How to Carve: 1-Day Carving Transformation

You want smoother, more controlled, more confident skiing. Carving creates that feeling, and you’re closer to it than you think.

Carv’s data shows that 45% of skiers aren’t carving yet because they’re missing one or two simple movements that make the ski grip.

This article shows you exactly what those movements are.

To prove how fast they can make a difference, we spent a day on snow with Aidan. With coaching from Tom Waddington and real-time feedback from Carv, his carving changed dramatically in just one day.

If true carving turns have felt out of reach, this guide gives you the steps to get there.

The common mistakes

Tom took a first run with Aidan and used Carv’s data to understand what was holding him back. Aidan scored a Ski:IQ™ of 126 - a solid intermediate result - but two common habits were limiting his carving.

Two key mistakes

1. Narrow stance: Aidan’s stance was too narrow, making it hard to stay stable and roll the skis with his lower joints. This led him to lean with his upper body instead of creating edge angle from the feet.
2. Backseat position: His hip often dropped behind his feet, which meant he lost contact with the front of the boot and couldn’t stand strongly on the outside ski at the start of the turn.

The movement problems they create

These habits lead to the three weaknesses Carv commonly sees among intermediate skiers:

• Late edge engagement: the edge only came on partway through the turn.
• Low overall edge angle: without an early platform, the skis never gripped cleanly.
• Weak outside-ski pressure: the backseat stance made it hard to pressure the ski where it matters most.

Why this matters

These issues compound each other.

Late edge engagement leads to a skid, the skid knocks you off balance, and once you fall inside the turn, the outside ski can’t grip, making carving impossible.

But the good news is all of this is fixable with the right movements and drills…

Step 1: Learn to roll onto the edge earlier

Most intermediates lean into the turn with their upper body instead of rolling the skis onto their edge through the feet. This creates edge angle too late, and the skis skid.

The hardest part of changing this is knowing what the right movement should feel like.

That’s where the Garland drill comes in.

How it works:

1. Start with a traverse: Ski across the hill on a gentle slope, keeping a light edge to hold the traverse.
2. Release the edge: Roll your ankles and knees away from the slope to flatten the skis. This should be a small movement.
3. Let the skis drift into an arc: As the skis flatten, they’ll naturally point slightly downhill and make the top of a turn.
4. Re-Engage the edge: Roll the ankles and knees back into the slope to bring the skis across the hill again.
5. Repeat: Release → small arc → re-engage.

Why it works:

• Teaches simultaneous edging
• Activates the lower joints (ankles + knees)

When Aidan tried the drill, he and Tom looked back at his tracks and saw small scrubs and skids. After you finish a set, check your own tracks. If you see breaks in the C-shaped arcs, you’re not rolling both skis smoothly.

To fix this, Aidan focused on rolling both legs together, especially the outside one, until his tracks became clean.

Once you’re comfortable with the drill, take it onto a shallow run. Start making simple linked turns and focus on the same feeling: rolling from edge to edge with smooth joint movement and leaving clean tracks.

Step 2: Build balance and outside-ski control

Another common challenge intermediate skiers come across is tipping in too early and ending up stuck over the inside ski.

If you’re not fully balanced at the top of the turn, the body moves inside the turn, you end up in the back seat, and the outside ski never gets the pressure it needs to grip.

To start understanding the movement you’re looking for, try Javelin Turns.

How it works:

• Start on a gentle slope: Link easy turns, focusing on smooth, edge-to-edge movements.
• Set up the Javelin position: At the top of the turn, as you move onto the new outside ski, gently lift your inside ski and point it across the outside ski, like a javelin laying diagonally.
• Hold the balance: Stay centred over the outside foot with strong shin pressure and your hip over your foot. If you rush the movement or let the hip drop back, you’ll fall inside and the drill collapses.
• Complete the turn on one ski: Let the outside ski do the work while the lifted ski stays quiet and stable above it.
• Repeat on the other side: Edge → move to the new outside ski → lift and cross the inside ski → finish the turn.

Why it works:

Javelin turns force you to stay balanced over the outside ski, create separation between the upper and lower body, and move cleanly from edge to edge. This helps you stop tipping in early and gives the outside ski the pressure it needs to grip.

Aidan immediately felt the difference. With better balance and patience at the top of the turn, his outside ski started to work properly, and he stopped collapsing to the inside.

Step 3: Fix the balance problem (keep the hip over the outside ski)

When Tom and Aidan moved this drill onto a slightly steeper pitch, one common issue showed up straight away. Aidan’s hip dropped back and the tail of the lifted ski was dragging on the snow, a clear sign he’d lost shin pressure and contact with the front of the boot. Without that forward connection, the front of the ski can’t engage and the outside ski can’t support the turn.

To correct this, Tom gave him a simple cue:

“Move along the length of the ski. Keep shin pressure and stay connected to the front of the boot.”

By staying centred and keeping light pressure into the front of the ski, Aidan held his position as the forces increased and the turn became more stable.

Putting it into practice

After working through all of these stages, Aidan took all of it back into his carving turns. The result was visible immediately.

Tom saw:

• Higher edge angles
• Cleaner lines
• Stronger outside-ski balance
• A wider, more stable stance
• Much more active use of the lower legs
• No more tipping to the inside

And all this showed in his data: his Ski:IQ™ jumped from 126 to 140.

Carv’s analysis showed:

• His Edge Angle had increased significantly
• His Early Edging was much stronger
• He was much more balanced over his outside ski.

Aidan didn’t just look better, he felt the difference:

“What really mattered to me was that feeling of the outside ski doing the work. It felt amazing.”

Try these drills and follow Tom’s guidance on where to focus. You’ll feel a real difference in your control, the way you shape the turn, your centre of balance, and your confidence.

What this means for you

The movements you need to unlock confident, controlled carving turns aren’t complicated. They’re just subtle, and you need feedback to learn them well.

With the right cues and drills, you can feel a major difference in a single day.

Aidan proved it.