To compensate, she bends at the waist to bring enough weight forward to control the tips of the ski to make the ski behave. The problem becomes worse on steeper slopes. In a skiing position the female approaches her maximum strength more rapidly than the male as the slope increases, and reaches her limit at a 20 degree slope. This means ankle and knee flex alone cannot bring enough weight to the tips of the skis to initiate a turn properly. There is a very simple solution to this problem a forward binding position on the skis, and heel lifts in the boots.
Heel lifts tip the pelvis forward and establish a natural stance of greater stability.
The center of gravity is moved slightly forward. Since the heel is higher, a greater amount of forward torque can be generated by the woman with less forced ankle and knee flex. This helps the woman skier keep pressure on the forward part of the ski much more efficiently, especially on steeper slopes, without having to bend at the waist. A positive side effect of using heel lifts is a better ski boot fit. A woman can control the ski far better if she is in the proper biomechanical position to do so.