1. The foundation of a great pole plant starts with the position of your arms, they should be held at least hip height and within the field of vision. Arm positions have varied over the years depending on what is happening with the teaching styles, but if you look at a racer, they are always striving to drive their arms forward....why? Because that is the path of travel.
Arms should be held relaxed and quiet to ensure your upper body remains quiet, this will also give your legs a powerful and stable platform to work from.
This is a fine example of perfect arm positioning, note the effect this has on his upper body.
2. Next is your pole straps and they and should always be worn correctly. Firstly, the hand is inserted through the strap and then you clasp the grip with the strap between your thumb and forefinger. This gives you a swing point or a hinge that allows the pole to be swung out and controlled by your fingers with minimal effort. Try practising this while you are standing still and see how smooth you cam make the action and how far you can reach the pole ahead of you. Remember, the only movement is coming from the wrist.
3. The last skill is related to where you actually plant the tip of the pole into the snow. I always say "plant it into the future", that being somewhere towards your ski tips and in the direction of where your upper body is facing. If you are on steep terrain, then you will be planting well down the slope to aid with turn initiation. It is important that once your hand moves past the point where your pole was inserted into the snow, you don't drop your arm, this will maintain a quiet upper body.
A great pole plant will help you with:
- A quiet upper body.
- A stable platform to initiate your turn.
- Good timing and rhythm with your turns.
One thing that I despise is a lazy pole plant and comes in many forms. It is a good habit and will help your technique immensely if you aim for a perfect pole plant every turn. This is a good example of a quality pole plant in POW.
