{"id":596,"date":"2026-03-23T20:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T20:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/?p=596"},"modified":"2026-03-23T20:58:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T20:58:29","slug":"how-to-start-faster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/how-to-start-faster\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Start Faster."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>WIN RACES WITH BETTER START TECHNIQUE: March 22, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the late 1970s, when I was a teenager competing on the NorAm circuit looking for every possible hundredth of a second, one of my coaches said, \u201cYou can lose up to two seconds just at the start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot me,\u201d I thought. With all of the variables that can impact how a run goes, the start was one thing I could control. I might lose or gain time elsewhere in a race, but I was determined to always have a fast start. During the 1980s, while racing on the former Women\u2019s Pro Ski Tour, the need for a fast start became not just a good thing, but the difference between taking home a few hundred dollars versus thousands of dollars. I never lost a race out of the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignright is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lisa Ballard Starts Fast in Pila, Italy #skiing #ski #skiracing\" width=\"422\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uJ3JbMfom6E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This video shows my start during super G at the FIS Masters Cup in Pila, Italy. I won the race en route to winning the 2025 overall masters super G crown. This powerful start helped!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This blog will help you better understand how to have a faster start, which might make the difference between a podium or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Inspect the Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step toward a faster start is looking at the start area. Every start is different. Some starts areas are flat. Others slope. Some are big. Others are small. Some require you to hike up to the starting gate or ski down to it. Before you inspect the course itself, look around the area above the start. Plan where you want to get ready and leave your stuff, then approach the start from the racer\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there are corral? If so, go through it and look down the ramp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there a start house? If so, go into it to the timing wand. Notice whether you will put your poles in the snow or on pads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where is the first gate? Is it offset to the right or left, or straight ahead? Figure out where your ski tips should point, which should be the top of that first turn. Sometimes, you need to open the wand at an angle rather than straight ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is the ramp long or short? Steep or shallow? The shallower the start ramp, the easier it is to open the wand prematurely. Remember, to put your ski poles as close to your feet as you can without bumping the wand.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"372\" height=\"499\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-598\" style=\"width:425px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate.jpg 372w, https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is the view from the starting gate at a downhill at Ski Cooper, Colorado. Looking at the placement of the first and second gates, when it\u2019s time to race, you would plant your ski poles over the wand and then point your ski tips so you have a direct line toward the left side of the first gate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The starting gate is part of the course. Observing these details as part of your inspection reduces potential surprises when you may be nervous and ramped up to race. They become part of your plan rather than a distraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watch and Listen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a race is sanctioned by US Ski and Snowboard or the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), there are specific protocols for starting, depending on discipline. The starter typically says the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Slalom<\/strong>: \u201c10 seconds\u2026 Go!\u201d (You\u2019ve got 10 seconds to leave the start after \u201cgo\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Giant Slalom, Super G, Downhill<\/strong>: \u201c10 seconds. 5-4-3-2-1-Go!\u201d (You can go any time up to five seconds before or five seconds after \u201cgo\u201d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the start commands are standardized, every starter varies in terms of how fast or slow they speak these cadences. If you are the first racer, watch and listen to how the forerunners start. If you are not the first racer, observe a racer or two before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the starter, sometimes there\u2019s a digital readout to one side of the start. The idea is the same, except instead of verbal cues from the starter, you\u2019ll hear tones for \u201c10 seconds\u201d and the count down. Remember, there\u2019s no countdown in USSS- and FIS-sanctioned slaloms, so you typically won\u2019t have a digital timer for slalom races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ski Racing Start with Tone Count Down\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WC1Nei-pgL0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Turn up the volume when you watch this video of masters racer, Eric Vitiello (USA), blasting out of the start at the 2026 FIS Masters Cup GS in Beaver Creek, Colorado. If you look carefully, you can see the readout to his right on a pole, slightly down the hill from the starting gate. (Eric can read it in the start, but you cannot from this angle.) The countdown tone starts at \u201c5\u201d. Eric goes at \u201c3\u201d, which is legal. You can go anytime during the five-second countdown, and up to five seconds afterward. The distinctly different tone for \u201cGO\u201d sounds when Eric is at the first gate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In the Starting Gate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"388\" height=\"291\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate2.jpg 388w, https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this photo, the racer has excellent leverage over her ski poles as she pushes out of the start.