Backward Edge Help!!!

[sarahspiral]

Hey, guys. I am trying to get ready for my first Moves in the Field test (Pre-Bronze). I am really struggling with backward outside and especially inside back edges. I am pretty good at holding a back edge when I am doing it on a circle (which is how I first learned edges). But for some reason, I'm having a hard time doing them on a line. I am especially having trouble when I first start the push. A fellow skater watching me said that when I push off, I'm going more in a straight line backwards than I am curving backwards. When I get near the top of the curve, then my edge gets a little better and deeper (not much) but I need it to be good all the way through. Does anyone have any suggestions? I even drew some curves with a magic marker on the ice that I could follow but I'm still having trouble and I know there won't be any curves drawn on the ice for the MIF test. I'm also a little concerned that there can only be 4-6 curves. My curves are so small that it takes me about 10 to get all the way down the blue line. Any help you can give me or a video that someone could recommend would be great. Thank You.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

It's hard to help fix something when I can't see it.

Best suggestion is, ask your coach, or have you asked your coach and what has he/she said?

Good luck with your test!

 

[sarahspiral]

Thanks for your reply and the well wishes for my test. The test is not until July so my coach just recently showed me the back inside edges on a line. And I haven't had a lesson in a while so I was trying to work on it on my own. But I will see her next week so hopefully, she can give me suggestions on how to improve the edges. I was hoping it was something I could fix on on my own because I'd rather have her help with jumps, waltz 8's etc.....

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thanks for your reply and the well wishes for my test. The test is not until July so my coach just recently showed me the back inside edges on a line. And I haven't had a lesson in a while so I was trying to work on it on my own. But I will see her next week so hopefully, she can give me suggestions on how to improve the edges. I was hoping it was something I could fix on on my own because I'd rather have her help with jumps, waltz 8's etc.....

You're welcome. And that's what coaches are there for: All of the above. Good luck, at least you have some time to work on this if your test is not until July.

 

[thesoundofice]

Hi sarahspiral, I think you can easily fix this problem by practising a lot and asking your coach for help.. I don't know if this can help you but, when I can't do something as I want, I simply stop and start working on something else or have a break.. Because frustration leads nowhere. Then I go back on the ice and try again working on it. When I finally manage to do it, I try to memorize the "feeling" of it and practise to recreate this situation instead of focusing on mistakes, technique ( even if I' m aware they're both necessary)..I'm not sure this can work for you as well but it helps me a lot because I'm an instinctive person..
Good luck with your test!

 

[tstop4me]

Thanks for your reply and the well wishes for my test. The test is not until July so my coach just recently showed me the back inside edges on a line. And I haven't had a lesson in a while so I was trying to work on it on my own. But I will see her next week so hopefully, she can give me suggestions on how to improve the edges. I was hoping it was something I could fix on on my own because I'd rather have her help with jumps, waltz 8's etc.....

Since you are working with a coach, I'll refrain from throwing out any tips (may do more harm than good if they conflict with your coach's advice). But I'd just like to point out to be patient with your backward inside consecutive edges along a line. They are much harder than forward outside, forward inside, and backward outside consecutive edges along a line. The pushoff strokes for backward inside consecutive edges along a line are not at all intuitive. But one day ... voila.

 

[sarahspiral]

Hi sarahspiral, I think you can easily fix this problem by practising a lot and asking your coach for help.. I don't know if this can help you but, when I can't do something as I want, I simply stop and start working on something else or have a break.. Because frustration leads nowhere. Then I go back on the ice and try again working on it. When I finally manage to do it, I try to memorize the "feeling" of it and practise to recreate this situation instead of focusing on mistakes, technique ( even if I' m aware they're both necessary)..I'm not sure this can work for you as well but it helps me a lot because I'm an instinctive person..
Good luck with your test!

Thank you for your advice. I have noticed the same thing that when I'm frustrated and I switch to working on something else, it refreshes me when I return to it. That's also a good idea to try to get the feeling of it when I'm doing the edge correctly b/c I need to be aware of the position of my hips, shoulders, etc.... when it works!

 

[sarahspiral]

Since you are working with a coach, I'll refrain from throwing out any tips (may do more harm than good if they conflict with your coach's advice). But I'd just like to point out to be patient with your backward inside consecutive edges along a line. They are much harder than forward outside, forward inside, and backward outside consecutive edges along a line. The pushoff strokes for backward inside consecutive edges along a line are not at all intuitive. But one day ... voila.

Yes, the push off is what I'm having the most difficulty with. I think if I were allowed to start them standing parallel to the line, I would have a much easier time than starting perpendicular. But it helps to know that I'm not the only one who thinks they are hard to do. Thanks for your help!