Short But Sweet: How to Ski Short Turns

Don’t let the short turn become a lost art.

Modern skiing has lost the short turn as a trusted ally—one that was there for us when we needed a special tool to deal with special circumstances. Gone are the days of making short turns at the run’s edge, where the best snow resides until the last hours of the day. Wide skis have all but killed the desire to execute short radius turns, as skiers can now skid sideways to get through, around, or over obstacles. Here’s how to ski short turns.

Unless you ski moguls regularly, you might not even know what a short turn really is.

Short radius turns make for a high-tempo form of skiing. All parts of the turn happen quicker, and time between turns is minimized. This makes setting up and dialing in positions between turns tricky, which is why you tend to see mostly advanced skiers executing this type of turn.

But there are still tactical benefits to short-radius turns. The best route down the mountain is rarely cut and dried, so your skiing needs to be dynamic and adaptive. When you’re venturing into steep terrain, you often don’t want to have your skis pointed down the fall line too long; short radius turns are a great way to keep your skis pointed across rather than down the hill. But above all, the ability to make short turns adds creativity, adaptability, and versatility to your skiing. Ready to get started? Let’s review the basics.

A short turn relies on the same fundamentals as any other turn, performed at a quicker pace.

1. A Stable Upper Body

Allows you to move your legs independently of your torso.

Beginner and intermediate skiers tend to ski with their upper body first, then their lower body second. To be able to ski short turns, you need to be able to turn your lower body first against a stable upper body upper/lower body separation.

How to maintain a stable upper body:

• Keep your head and shoulders facing down the fall line
• Your jacket zipper should face downhill throughout your entire turn
• Hands remain in your field of view at all times, about hip-height
• Engage your entire core

2. Engaged Ankles, Knees, and Hips

Allows you to set and release edges.

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Short turns require quick changes of direction. Engage your ankles, knees, and hips to quickly change your skis’ direction without turning your upper body.

How to engage ankles, knees, and hips during your turns:

• All turns—regardless of shape and size—should begin from your ankles; first roll your ankles, then knees, then hips to set and release edges
• When you get your skis on their edges, the shape of the ski will do the turning for you
• To come out of a turn and begin a new one, gradually roll your ankles, knees, and hips in the other direction to flatten your skis before you begin a new turn

3. Balance

Allows you to shift your weight onto the outside ski.

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Dynamic turns depend on the ability to stand on and against the outside ski.

One of the skills that separates intermediate from advanced parallel skiers is the ability to stand on and against the outside ski. Dynamic turns like short turns depend on the ability to stay balanced against the outside ski. You will struggle to shape your turns if you allow your body to fall inside of your turns.

How to shift your weight over the outside ski:

• Engage the muscles over the top of your foot and your shins to help you stay balanced over the middle of your ski
• Keep your head over your outside ski in the middle of your turn, this will ensure most of your weight is shifted over that ski

Quick Tip: Outside Ski Drill

Directions: On easy or moderate groomed terrain, practice lifting your inside ski off the snow in the middle of each turn. This will force you to stand over your outside/downhill ski.

A Pole Plant

Helps you initiate turns and make the other movements happen.

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Pole plants help stabilize the upper body so you can turn your skis beneath you.

Ski poles are more than just accessories—they’re integral to everything you do in skiing. First and foremost, pole plants help stabilize the upper body so you can turn your skis beneath you. But they also dictate the rhythm of the rest of your movements throughout the turn, as well as help your body move down the hill.

How and when to pole plant:

• Your ski pole is one of your connections to the snow; treat your pole accordingly and grip it firmly to solidify your connection to the snow
• When your lower body has initiated a turn, swing your pole in front and downhill of you; this only requires a flick of the wrist—avoid big, dramatic swings
• The pole should only briefly make contact with the snow as you keep both hands in your field of view at about hip height; do not drop your pole plant hand after you plant your pole

Meet Your Instructor: Michael Rogan

Ski Magazine

SKI’s Director of Instruction

Michael Rogan is head coach of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Alpine Demo Team and a Special Project Coach for the U.S. Ski Team. Asked to define his personal skiing style, Rogan responds: “I like to side on accuracy, precision, and athletic.”

For more ski lessons, read

Great Ski Tips from Great Skiers

Written by SkiMag.com Editors for Ski Magazine and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.