Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some technical feedback to help me break through a plateau. I skied for 3 seasons as a kid, took a long break, and have been back at it for the last 4 years. While I’m now comfortable skiing all over the European slopes (including off-piste), I’ve spent the last year realizing that my self-taught years left me with some deeply ingrained bad habits.

**The Problem:**  
I am currently working hard on upper/lower body separation. While I feel like I’m using my legs to turn, footage of me on steeper, bumpier terrain shows that my upper body is still doing way too much work. I’m essentially "steering" with my shoulders. When the terrain gets technical, my hands inevitably tuck in and I go into a stiff, "LEGO" defensive stance, which kills my fluidity.

I’m a huge fan of the style of skiers like Jordy74 and Candide Thovex. I know I’ll never reach that level of mastery with my 10-days-a-year schedule, but I want to stop looking "jerky" and start moving with more efficiency and a quieter upper body.

**My Setup:**

* **Skis:** Salomon QST 98
* **Boots:** 120 Flex
* **Experience:** \~10 days/year

  
(Note: This is a black-expert european run. It looks a bit flat on camera, but it is steep and quite bumpy in reality.)

**My questions for you:**

1. Are there specific drills or mental cues to help me keep my chest facing downhill and my upper body "quiet" while my legs work independently underneath me, especially on bumps?
2. How can I stop my hands from "hugging" my body on technical sections without feeling unstable?

I’m open to any and all constructive criticism. Thanks in advance!

Adult learner (10 days/year) looking to fix upper-body rotation and "stiff" posture on steep/bumpy terrain.