Look Ahead

When you look ahead, you will "see" the hill, giving you more time to anticipate and develop strategies for how best to ski the racecourse.

How, Where and When to Look Ahead

About two-thirds through the transition between turns, rotate your neck and head to look towards the apex of the next turn rather than the turn you are about to execute.

• The wider the arc of the turn, the more you will need to rotate your neck and head.

• Special thank you to Tom Gillie for publishing this excellent video.

Video by Big Picture Skiing

Here’s a screenshot from Tom Gillie's video showing his neck and head rotating towards the inside of the turn. .

Observe how this movement changes your 'Line of Sight' while navigating a racecourse.

Image by Ron Le Master / Graphics by ARM

Coach’s Tip: Use your peripheral vision to see where you'll start your next turn instead of fully turning your head and neck.

Psychology of Looking Ahead

• When skiing, we look ahead to decide where and how to ski the hill.

• Our minds make multiple conscious and subconscious decisions based on many factors, including turn shape, snow conditions, steepness of terrain, obstacles such as other skiers, as well as our technique.

• As we ski, our minds are constantly shifting focus among these various factors.

• The same principle of looking ahead and making decisions applies to skiing through a racecourse, with the main difference being the gates determine where you will ski.

Train your Mind to Look Ahead

An effective exercise to train your mind to look ahead and shift focus between multiple factors is outlined below:

• Focus on a large object, such as a building or a group of trees.

• Shift your focus to a specific part of the object, for example, a window on the building or a single tree in the group.

• Change your focus to visualize yourself performing a movement, such as flexing your ankles.

• Alternate your focus among the first three steps.

• Vary the speed at which you maintain focus on each stage, ranging from fast to slow.

• Integrate by focusing on the objects and flexing your ankles at the same time.

Mental Exercise

Use the following images to practice shifting your focus.

Image by ARM

Try the above exercise outside and on the ski slope.