Fore aft movement

One of the skills I have been working on recently is fore aft balance.  To do this you have to make an active effort to constantly be shifting your feet, forward and backward, or moving your upper body forward and backward.  It is easier to shift your feet than it is to move your entire body, but I find that for good fore aft balance a combination of both works best.  The fore aft position of your upper body in relation of the feet, changes depending on the stage of the turn.  For example, in phase one at initiation, your upper body might be ahead of your feet where as in phase three it may be behind.  The exact positioning depends on factors such as terrain grade, ski conditions and turn shape etc.  It is determined mostly by feel, using the contact of the skiers feet with the snow, as a sensor to detect where the body should be at any instance of time.  Fore aft balance and lateral balance are demanding skills to develop for any skier.   The video below shows just how much the skier,s body has to react in order to stay in balance with the forces acting on them as they ski down the hill.  If your fore aft balance is good, you should feel like you are skiing with the forces and not acting against them.  Of course depending on the terrain, you may have to check your speed to maintain control, however on moderate terrain, you should feel as though you are skiing with the forces as you descend.