Thoughts on the technique of heel side turns

In this post, I want to talk about the actions that helped me understand and feel the movements necessary for a stable turn on the back edge. My words are not the absolute truth, they only convey thoughts and feelings that have helped me personally. 

Part 1. Twisting.

One of the main elements of heel side turning is twisting. Due to this, the correct pressure on the board is achieved and the correct stance is maintained throughout the turn. 

However, it is quite difficult to perform this movement, and this mistake is very common even among experienced riders. 

The main reason for incorrect twisting is that the rider tries to turn his shoulders, arms and head in the right direction, but his hips continue to tilt towards the front leg, which creates a less stable position during the turn. 

We need to move the hips in the direction of the back foot.

To do this, try to straighten the front leg throughout the turn, while bending the back leg. This movement will make it easier to turn the pelvis in the direction of movement. Also, keep pointing the front side of your chest towards the heel of your front foot. Try to do this at home to spend the day more effectively on the slopes.

Part 2. Shifting the weight in the right direction. 

When back side turn, we can’t effectively use the joints of the feet and knees to increase the board angle, this creates additional difficulties.

The comparison with sitting down on a chair is often used to explain the technique of heel side turn, but if misinterpreted, this can cause incorrect movements. The key here is that you need to move your pelvis towards the slope, rather than doing squats over the board. 

If we move incorrectly, we get the fact that the hips begin to stick out too far beyond the edge of the board, also transferring the center of mass there, which reduces the effectiveness of pressure on the edge and increases the possibility of losing the edge on bumps. At the same time, the angulation does not increase, because the knees are bent too much.

(Photo below shows an example of ineffective movement @miratori_tsuyoshi)

For a proper backward tilt, don't try to get as low as possible to the slope by squatting. Try to start moving your hips back as if you are sitting on a soft chair, BUT it is far away from you and you need to reach out. 

(Photo below is an image of the correct backward tilt @miratori_tsuyoshi)

Part 3. Connection.

Theoretically speaking, we just need to combine the two techniques described above, but this is the main difficulty. To simplify the task, let's look at all the actions that need to be performed.

!!!Be careful, always look up the hill before you start moving!!!

You are riding on the front edge, at this stage it is important that you have enough speed so that the G force can hold you and you don’t fall on your back when making a turn.

At the moment of the beginning of the edge change, begin to tilt to the side as described above. Do not try to bend your legs too much, they should be bent only slightly as in a basic stance. The tilt of the hips should be compensated only at the hip joint while the back remains straight and vertical.

Simultaneously with the tilt, twisting begins, which begins with straightening the front leg and bending the back leg. This movement is immediately followed by a tilt of the front side of the chest towards the heel of the front leg (With this movement, you control the weight distribution between your front and back leg).

The most important points can be highlighted as follows:

1. Tilt the hips in the direction of the heel of the back foot.

2. Straightening the front leg and squatting on the back.

3. The front side of the chest is directed at the heel of the front foot.

4. All these actions must be performed gradually throughout the entire arc in one continuous motion.

By these actions, we get a position in which the center of mass shifts towards the tail, and the front leg initiates and supports the turn. This weight transfer is done because during the arc, the board itself "slides under you" while increasing the pressure on the front leg by itself. It's like we're putting the board a little ahead of ourselves.

The weight on the front leg is extremely necessary during the initiation of the turn. However, if we keep pushing on it, the board will create even more pressure in the arc from the front, which can cause you to lose your tail or even fold your nose and fly forward.

Conclusion.

For me personally, the biggest role was played by realizing in which direction the hips should move when tilting back (imagine a soft chair standing in the distance behind the hind leg).

Remember that all actions are based around the basic stance on the snowboard. This means that it is unnecessary to keep your legs completely straight or squat on them too much. It is also necessary to keep your back straight, due to this you will get much more stability under load in the turn and on bumps. 

And remember that the intensity of performing all of the above actions may vary depending on your personal riding style and the board you are using.

At the end, photo below shows images of the Japanese rider, which clearly show the described movements in an extreme form, so you can see them very well, you don't have to try to perform them as much.

P.S. I will be glad to hear your thoughts and observations about the heel side turn.