Last week's columns were about using one foot and ski to activate each turn. Use the inside foot (also known as the "free foot") and ski of each turn by tipping to the little toe side of your foot. If you're turning right, the free foot is the right foot; turning left, the free foot is the left foot.

Using the inside foot sounds good in theory, but if you've never done it or if you learned to ski using traditional methods, this concept may seem difficult to perform. What happens if you learned to turn using a wedge or snowplow? You still can use this same technique to break yourself of the wedge habit and gain greater turn control.

If your feet come apart in a wedge position to make a turn, you're fighting yourself. It puts stress on the quad muscles and will fatigue the legs faster.

To move beyond the wedge, you must develop the confidence to stand on one foot and ski. This requires you to shift balance to one side while you lighten and tip the other foot and ski.

The sooner you can break the wedge habit, the sooner you'll be on your way to more confident skiing.

Lose the wedge

• Skier enters the turn using a wedge - or snowplow. Skiing this way creates greater stress and fatigue on the legs.

• To minimize the wedge, the objective is to activate the free foot (the right foot in the photo). Shift weight and balance to the stance foot and leg (left foot).

• Lighten and slide the right foot toward the left as you tip it to the little toe edge.

Draw the free foot toward the stance foot

• If you're doing this for the first time, make sure you are on a gentle slope. Allow yourself to move forward and across the hill without going too fast.

• As you lighten the right foot to begin tipping, flex the ankles and keep weight and balance on the balls of the feet (not the heels). Hold your arms up, wide in front of the body, to aid balance.

• As the feet draw closer together, actively tip the right foot to the little toe edge.

Keep tipping

• Most of the weight and balance is on the left, or stance, foot. If your foot moves inside your boot or your heels lift, you will not have the control you need to do this effectively.

• The right foot is tipping to the little toe edge. Actively tipping the right foot will bring the left foot and ski to the big toe edge. Avoid being too abrupt or you'll lose your balance.

• Keep tipping the right foot until you turn into the hill.