Modern skis and boots are designed to work around the so called sweetspot underneath your foot, with the two parts of the ski balancing each other to give an efficient and consistent performance. Most skiers are unaware of how to find and balance on the sweetspot, resulting in strain and fatigue instead of effortless and controlled skiing. Normally, it would take endless runs to train yourself, but now UK company SkiA has created a simple device you can use at home to improve your ski balance in order to quickly become a safe, fast, and stylish skier.
Of all the technical elements in skiing, centered balance around the sweetspot is the number one priority for improving style, control, and performance. If you're not using the sweetspot effectively, you'll never be as good a skier as you could be. Yet often, even experienced skiers wrongly believe the sweetspot to be under your toes or the ball of your foot.
The SkiA Sweetspot Ski Trainer is a dry land ski training tool used in conjunction with specific balance exercises in order to develop the natural, coordinated movements of elite skiers. The Sweetspot Ski Trainer is the only piece of ski training equipment designed specifically to show you how to find and balance on exactly the right point, allowing your body to work as one with your skis and boots. The trainer will benefit any skier regardless of ability, as it comes with four different sizes of balancing blocks graded from beginner to expert in difficulty.
To use the trainer, simply clip the unit onto your ski boots with your chosen size balance blocks. The ski trainer comes with a carefully structured program of drills and exercises designed by Hugh Monney, founder of the British Alpine Ski School, that cover three key areas: balance, movement in balance, and steering.
As you practice the drills, your body receives and processes intrinsic feedback, allowing you to move beyond the mechanical and start to trust your own senses. You'll retrain your movement patterns and develop the ability to move freely while staying in balance, helping you meet the challenges of any ski environment. Specific exercises take you beyond basic balance to address both pivot and pressure-based steering skills.
The SkiA Sweetspot Trainer retails for £45 a pair and can be purchased from the company website. I really want to try these out!