Help for beginner | Golden Skate

Help for beginner

ypht96

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Hello,
I‘ve been skating for a few years now and feel much more comfortable moving around on the ice. The upright spin is okay, I‘m still working on my toe pick problem (leaning forward too much) - maybe there‘s someone with some good advice? I tried shifting my weight a little bit backward but then I fall on my butt [emoji28]
But the biggest problem are my jumps. I‘m stuck at mastering the Salchow and Toe Loop jumps. I like the waltz and flip jump though. I just don‘t feel comfortable doing Salchow and Toe Loop...it feels strange. Would it help to do off ice jumps? Or are there any other tips I could try?

Thanks in advance!
[emoji254]
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Hello,
I‘ve been skating for a few years now and feel much more comfortable moving around on the ice. The upright spin is okay, I‘m still working on my toe pick problem (leaning forward too much) - maybe there‘s someone with some good advice? I tried shifting my weight a little bit backward but then I fall on my butt [emoji28]
But the biggest problem are my jumps. I‘m stuck at mastering the Salchow and Toe Loop jumps. I like the waltz and flip jump though. I just don‘t feel comfortable doing Salchow and Toe Loop...it feels strange. Would it help to do off ice jumps? Or are there any other tips I could try?

Thanks in advance!
[emoji254]

Please speak with your coach about this. Do not attempt anything without their assistance.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Then what did they suggest? If nothing, I’d be finding a new coach.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Well that's an interesting dilemma.

You like the waltz jump and a flip jump - one edge jump, one toe jump.
You're uncomfortable with a salchow and a toe loop - one edge jump, one toe jump.

How do you feel about the loop jump?

It is normal for some skaters to feel more comfortable doing either edge jumps or toe jumps, or never feel comfortable with a particular jump. Even the elite skaters have their 'nemesis jump.
 

MiraiFan

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Work hard on your edges (inside and outside, forwards and backwards) with your coach, really learning to use your knees and understand how correct, deep edges feel. Without good edges, jumps will always feel terrifying. Good luck!
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
Hello,
I‘ve been skating for a few years now and feel much more comfortable moving around on the ice. The upright spin is okay, I‘m still working on my toe pick problem (leaning forward too much) - maybe there‘s someone with some good advice? I tried shifting my weight a little bit backward but then I fall on my butt [emoji28]

If you find you're often hitting the toe picks, it's almost certainly your posture. Remember that your head is the heaviest part of your body, so you need to try to keep it at the top of a straight line that goes down through your hips and ankles to your foot and blade. That way, you're skating on the correct part of the skate to glide rather than hit the pick. Also bend your knees more. Usually when you think you're bending as far as you can go and you must look ridiculous, you still need to bend them more... :laugh:
 

Ykai

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
If you find you're often hitting the toe picks, it's almost certainly your posture. Remember that your head is the heaviest part of your body, so you need to try to keep it at the top of a straight line that goes down through your hips and ankles to your foot and blade. That way, you're skating on the correct part of the skate to glide rather than hit the pick. Also bend your knees more. Usually when you think you're bending as far as you can go and you must look ridiculous, you still need to bend them more... :laugh:


I tried my new Jackson Freestyle today. Oh boy I was constantly hitting the toepicks and I even fell twice :eek::

I think I developed some bad habit of leaning forward with my recreational skates and now I regressed at least 2 levels and need to relearn the basics. What I feel strange is that if I don't want to hit the toepick, I almost skate with my heels, and also I found it hard to place my weight on the front half of my feet. I guess that was partly due to not being able to bend my knees as much. But skating on heels really feels weird. Do you have any suggestion in this case?
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
Well that's an interesting dilemma.

You like the waltz jump and a flip jump - one edge jump, one toe jump.
You're uncomfortable with a salchow and a toe loop - one edge jump, one toe jump.

