Do your ski boots have you out of balance?

Recently we ( Mike Tambling and Sean Tambling ) have been doing kinesioligy tests on all our bootfitting customers.
Our test consists of:
#1. Customer standing in their buckled boots.
#2. Customer standing in a natural stance with their hands and arms held up and out to the side.
#3. I instruct the customer to resist with all their ability the downward force that I will put on their arms.
#4. Then I pull down on their arms as hard as it takes to make their arms go down.
If the customer is in balance I probably wont be able to pull their arms down much. If they are out of balance it will be very easy to pull their arms down. We have found that approx. 60% of the skiers we have seen are out of balance to the front.

To test this type of testing, try it in your tennis shoes on a hard flat surface, stand up, with arms up and out to your side, have some one try and pull your arms down to your side. Right after this, Stand on a ski magazine (or any other 1/2" thick book or magazine) so that you have about half of your tennis shoes on top and half off. Then, again put your arms up and out to your side and have them pull down on your arms again. You will find it is easier to pull your arms down when you are out of balance.

The reason for all this testing is that, if you are in balance you are a much stronger person i.e. skier than if you are out of balance. If you are too far forward in your ski boots you will have to sit back to the rear to get yourself back in balance. You might feel like you are leaning too far forward otherwise. Toe cheese (or plastic shims) may need to be placed under the toe of your binding to get you into a more upright stance, or the shaft of the boot may need to be straightened up so that you stand more erect. If you are balanced to far to the rear you may need heel lifts either inside the boot to get you forward. In some cases (as in my case) you may need both heel lifts and toe cheese to get you balanced. It all depends on your anatomy.

Skier in a Neutral Position.
Skier in a too far forward Position.
Skier in a too far back Position.

Have a good bootfitter or Master Bootfitter check your balance. If you are out of balance get it fixed and become a much stronger skier.

Article By: Sean Tambling - Master Bootfitter - Southern Ski
Located in: Columbia, South Carolina - (800)675-4261 - sean@southernski.com

New Article! Balance in Skiing is Critical!	Mike Tambling explains why being in balance is absolutely critical in snow skiing.
Custom Bootfitting Terms	Here I have a list of the most commonly used Bootfitting terms.
Test your balance	Sean explains how to test to see if you are in balance. Being in balance can make you a stronger skier.
Master Bootfitter Speaks out!	Another Master Bootfitter ( Steve Cohen ) gives his slant on why all skiers should have their ski boots custom fitted.
How to Buy Ski Boots?	Mike has compiled a list of things you should look for and questions to ask when searching for the perfect fitting ski boot. Did you know that most skiers (national average) purchase boots that are 1.5-2 sizes too big for them.
What are orthotics?	This article answers the oft asked question. Orthotics should be the starting point of any bootfitting done to a skiers ski boots.
Do you need Realignment?	Tim Hancock give you the answer to this unique question. He explains in simple terms how canting your ski boots will help most skiers.
What is Stance Balancing?	Mike tries to help skiers find master bootfitters who will take into consideration the skiers stance in their ski boots. Being too far forward or a skier who skis the tail of their skis will have to work harder to get down the hill than a skier who is perfectly balanced.
Testimonials	Here we have posted just a couple of testiomials that customers have sent us.