Classic Ski Drills - Nordic Ski Lab

Update & Simplify Your Double Pole

Refine your double poling technique for more efficient, simpler movements and greater comfort. Learn how to adjust weight distribution, shin angle, and hand positioning while avoiding unnecessary movement. Simple doesn’t mean easy—it takes practice to make every motion count.

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What are the Best Cues for the Diagonal Stride Leg Push?

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Learn to Adjust Your Double Pole Timing

Learn to adjust the recovery phase of your double poling to either speed up or slow down the hands. Different timing strategies can help you optimize your technique for different situations.

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Pro Glide Striding (Advanced)

Advanced classic skiers have a unique feature to their classic stride that extends their glide and helps set them up in a better position to grip the snow for the next push. This video teaches a drill that more advanced skiers can use to learn this skill.

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F.A.S.T. PreSki Activation Warm Up

Three compound exercises that work the body in multiple planes and activate the hips, shoulders and and core to get your body ready for skiing with just a few minutes of movement.

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Simple Hill Lesson Plan

A simple way to structure a segment of a classic ski lesson to encourage a range of skill development.

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The High Hands Cue

The “High Hands” cue explained. Why is it valuable and is it used in all double poling techniques?

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Palace Cues (How Much Should You Use Your Legs in Double Pole?)

This video addresses the question of how much you should use your legs in double pole technique. Do cues like “knees to skis” help or hurt?

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Tuck in the Track: How to Reduce Friction

Follow this 3 step process to reduce the drag between your classic skis and the ski tracks, for faster speeds in tuck.

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Changing Tracks in Classic Skiing

Move from one classic ski track to another with smooth and powerful pushes. Slow mo demos for double pole, diagonal stride and kick double pole lane changes.

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Basic Double Pole Progression

Basic progression for learning double pole for beginners or intermediate skiers who want a refresher.

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8 Common Mistakes in Double Poling

Demonstration of common errors in double poling; 3 in the upper body, 3 in the arms and 2 in the poles.

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Ankle Flexion: Another Approach

The ability to flex well through the ankles is helpful for most skate and classic ski techniques. This drill takes a novel approach to building range of motion. Who knows? It might just improve your balance too.

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Downhill Striding

A fun and challenging “do-anywhere” classic skiing drill to improve balance.

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Hitting the High Spots

Trailside drill; ideal activity to mix into a longer ski. Learn to adjust stride length to take advantage of small irregularities in the track.

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Power Striding w/o Over Striding

Explanation of how to make your striding technique more powerful and vigorous without compromising your overall body position.

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Snap Kick Drill

A drill for intermediate skiers to to improve the classic kick so you can use less wax and ski faster.

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KDP Booster Drill

Test, treat and re-test the efficiency of your KDP leg push.

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Wings Away

Beginner drill for balance and weight transfer.

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Step, Step, Glide

Outstanding drill for balance.

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Elastic Elbows

Use elastic bands above the elbows to improve poling mechanics

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Supple Spine for Diagonal Stride

Trailside mobility routine to free up the T-spine for graceful and efficient skiing.

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Ankle Flexion in Skate & Classic

Why ankle flexion matters and practical strategies to increase your on-snow ROM.

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1-2-3 Clearance Drill

Rate how high the tail of your ski lifts from the snow and improve forward position.

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Slipper Cue – Diagonal Stride

Simple cue keeps your weight forward during the leg recovery.

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Early Season Drill for Balance, Tempo and Timing

Dynamic work on roller skis to improve forward position.

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1. Uphill Striding Technique

Adjusting diagonal stride on uphills so you can use less kick wax.

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2. Herringbone & The Klaebo

Adjusting diagonal stride on uphills so you can use less kick wax.

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Six Steps (3 classic techniques)

An Olympian’s favourite drill for becoming a more versatile and adaptable skier.

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Over the Top Kick-Glide

Use terrain to balance and integrate your kick and glide skills.

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Baby Steps – Diagonal Stride

A good starter drill for learning diagonal stride.

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Extended Glide in Kick Double Pole

A finessing skill for more advanced skiers to extend the glide and improve the kick.

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One Ski Diagonal Stride Drill

Slow down and simplify diagonal stride technique to perfect your kick and glide.

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Double Pole Coupling Drill

Learn to time your recovery to suit different terrain and situations.

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Handshake Drill (Striding)

Guest coach Ian shares one of his favourite early season drills for learning how to adjust hand position and arm swing for variable terrain and pace.

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Using Terrain Transitions to Work on Diagonal Stride Technique

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Counting Pole Plants

A strategy to improve positioning by adjusting range of motion. Explained for striding but can be used for other techniques too. Chris’s favourite drill.

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Diagonal Stride With One Pole

Finding Efficiency in Uphill Double Pole

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Single Sticking

Arms-only drill for diagonal stride to improve coordination and strength.

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The Invisible Wall & Stride Triangle

Visualization cue to improve balance in the forward direction.

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