Questions to Ask for Movement Analysis

By Diva and Diva2 (Debbie and Kerry)

Movement analysis is a process, and not something we can cover in one blog post. In fact, it’s not something you can learn from reading or watching videos either. Both of those should be part of your learning—you need to understand the fundamental movements and what they look like before you can start to identify them on snow. But to get you started on what you should be looking for, here are some questions to ask when you are looking at a skier: 

What are the skis doing?

• Do the skis leave a round arc in the snow? 
• Is the pivot point under foot, at tip, or at tail of ski?
• Do the skis stay same distance apart?
• Do the skis grip snow or slip across snow? (Carved or skidded?)
• Are the skis on snow or off? (Catching air?)
• Do the skis move simultaneously or sequentially?
• Where is the snow spray coming from, front of ski, boot, or back of ski?
• Where in the turn do you see snow sprayed
• Are the edges engaged more at some points in the turn and less in others?
• Are the edges engaged at the same angle, or is one ski tipped more than the
  other?
• Is one ski turning more than the other?
   
   What is the skier doing?

• Are the joints (ankle, knee, hip) flexing evenly?  
• Does the tipping come from the legs or is the entire body tipping?
• Does the head move up and down?
• Does the body face the outside of the arc, the inside of the arc, or the tips of skis?
• Is the outside leg flexed or straight?
• Is the inside leg flexed more than outside leg?
• Is the pole swing and touch part of old turn or new? (i.e. where in the arc is the swing and touch happening?)
• Are the shoulders level with the terrain or tipped?
• Is the inside foot ahead, behind, or next to the outside foot?
• Where is the skier looking?
• Is there an anticipated directional movement with the body and what direction is it moving?
   
  Now that you have some direction, go out and look at skiers. See if you can pick out the answers to these questions. Go along with a more experienced instructor and ask them to help you determine whether you are seeing the movements correctly. Then you need to draw upon your earlier study of the Alpine Technical Manual, Core Concepts Manual, and other references for the fundamental movements of skiing including on-snow clinics, to determine the cause of inefficiencies in a skier’s movement. Once you have determined the cause, you can work on what the prescription will be to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your student’s movements. Remember when talking to your student the answers to these questions should be stated as objective observations without negative connotation.
    
  Credit also goes to Dave Capron and Chris Ericson (PSIA-E Technical Team) who presented most of these questions in a straightforward compilation during their indoor clinic on Movement Analysis.