Telemark pole technique

On the downhill poles are only timing devices to set up your turns. They should not be crutches or out-riggers (although we all fall back on that at times!).

Three things that have helped me (some above):
1. Shorten your poles to encourage you to attack down the hill.
2. Your hands should be out in front of you as if you're carrying a tray of food (or beer glasses).
3. Frog Hunting (this is for a left turn) As you're setting up your turn pretend that you're trying to stab a frog with tip of the left pole (tip extended out). Your right pole grip is like the flashlight shining on the frog (top of handle 'shining' the light on the frog).

Steve

Seems it is morphing into an elbows out kind of thing. 

I've been harassed by my Level III Ski Instructor brother for years about my variations in pole planting. I too have a funny left wrist swing on occasion, also the rudder effect on my right hand when needed, like I'm guiding a raft to save my life, technique. More recently with the advent of more powerful equipment like NTN's and skis built for speeds of glory I find I have invented yet another technique for myself. Which is the arms/hands widely set and in front to increase my center of mass and keep my upper body moving down the fall line at all times. Feels a wee bit like flying.

The number one thing I have needed to do every time I ski is adjust my poles to match the terrain/snow level to a shortened position. I only lengthen my poles when in uphill back country mode and usually only one side as I switch side to side on the ascent for the downhill arm.

As a former ski instructor myself (13 seasons in CO) the actual mechanics of the wrist are lift the pinky finger area prior to the pole plant and point the index finger area on the plant. Follow through by keeping your hands and arms in front of you!

Hope this is helpful.

General advise: keep hands where you can see them.

Some drills to try, do it first on non-challenging terrain and then progress. A good time for drills is when conditions are poor for backcountry skiing, lift skiing on groomed snow is a good time to try these. Night skiing at the Summit is a when I do most of my drills, lift tickets are less expensive then as well.

o Ski without poles, work on keeping hands quiet and in front of you.

o Ski with poles held crosswise in front of you, with elbows tucked in against your sides. Work on keeping poles always across the fall line,

o Ski while balancing poles on top of your wrists. To keep the poles from falling off, you need to keep you upper body quiet and shoulders facing the fall-line -- even as your hips and feet pivot below.

o Ski while listening to music with a strong beat. Time pole plants to music beats.

o Ski with top boot buckles undone and lean lock in tour mode. With and without poles -- to help improve balance.

Kind of depends on the turn.

For fall-line short radius keep both hands out front. The pole plant leads the turn and is a short staccato tap. Don't linger. Heads, hands and body right down the fall-line and lots of angulation at the hips. Moguls and couloirs.

For longer radius turns your body leads the way across the fall line and the skis follow - much less winding up at the hips. Lead the turn with a deliberate plant of the down hill arm which becomes the fulcrum of the turn. Lead the ski exchange with the head, uphill arm and body with legs just a heartbeat behind. Some like to envision punching their fist through the air but you want to do it with grace.

Keep everything smooth and surfy. For long radius turns follow the contours and hips of the slope planting the pole just shy of convex rollers - let the slope's contours help you unweight and flow down the hill.

The double pole plant is most likely a carryover from the days of 3-pins and double-camber. Double poling provided much needed stability during tenuous lead changes. With today's boots the extra stability is not needed but old habits are hard to break. The problem w/ double poling is that you'll sometimes catch your uphill ski and it tends to set your uphill shoulder just back a bit putting you in the backseat.

I don't like shorter poles but many do. It seems like the guys w/ the lower stance like them and more alpine for upright stance.

It really helps to see yourself on video - humbling for sure, but the fastest way to improve.

Kind of depends on the turn.

For fall-line short radius keep both hands out front. The pole plant leads the turn and is a short staccato tap. Don't linger. Heads, hands and body right down the fall-line and lots of angulation at the hips. Moguls and couloirs.

For longer radius turns your body leads the way across the fall line and the skis follow - much less winding up at the hips. Lead the turn with a deliberate plant of the down hill arm which becomes the fulcrum of the turn. Lead the ski exchange with the head, uphill arm and body with legs just a heartbeat behind. Some like to envision punching their fist through the air but you want to do it with grace.

Keep everything smooth and surfy. For long radius turns follow the contours and hips of the slope planting the pole just shy of convex rollers - let the slope's contours help you unweight and flow down the hill.

The double pole plant is most likely a carryover from the days of 3-pins and double-camber. Double poling provided much needed stability during tenuous lead changes. With today's boots the extra stability is not needed but old habits are hard to break. The problem w/ double poling is that you'll sometimes catch your uphill ski and it tends to set your uphill shoulder just back a bit putting you in the backseat.

I don't like shorter poles but many do. It seems like the guys w/ the lower stance like them and more alpine for upright stance.

It really helps to see yourself on video - humbling for sure, but the fastest way to improve.

In other words, just like alpine skiers.

In other words, just like alpine skiers.

Pretty much...

Gotta say of all the great skiers I have had the privilege to ski with in the past or present JKordell is top shelf, as one who can really practice what he preaches on the hill. Hands down best technique at all three disciplines Tele, Alpine, snowboard IMO.