Pole plant: low elbow, correct forearm position, better balance

Many mistakes stem from the difficulty of properly sensing the arms and elbows. The key point is simple: the elbow must remain low. If the elbow is low, the forearm is already correctly oriented, and only a small movement of the wrist and hand is needed to prepare the pole plant effectively.

What happens frequently instead?

• high elbow

• forearm moving inward

• plant made by moving the entire arm forward “as a unit”

This leads to undesired rotations of the torso and pelvis, with a loss of balance and skis that grip less effectively.

The secret lies in the humerus (the upper part of the arm):

• if it rotates inward → high elbow and incorrect position

• if it rotates outward → low elbow, correct forearm position, better balance

A very effective image is that of the elbow trying to scrape the snow. At first, you can help the movement by actually allowing the outside pole to lightly scrape the snow through the turn, to “force” the elbow to stay low.

Keep the elbow low with every plant, alternating right and left, using a simple and fluid movement.
This pattern also helps in fast turns to consolidate balance over the outside ski and maintain stability throughout the development of the turn.