Keep Shoulders and Chest Facing Slightly Downhill While Traversing

What This Cue Means

When you’re learning to traverse or sideslip, one of the trickiest things is keeping your balance while moving across the slope. The cue “Keep your shoulders and chest facing slightly downhill, even while traversing across” is a simple way to help your body stay aligned and ready to react.

What does this actually mean? Imagine standing on a gentle slope and moving sideways across it. Instead of turning your upper body completely across the hill, you keep your shoulders and chest angled a bit downhill. This slight rotation means your torso is aligned closer to the fall line—the natural direction water would run down the hill. It’s like your body is quietly prepared to move downhill if needed, even though your skis are sliding sideways.

Why is this helpful? When your upper body faces downhill, it’s easier to feel the slope’s angle and maintain pressure on the edges of your skis. This helps you control your speed and balance better. If your shoulders and chest face directly across the hill, your body can feel disconnected from the slope, making it harder to stay steady and increasing the chance of slipping or wobbling.

When to Use It

When done right, you’ll notice your movements feel smoother and more controlled. Your legs do the work of edging and sliding, while your upper body stays steady and balanced. It’s a subtle feeling—like your torso is quietly leading the way downhill, even though your skis are moving sideways.

How to Practice

A common mistake is to over-rotate the upper body, turning fully across the hill. This can cause your weight to shift awkwardly and make it tough to keep your skis engaged with the snow. Another is to keep your chest facing too far downhill, which might make it harder to look ahead or anticipate your next move.

This cue is a great foundation for novice traverses and sideslips. If you want to build on it, check out related cues like “Flex your ankles and knees to absorb terrain” and “Keep your hips facing slightly downhill.” For more guidance on developing your traverse skills, the novice traverse skill page is a good place to start.

Turn Lab highlights this body position as key to developing confidence and control early on. Keeping your upper body angled downhill helps you stay connected to the slope and ready for whatever comes next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should my shoulders and chest face downhill when traversing?

Facing slightly downhill helps your body stay aligned with the slope’s fall line, making it easier to control your edges and maintain balance.

What happens if I face too much across the hill?

If your upper body faces too much across the hill, you may lose balance and find it harder to manage your skis’ edges, increasing the risk of slipping.

Is this cue useful for steeper terrain?

It’s most helpful on gentle slopes when learning traverses and sideslips. On steeper terrain, body position needs to adjust more dynamically, but the principle still supports good balance.