In this instructional on‑slope video, the presenter (Speaker A) explains how the Carv app’s Turn Shape metric quantifies the rate of ski rotation throughout a turn. A constant turning rate—e.g., the ski turning the same number of degrees per meter of forward travel—yields high scores (up to 100 %). The audio coach voice reads live scores, illustrating how varied turn patterns (steady, erratic, steep, or flat) produce different percentages (e.g., 86, 22, 54, 97, 99). Tom Gellie adds expert insight, noting that pure carved turns often score higher, while short, twisted turns for obstacles naturally lower the metric, but this does not indicate a “wrong” turn. The presenter demonstrates a snowplow that can still achieve 100 % turn shape, then experiments on steeper terrain, showing that grip and ski slip affect the score. The video concludes that the metric is valuable for developing awareness of ski rotation consistency, but skiers should not obsess over a perfect score on every turn, especially on steep or varied terrain.
Chapters
Hey skiers, and particularly Carv users, today I've got a tip centered around turn shape, some good things and some not so good things, which I'll report back to at the end of this video. Now, turn shape with Carv is measuring the rate of rotation of your skis around a turn. So signified by my poles, if this is my skis going around a turn, the rate at which the ski turns per kind of almost meter moving forward. So say it's moved a meter and it moves 10 degrees, if it moves another meter, moves 10 degrees, another meter, 10 degrees, another meter, 10 degrees, that would be a constant turning rate. You'd get probably 100% in turn shape if you consistently did that every turn.
Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn.
99. In contrast, if you went turn like say 80 degrees and then 10, 10, 10, 10, you would actually score lower because it's not the same rate of turning.
Now watch this, I'm going to turn a lot and then go straight, turn a lot, go straight.
You heard the scores, 22. So you don't want to just think about the shape you're making on the snow, while that's important, it's the rate at which your skis are rotating or pivoting, and the more constant it is, the higher it will go.
A purely carved turn where the ski is turning via the sidecut usually scores a little higher, so on this run I was getting turns around the 80% mark. When you start adding twisting in, like for a short turn, and need to change things based on obstacles or terrain that you need to have a different turn shape for, this turn shape score could go down, but this doesn't mean it is wrong. It just means that the constant turning rate is not there. So the main thing to realize is what Carv measures is this constant turning rate, and that you can use this to train your own skills to feel that and then adjust it and not get worried if you're not scoring 100% because you know the reason why you are not doing a constant turning rate, for example.
So I'm going to turn on audio monitor mode, and I'm going to have the focus metric on turn shape. Hey Tom, I'll read out your turn shape score. I'm just going to hold it so you can hear what it's saying on the microphone, and you'll hear her do a score. And I'm just going to show you how the rate at which you turn your skis influences the turn shape score and influences your skiing. I think there's some good things and some not so good things, which I'll report back to at the end of this video. Let's go try it out. All right, here we go. And I'm going to start with the snowplow to show you can still score 100% in a snowplow.
So I'm going to turn, turn, turn, turn, turn.
There we go. So I've got an 86.
So it doesn't matter if it's a large turn. It's getting a bit steep here to do a Parallel, but I'm gonna turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn.
There we go, getting a higher one.
Now watch this, I'm going to turn a lot and then go straight, turn a lot, go straight.
You heard the scores, 22. This is a different rate.
Now even if I make a good turn where it's Turned in a short turn there.
I'm still not, I'm not getting 100%, like 54. So, okay, so the whole point is there, you're trying to pay attention to the rate at which your skis are turning throughout the arc. And as it gets steeper, you're going to need to add some level of grip because otherwise the ski is going to slide and you have no control over it. I still haven't got 100% yet, so I'm going to see if I can, uh, you know what, I bet you I'm going to be able to get it down on that flat bit in a snowplow. So let's go find that out so I can show you the 100% thing. Here we go. Oh, there goes 100.
Okay, 97. Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn.
99.
So that wasn't so good, but I'm trying to make my skis rotate and turn the same amount.
The thing that I think is great about this is it teaches you to be aware and noticing what's going on with your skis, so how fast you're twisting them in a turn, or how constant you are with the movement versus like being erratic, doing a big pivot and then not any pivoting at all. So I think that's good, good for awareness. However, I don't think all turns you should be aiming for 100% because when it's steeper, you're going to need sometimes to steer the skis faster at a larger, quicker rate. So you might need to turn them really quick and then less through the end. Because it's steep and you're controlling your speed. You might need to, yeah, just mix it up. So thoughts overall on this turn shape, I hope you understand more about how it actually is measured through carve. Constant rate of turning, higher score. Big changes, lower score. I think there's a good thing about it because it can help you improve your awareness of making a more round and consistent sort of turn shape, but don't feel bad if you don't always get it. On steeper slopes, you might need to throw in a little bit of a stivet, a steer at the top, a shorter turn of different descriptions. There's like so many different types of short turns you can make. You might not be trying to go for the same constant rate. Anyway, good luck!
