort of pole plant. Many people has had bad experiences with skiing in general, often due to trying something new at the wrong time, like taking a too steep slope too early. That does not rule out skiing or the steep slope. Another thing that can help when learning something new is to take all the speed out and try it while skiing comfortably in gentle terrain. I hope this helps, and I hope you will give the pole plant another go, at some point, so you can experience the benefits it potentially can give you. Have a nice day, Janus

[@cjtaylor5917]

This video shows pole flicks, not plants.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Hi CJ Taylor. Thanks for this comment as well. I made a reply to your other comment to clarify what I mean by a pole plant. Have a nice day! /Janus

[@ioanas7586]

Disagree with the up and down motion, ski instructors stopped teaching it few years ago

[@philiplacey5430]

The up and down motion is still hugely appropriate for older recreational skiers who want to ski longer hours of the day. It may not be fashionable or the latest teaching but it works. It can also be used as a bridge to really understand what being forward feels like at the top of the turn. If you don't have that move in your bag of tricks you will never progress. I actually learned to ski at 60 years old and assumed a retraction of the legs at transition was the only way. Last year I deliberately "regressed" to the up move to teach my body how to get out of the back seat. For me it's a transitional phase and I'll get back to doing it the "right way" soon. As for the pole plant, I kind of assumed I was doing it correctly but only this week did I really look into it and now I can say that it made an instant improvement to my balance.

[@lukehelmore3146]

That’s just skiing in general. If your doing it wrong, you pay for it.

[@InspirationalSkiing]

Thanks for your comment, Luke Helmore. You are right, all your movements have a consequence. It is all about making the right movements to achieve the results you want. Have a nice day! /Janus