Dragging left foot-- advice please :D | Golden Skate

Dragging left foot-- advice please :D

Charlindrea

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Hi! I've searched every where online for this answer, and can't find it... so here goes:

I learned to roller skate when I was about 14, but dragged my left foot, and my left foot stayed on the ground -- I never raised it. I would push off with my right foot, and propel myself solely with my right foot. Despite this, I was pretty fast, and I skated for about 3 years in this manner.

Fastforward many years, and I am now 40. I started skating at public sessions at the local ice rink and quickly reverted to dragging my left foot, and using only my right foot to gain momentum. I had hoped I would have unlearned to drag my left foot after almost 30 years of not skating, but I went right back to riding a broken bicycle, as it were.

During public skate sessions, I try to focus on propelling myself with my left foot, and I'll do ok'ish, but then a kid or crazy teen will get in front of me, and I will quickly revert to dragging my left foot again. My daughter is always yelling at me to stop dragging my foot, but I can't break the habit.

I recently started group adult classes at the rink, and the teacher will hold my hand and force me to propel on the left foot, and this is sad, but my heart will race and I will start sweating. She backs off, and then we go work on swizzles or rocking horses, and other basic moves, which I do ok at.

My long-winded point is -- does anyone have any ideas of how I break this awful habit? It's like I learned to ride a bike wrong, or learned how to walk wrong. Should I keep trying to fix this myself at public sessions? Or possibly hire a coach just to learn how to basic 101 skate?
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Hi! I've searched every where online for this answer, and can't find it... so here goes:

I learned to roller skate when I was about 14, but dragged my left foot, and my left foot stayed on the ground -- I never raised it. I would push off with my right foot, and propel myself solely with my right foot. Despite this, I was pretty fast, and I skated for about 3 years in this manner.

Fastforward many years, and I am now 40. I started skating at public sessions at the local ice rink and quickly reverted to dragging my left foot, and using only my right foot to gain momentum. I had hoped I would have unlearned to drag my left foot after almost 30 years of not skating, but I went right back to riding a broken bicycle, as it were.

During public skate sessions, I try to focus on propelling myself with my left foot, and I'll do ok'ish, but then a kid or crazy teen will get in front of me, and I will quickly revert to dragging my left foot again. My daughter is always yelling at me to stop dragging my foot, but I can't break the habit.

I recently started group adult classes at the rink, and the teacher will hold my hand and force me to propel on the left foot, and this is sad, but my heart will race and I will start sweating. She backs off, and then we go work on swizzles or rocking horses, and other basic moves, which I do ok at.

My long-winded point is -- does anyone have any ideas of how I break this awful habit? It's like I learned to ride a bike wrong, or learned how to walk wrong. Should I keep trying to fix this myself at public sessions? Or possibly hire a coach just to learn how to basic 101 skate?

You're going to have to break this habit every time you skate, whether it be at public sessions, in classes, etc. You could get a private lessons coach to teach you basic skills and be able to concentrate more on breaking this habit, but you are going to have to breathe and really focus on fighting through your reaction to having to fix the issue.

Good luck!
 

Mussique

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Sounds like you may have a slight aversion to standing in your right foot, and so you stay on your left all the time?

Maybe you can try getting rid of it by doing the opposite so you feel comfortable in both —and then you try doing the correct technique from one to another.

Most right handed beginners tend to drag the left foot since the usual way of going around the rink is to the left as well. So it's kind of doing forward half swizzles in a circle. Try to do the same thing in the other direction until you're comfortable: forward half swizzles to the right. Then try balancing on one foot, specially your right one —first on a straight line, then trying your edges as well. When you get rid of the aversion of standing on your right foot, the rest will come naturally.

Getting rid of a bad habit by oneself is hard, so try to get outside help —ask people around you to correct you when they see you falling into your bad habits. As Ic3Rabbit said, practice and conscience is key even when you're skating on your own, so be very conscious of it when you skate.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Have you had a podiatrist check out your feet? Perhaps there's some condition on your right foot that causes improper balance on the right foot, so you've learned to compensate by not gliding on it?
 

