Keep Your Hands Where You Can See Them for Steep Terrain Control

What This Cue Means

When skiing steep terrain, your body position becomes even more critical. The cue “Keep your hands where you can see them - forward and slightly apart” is a straightforward reminder to maintain upper body alignment and avoid unnecessary rotation that can throw off your balance.

When to Use It

What does this actually mean? Imagine your hands as a sort of compass for your upper body. By keeping them forward—roughly in front of your chest—and slightly apart, you naturally encourage your torso to face downhill instead of twisting or leaning back. This position helps keep your weight centered over your skis, which is essential for controlling speed and direction on steep slopes.

When you do this right, you’ll feel your upper body stable and balanced, almost like it’s locked in place while your legs do the work of turning and absorbing terrain changes. Your hands won’t be flailing or dropping by your sides, which is a common habit that leads to upper body rotation. That rotation can cause your skis to catch an edge or your balance to falter, especially when the slope pitches up sharply.

How to Practice

A common misapplication is holding your hands too close together or too far forward, which can create tension or throw off your balance. Another is letting one hand drop, which often causes your torso to twist toward that side, making turns less smooth and more tiring.

This cue is best practiced progressively. Start by focusing on hand position on less steep terrain, then bring it with you as the slope steepens. It pairs well with other body position cues like “Keep your weight forward” and “Maintain a quiet upper body.” For more on handling expert steep terrain, check out the [expert-steeps skill page].

Turn Lab emphasizes this cue because it’s a simple adjustment that yields noticeable improvements in control and confidence when navigating challenging slopes. Keeping your hands visible and forward is a small habit that pays off when the terrain gets serious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to keep my hands forward on steep terrain?

Hands forward help keep your upper body aligned over your skis, improving balance and preventing you from leaning back or twisting, which can cause loss of control.

What happens if I drop a hand while skiing steep slopes?

Dropping a hand often leads to upper body rotation and instability, making it harder to maintain a solid stance and increasing the risk of catching an edge or losing your line.

How can I practice this hand position effectively?

Start on moderate slopes focusing on keeping your hands visible and slightly apart. Gradually apply this on steeper terrain as it becomes more natural, paying attention to how it influences your balance and turn initiation.