By: Justin Freeman
I helped out at a clinic this past weekend, and I was helping skiers at various levels with their classic technique, including both double poling and striding. As I worked with people I realized that there are three drills I always come back to for classic skiing. The advantage of these drills is partly that they are simple but more importantly that they give their own feedback so that anyone can use these any time, whether there is a coach around or not, and will have a hard time developing bad habits.
The first drill is a dryland drill for classic arm swing. Stand with your feet should width apart with your knees and ankles slightly bent. Create a curve in your spine by slumping your shoulders forward and also tucking your pelvis forward – your spine should look a little like a “C” when viewed from the side. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet; the bend in your knees is balanced by the bend in your ankles and your shoulders and hips should be tucked equally forward. Now simply move your arms as you do classic striding. This will naturally create a slight motion up and down in your knees and ankles. You can play with body position and degree of arm swing. If you do this in front of a mirror, get a good look at what your classic skiing is like as you make adjustments.
The second drill is on snow. You simply find a rather steep hill and double pole up it. Try to keep your motion short and tight and your hips forward. Your power should come from your core and from a sharp initiation of the poling motion. The great thing about doing this on a steep hill is that if your technique deteriorates you will bog down and have difficulty moving forward. If you stay in a good position you should be able to keep moving up the hill, though you may run out of strength quickly.
The point of this drill is to teach you good body position and healthy habits in double poling. When you actually double pole in a race you use a much longer motion and more muscles, but if you start from the same position you will use all your muscles much more effectively.
The final drill is a no poles drill. Find a gradual downhill (or a steeper one as you become more advanced). Ski without poles in the track. Extend the time you spend gliding on each ski, and make sure your weight is 100% on the glide ski. When you are ready to kick, make it a secure and snappy kick onto the other ski. I like to glide for a count of three, kicking exactly as I say “three.”
This drill accomplishes two things. First, it improves your balance, helping you to feel secure as you glide. Second, it helps you with the speed of your kick. Especially as you go faster, as slow, lazy kick is not an option – it will most like cause a faceplant.
To truly master these three drills and be able to perform the last two on very steep hills is to have good body position (demanded by the second drill), excellent balance (demanded by the last drill), crispness of motion (demanded by both these drills), and a high level of comfort with the classic skiing motion (from the first drill). In short, to master just these three drills is to master classic skiing.