Charlindrea

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Thank you! I never thought it was a problem with standing on my right foot, but that makes sense. And I'm glad to hear this is a semi-normal problem -- thought there was something wrong with me! Ok, I will try going to the opposite way tomorrow. Now that I actually have a plan in my mind on how to correct this, it may actually work :)
 

treesprite

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
When you walk down stairs, do you tend to step down with the same foot every time, or do you automatically alternate right and left without giving it any thought?
 

Charlindrea

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Have you had a podiatrist check out your feet? Perhaps there's some condition on your right foot that causes improper balance on the right foot, so you've learned to compensate by not gliding on it?

When I was 17, I developed a pelvic stress fracture on my right side during Marine Corps basic training and was medically discharged for it. I joined the Navy at 22, and again developed a stress fracture on my right pelvis, but was able to stay in the Navy. Every since then, I guess I subconsciously protect my right side. I am pretty healthy now -- I run marathons and half marathons regularly, but until you mentioned it, I've never actually thought about how much I do favor my right side... That's very interesting that all of you picked that up, without my history, when I couldn't figure it out myself.
 

Charlindrea

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
When you walk down stairs, do you tend to step down with the same foot every time, or do you automatically alternate right and left without giving it any thought?

If I'm carrying something, I step down with the same foot every time, the left one. If I not carrying anything, then I alternate.
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Maybe try doing “scooter pushes”?

Have your coach / LTS instructor show you how. Basically it’s like doing half of proper stroking. For a right scooter push (this will be your “good” side), you would begin in a T position with your left foot facing forward and your right foot behind in a T position. You bend your left knee, then push off with your right foot and extend your leg behind you. That will propel you forward so you glide on your left leg. You might not be able to bend your knee a lot, push very hard, or glide very far, but that’s okay. Repeat it a few times so your body understands the movements. Since you’re only gliding on your left foot with each push, you won’t have a chance to drag it.

Once you’re comfortable with that, try to reverse it. T position with right foot facing forward, left foot behind. Bend your knee, push off with your left foot, extend it behind you, and glide on your right foot. This will probably be harder - you will probably hate it, might wobble or feel weak and only go a tiny distance, but try to do it 3 or 4 times. Pay attention to why you don’t like doing it - it might help your instructor or doctor to help you. Each time you go to the rink, force yourself to do a few. After awhile, maybe try to hold each glide a little longer. Maybe add one more push each time you do it. Try to work up to doing it across the width of the rink, even if it takes you a couple of months. The goal is to force yourself to use that foot to push.

Hope that helps a little!
 

Charlindrea

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Maybe try doing “scooter pushes”?

This will probably be harder - you will probably hate it, might wobble or feel weak and only go a tiny distance, but try to do it 3 or 4 times. Pay attention to why you don’t like doing it - it might help your instructor or doctor to help you. Each time you go to the rink, force yourself to do a few. After awhile, maybe try to hold each glide a little longer. Maybe add one more push each time you do it. Try to work up to doing it across the width of the rink, even if it takes you a couple of months. The goal is to force yourself to use that foot to push.

Hope that helps a little!

This stresses me out reading it lol, but I'll try tomorrow :) Thanks so much for this!
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
This stresses me out reading it lol, but I'll try tomorrow :) Thanks so much for this!

It’s a lot of words but less complicated than I’ve probably made it sound! If you can ask your instructor to show you, that would probably be easier. :)
 

cl2

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
If I'm carrying something, I step down with the same foot every time, the left one. If I not carrying anything, then I alternate.

If you have avoided using your right leg for anything involving balance and stability for a long time, it could also be because your leg muscles have "forgotten" how to work to keep your core balance and stability. It's not so much the lack of muscular strength, but the lack of muscular coordination for maintaining stability. In addition to on-ice exercises, you may find it helpful to include off-ice training for balance exercises, for example, using a Bosu balance ball. The good news is, if you work on it, you'll definitely get better!

ETA: Please do this under the guidance of a professional.
 
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