Here’s why:
Many people say you must feel the rebound force after the pole touches the snow to initiate the upward movement. But that’s where the problem arises.
This rebound force definitely refers to the resistance felt only when the pole is firmly planted into the snow.
But while we’re skiing, we can’t be certain about the snow conditions ahead—sometimes it’s soft, sometimes it’s hard—so we can’t predict in advance how much rebound force we’ll get from a firm pole plant.
In that case, if we rely on the rebound force from the pole to adjust our movements every time—meaning we have to feel the rebound force first and then have our body absorb or convert it—we definitely won’t have enough time to react. If the rebound force from the pole is greater than we expected, then we’d have to use our arms to absorb that force; otherwise, the pole plant won’t just provide an upward lifting force, but will naturally push our center of gravity backward.
So how should pole planting be done? I’ve asked ski instructors from the U.S. and Switzerland, and they all agree that pole planting should be light, ideally without producing any rebound force. That way, whether we’re making big turns or small turns, the initiation of all turning movements comes from our legs, relying entirely on our own technique rather than the rebound force of the poles to help with the upward movement and rotation.
From my personal experience, learning to pole plant has only helped me better control the rhythm when making short turns, not that you can’t practice moguls without it.
Two years ago, I could ski down moguls with my daughter in my arms without using poles at all. Several of my friends also ski moguls smoothly abroad without using pole planting.
But as our skills improve, we gradually realize how pole planting helps with the rhythm during short turns. That’s also why I still recommend practicing pole planting once you reach a certain level.
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