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After the racer ahead of you goes and the starter closes the wand, you can get ready at any time, but when the starter says, \u201c10 seconds,\u201d that\u2019s your cue to put your ski poles over the wand\u2013the downhill side of the wand\u2013and get ready if you haven\u2019t already. Avoid touching the wand, which might start the clock before you actually leave the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One common mistake is giving the wand too much respect, meaning your poles are too far away from your feet, usually because your feet are too far away from the wand. Plant your poles, then sidle your shins right up to the wand without touching it. The idea is to get in a position in which you have good leverage over your poles when you push out of the start. If your feet and body are too far back, at best you\u2019ll shuffle out of the start, which is not fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pushing out of the Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you are in position in the starting gate and are within the 10-second warning, coil like a cat ready to spring, then push out of the gate trying to generate momentum FORWARD, not up. It\u2019s a full-body move, with the push coming from your arms, shoulders, core, and legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you begin to push, your body extends over the wand for a moment before you actually open the wand. Then as your shins pass through the wand, starting the clock, your core moves powerfully forward as if you are doing an assertive sit-up (bend at the waist). The idea is to be moving forward before you open the wand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025 DTRO GS Lisa Start\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mmBpdnvSoC4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This video was taken from the side of the starting gate at the 2025 Dust-the-Rust-Off GS in Red Lodge, Montana. You can see how I coil when the countdown begins and then extend forward with my upper body over the timing wand, creating forward momentum before my shins open the wand, starting the timer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kick Start Versus Dead Horse Start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A kick start gives the illusion that the racer is kicking their feet and the tails of the skis into the air behind their torso to create momentum through wand. In fact, the \u201ckick\u201d is not the point. It is merely the result of pushing with one foot to help the upper body lunge forward. This step or stomp, causes both feet to, then, extend into the air behind the racer as they push through the wand. The racer is not kicking back, though it appears that way. No motion is purposely backwards while starting. It\u2019s all forwards. In this case, as the body bursts forward, the feet are following in a way that allows them to be moving at the moment the shins push open the wand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A kick start can be particularly effective for anyone who does not have a powerful upper body because the legs aid the push forward. The disadvantage is that it takes more coordination and can be harder to master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a \u201cdead horse\u201d start, there is no stomp. The feet may leave the ground behind the racer as the body extends forward over the wand. Most of the power comes from the upper body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of whether you use a kick start or dead horse start, the idea is the same\u2013coil then spring forward as powerfully as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>After the First Push<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After that first, powerful push that opens the wand, keep pushing until it\u2019s time to turn. How much depends on how close the first gate is and how straight the first gate or two are. Let these two principals guide you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Regardless of whether you push and skate past the first gate, be sure you pass that gate with the weight on the outside ski to stay in balance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When your speed picks up enough that it\u2019s no longer efficient to push or skate, stop doing it and either drop into your tuck or make turns depending on what\u2019s in front of you. The race is on!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keep in Mind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there are pads to put the tips of your poles on, you do not have to use them. Sometimes they are too smooth, so your poles don\u2019t \u201cgrip\u201d them. It\u2019s OK to put your ski poles in the snow if that\u2019s more comfortable for you.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"439\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate3.jpg 439w, https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/startgate3-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this race\u2013the 2025 FIS Masters Cup super G in Pila, Italy\u2013I opt to \u201cplant\u201d my ski pole tips on the pads rather than in the snow as I prepare to start. The snow is soft so not a great platform to push from, and I don\u2019t want to risk getting a ski pole caught. In this case the start ramp is fairly steep, so the odds of a pole slipping on the pad when I push are low.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Always check that your poles will allow you to push out of the start effectively and not get stuck in the holes that might be there. If you happen to lose a pole in the start, don\u2019t pause. The clock is ticking. Do the best you can without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you push out of the start, keep your eyes forward, looking down the course. It\u2019s easy for them to drop towards the snow as you burst forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you plant your poles on the downhill side of the wand, do not lift them at the moment of the push. It\u2019s not only a USSS rule that you need to leave them in place, but also faster. What\u2019s more if you pick them up to push through the wand, you risk replanting them in a wonky way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you bump the wand before you intend to start, if it\u2019s within the 10-second warning, just go. The clock is ticking. If you bump it before that, back away from the wand and tell the starter that you accidentally touched the wand. If the clock started, it can be reset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A strong start sets the tone for your race. Prepare for it off snow by strengthening your core and your upper body in ways that mimic the motion of a start, then practice it on snow. No start ramp? Any hump with a flat top will do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Got questions or more to add?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WIN RACES WITH BETTER START TECHNIQUE: March 22, 2026. Back in the late 1970s, when I was a teenager competing on the NorAm circuit looking for every possible hundredth of a second, one of my coaches said, \u201cYou can lose up to two seconds just at the start.\u201d \u201cNot me,\u201d I thought. With all of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technique-tactics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":617,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596\/revisions\/617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lisaballardoutdoors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}