It is normal for some skaters to feel more comfortable doing either edge jumps or toe jumps, or never feel comfortable with a particular jump. Even the elite skaters have their 'nemesis jump.

The salchow and the toe are both weight transfer jumps, so it makes some sense that the original poster doesn't like either. The waltz jump is to, but it has so little rotation, it doesn't usually give people that much trouble if they're not afraid to jump.

It's not always as simple as edge jumps vs. toe jumps. I hated the axel and the toe; loved the sal, flip and loop; and had no issues with the lutz. It's about the feel and the mechanics. Most skaters have at least one jump they love and one they hate and it's not always logical. My coach and I used to argue about the toe all the time. I hated it. I always felt like my hip popped when I took off. It was my coaches favorite jump. She stuck it on the end of any jump she was going to fall on to save it. To each their own.
 

mystery905

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 22, 2018
I can't do a flip jump for the life of me, but loop is my favourite (similar jump but off an edge prior to picking).

I am comfortable with toe loop (after much practice), salchow, and of course, waltz.

Not sure if I will ever get my flip (looks more like a salchow).
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
I tried my new Jackson Freestyle today. Oh boy I was constantly hitting the toepicks and I even fell twice :eek::

I think I developed some bad habit of leaning forward with my recreational skates and now I regressed at least 2 levels and need to relearn the basics. What I feel strange is that if I don't want to hit the toepick, I almost skate with my heels, and also I found it hard to place my weight on the front half of my feet. I guess that was partly due to not being able to bend my knees as much. But skating on heels really feels weird. Do you have any suggestion in this case?

It always takes time to adjust to a higher level skate. I couldn't even do a waltz jump until my second or third time in my new Freestyles, and I did a waltz jump my second time ever on the ice as a kid.

Also, check http://www.posturedirect.com. I can't say enough good things about that site, it saved me from potentially serious medical problems (knocking wood), to say nothing of what it's done for my skating.
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I tried my new Jackson Freestyle today. Oh boy I was constantly hitting the toepicks and I even fell twice :eek::

I think I developed some bad habit of leaning forward with my recreational skates and now I regressed at least 2 levels and need to relearn the basics. What I feel strange is that if I don't want to hit the toepick, I almost skate with my heels, and also I found it hard to place my weight on the front half of my feet. I guess that was partly due to not being able to bend my knees as much. But skating on heels really feels weird. Do you have any suggestion in this case?

I most certainly do! And it's "Don't panic - yet!" Seriously, though, it's very early days with your new boots and you'll find that as you get used to them and start to break them in, you'll feel much more at home. One trick to help with knee bend is to leave the very top hooks unlaced until you feel you need their support. (I never laced the top hooks when I had freestyle boots and am much more comfortable in lower, dance boots.)

Good luck!
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
I can't do a flip jump for the life of me, but loop is my favourite (similar jump but off an edge prior to picking).

I am comfortable with toe loop (after much practice), salchow, and of course, waltz.

Not sure if I will ever get my flip (looks more like a salchow).

With your flip have you tried going in from a mohawk instead of a three turn?
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
The salchow and the toe are both weight transfer jumps, so it makes some sense that the original poster doesn't like either. The waltz jump is to, but it has so little rotation, it doesn't usually give people that much trouble if they're not afraid to jump.

It's not always as simple as edge jumps vs. toe jumps. I hated the axel and the toe; loved the sal, flip and loop; and had no issues with the lutz. It's about the feel and the mechanics. Most skaters have at least one jump they love and one they hate and it's not always logical. My coach and I used to argue about the toe all the time. I hated it. I always felt like my hip popped when I took off. It was my coaches favorite jump. She stuck it on the end of any jump she was going to fall on to save it. To each their own.

There is a transfer of weight in the flip jump too (and lutz).
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Different kind of transfer. By the time you take off, your weight should be over the picking/landing side and stay there.

On waltz/axel, toe loop, and salchow, you have to transfer the weight when already in the air.
 
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