Stay in the Front Seat

Strategies and exercises to help you stop skiing in the back seat.

If you have ever taken a ski lesson or had a friend who skis attempt to give you a ski lesson, you are probably familiar with the phrase “get out of the back seat” or “get in the front seat.” To be in the back seat means your center of gravity is aligned over the tails of your skis. To stay in the front seat means your center of gravity is aligned over the tips of your skis.

two images of skiers with lines drawn on to highlight the differences in their stance; one is more forward, the other back — The yellow lines illustrate the angles being created with these skiers’ bodies. On the left, you can see the knees are angled slightly back from the foot, and on the right, the knees are angled forwards from the foot, and there is a generally more dynamic, forwards stance.

Most modern ski boots are aligned to keep your shins touching the front of the boot, and racing boots take this to an even greater extreme. However, many skiers still find themselves with their weight on their heels as they turn.

Why should you ski in the front seat?

Keeping your center of gravity towards the front of your skis allows you to maintain better balance while skiing. It also allows you to better use the shape of the ski to carve your turns, rather than skidding through them.

Also, staying in the front seat allows you to maintain a better athletic stance, allowing you to better absorb bumps and dips in the snow/terrain, leading to a much smoother skiing experience.

Many ski instructors or ski-instructing friends and family members will resort to repeatedly screaming “Forward!” at their students, as if this constant reminder will magically fix their form. However, there is a better way to get into the front seat when you ski.

First, Try These Tips to Help You Stay in the Front Seat

There are a few small fixes to your form and technique that can help you get out of the back seat:

Widen your stance– If you are skiing with too narrow of a stance, the centrifugal force of your turns will force your weight backwards. Before more modern skis, a narrow stance was encouraged as those skis were straight and could only really turn through some degree of skidding. Modern skis are curved, and allow you to rely on the ski’s radius to carve your turns.
Focus on where your hands are– One easy way to help get you out of the back seat is to get your hands out of your pockets. If you ski with your hands down by your sides, this will encourage your body weight to shift backwards. Bring your hands out in front of you while you ski. You should be able to see them! Keep your elbows relaxed to avoid looking like Frankenstein’s monster, and have your arms extended out slightly in front of you from your shoulders. If you have tried this before with little success, this YouTube video explains some reasons this strategy doesn’t work for everybody, and some alternatives.
Flex those ankles– Your forward balance in skiing comes primarily from having flexion in your ankles. You want to actively engage your ankles in flexing forwards, so that your shins maintain contact with the front of your ski boots for the entire duration of your turns.
Fear not the fall line– Another reason some people struggle with maintaining a forward center of gravity on skis is that they are not comfortable leaning into the fall line. Practice standing still on your skis with a forward balance. Then, practice on an easy trail just leaning forwards down the hill and stopping once you have built up some speed. Then, practice making turns on easy terrain while actively focusing on keeping your weight forwards, and leaning down the fall line

More Resources to Help You Stop Skiing in the Back Seat

Ski Tips: Getting Out of the Back Seat from
Martis Camp

How to Test and Setup Your Forward Lean Properly from Dodge Ski Boots

In that first video, Martis Camp offers some great Ski Tips to help you get out of the back seat while skiing. Dodge Ski Boots’ video on How to Test and Set Up Your Forward Lean Properly is another great resource for getting comfortable with your forward lean.

Exercises to Practice Staying in the Front Seat

If you have heard all of the above before and are still having trouble maintaining forward balance while skiing, keep reading for some exercises you can work on to help practice staying in the front seat.

Baby Steps

For this exercise, I would recommend starting on an intermediate or steeper beginner slope. Start skiing as normal, but while skiing, make little baby steps across the hill and while you are turning. You can’t really skid if you are stepping, so this drill can also help you work on carving more.

This exercise forces you to stay in the front seat, as you will find it very hard to maintain constant stepping through your turns if you are not in the front seat. Make sure to focus on keeping your ankles flexed, and feeling your shin against the front of your boot.

This drill can also make skiing a bit more strenuous as you are adding a constant movement, so it can be a good way to help get your blood pumping a little extra on cold days!

Bunny Hops are a variation on this drill, where instead of doing little steps, you do little hops as you turn. It has a similar effect on your skiing.

Exaggerated Pole Planting

Proper pole planting definitely can help you stay in the front seat. For this exercise, pay special attention to your pole planting. You should be pole planting right before beginning your turn. The pole plant gives you a fulcrum that your skis and body rotate around.

Regular pole planting is usually a subtle movement. But, to practice getting in the front seat, try reaching forwards somewhat dramatically, really reaching into the pole plant.

You should feel your center of gravity shift forwards as you reach into the pole plant and follow it through in your turn.

This also forces you to practice reaching down the fall line and can help you get comfortable with leaning into the fall line. When you are newer to skiing, it can feel odd to lean down the hill. Nonetheless, it is an important feeling to get used to.