Why did my ski instructor tell me to turn with my legs?

Solid skiing involves rotary movements, some of which occur with the legs.

• "Steering with your feet"
• "Steering your skis with your legs"
• "Turning your feet to steer your skis"

These catchphrases all imply turning using your legs. We can loosely describe this as leg rotation.



Ted Ligety Go Pro Slalom from Ted Ligety on Vimeo.


Why is leg rotation important? Why would an instructor or coach emphasize turning with our legs instead of turning with our whole body?


By maintaining a stable upper body while using our legs to steer our skis, we can use our largest muscle groups to manipulate our skis. We can create functional torque and be in the best