Backward curves and outside edges | Golden Skate

Backward curves and outside edges

Saga

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
I'm an adult at 29 starting out a couple of months ago. My forward crossover is alright but I began training my backward skating along circles and getting really frustrated. I also train one foot three turns.

I am really struggling with getting out on an outside edge when pumping around the circle. I try so hard but it feels impossible to get out on that outside edge and also keep skating backwards.

After my last lesson yesterday my knee is in pain. According to my coach I tend to point my knees inwards but I can't correct that without twisting my feet wrongly for the circle. I have much easier to turn from inside edge to an outside edge in three turns and lifting my inside leg.

Att this time backward crossovers feels physically impossible to ever achieve. Also the rise and fall during three turns seems to cause stress on my knee.

Any tips? :)
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
A preliminary question for you. What skates do you have? Are they separate boots and blades, with blades attached with screws? One possibility is that your blade mount needs to be changed.
 

Saga

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Thank you for reply :)
I have separate boots and blades, boots from Edea and blades from MK. Is there anything I can look for if this would be the possible case for me?
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
Thank you for reply :)
I have separate boots and blades, boots from Edea and blades from MK. Is there anything I can look for if this would be the possible case for me?

Your blade can be moved. You should have either your fitter or coach take a look. Typically, you do one-foot glides skating away from the coach/fitter. If you drift inside, moving your blade might help you glide straight.
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
What advice is your coach giving you about getting onto the outside edge? They should be able to give you an idea if there's an issue with the blade mounting.

More importantly, don't be too hard on yourself. A couple of months is not that long and backward crosscuts are difficult. I work at a club with a lot of adult skaters and it's completely normal for backward crosscuts to take time to get.

With regards to the knee, first, if it's a continuous issue, get it looked at. I know bad knees from skating and it's not fun. Second, it sounds like you're not bending with your knees over your toes. This is something that you can work on off ice to develop the muscles to bend properly. Practice squats (start with 2 legs then move to 1) making sure that you are keeping your knees over the toes, using your inner thighs to keep your knees in place. Use a mirror to make sure your alignment is correct. Once this alignment is more comfortable for you off ice, it should start to transition into your skating as the muscles will be used to working in that manner.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Thank you for reply :)
I have separate boots and blades, boots from Edea and blades from MK. Is there anything I can look for if this would be the possible case for me?
Have a coach (or skate tech if the pro shop is at the rink) watch you closely as you do one-foot straight glides, outside edges, and inside edges; each foot separately, forward direction and backward direction. It's hard to diagnose yourself if you're just starting out. And the most a skate tech can do at a pro shop is watch you walk around with your skates: that can catch some major problems, but not the more subtle ones.

Note: I'm not saying that this is the cause of your problem. Just one thing (out of many) that you should check out. You don't want to get frustrated with technique, if the cause is an equipment issue.
 

Snorlax

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Country
United-Kingdom
Former junior physio here - I'm not saying you have this, but from the sound of things you could give exercises against knock knees (x-legs) a try. Many people have or develop a tendency to go into the direction of slight knock knees, so this doesn't mean you have a condition or so. Like people have already suggested, it might just be your equipment.

Even if you don't have knock knees, going through the explanations and exercises behind it will help you raise awareness for your body and joint positioning and it might help you with your skating.

Even though I'm by no means an advanced skater, I could observe a lot of beginner skaters twist their knees inwards into this knock knee position. That makes sense, because this makes you go into a semi-locked and seemingly well supported position - and most people feel super comfortable with the inside edge but not the outside, which requires the knee to be straightened (otherwise you'll keep falling back onto your inside edge).

There are a number of nice videos on the internet about this, but maybe give this a shot:

https://youtu.be/2ha0dy8aczg

(Skip to1:00 if you don't want to watch the typical intro blabla).

I really like their videos, they give some good explanations and you might find other helpful content on their channel.
 

Saga

Spectator
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
I will try and talk to my coach again next lesson :) thank you everyone for your thoughts, I really appreciate it!

I tried on my skates at home and the right foot, which often feel a bit off when skating, tends to push me over to an outside edge when trying to stand balanced and upright. I always put this down to being a case of my weaker side causing it. This leg is also the one that I will rotate in towards the circle if I hold an undercut spiral on it. Doesn't make sense? Maybe just a question of being weak and a newbie :p

I hope they did not mount my blades permanentatly at the shop but it sure looks like they did that.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
I hope they did not mount my blades permanentatly at the shop but it sure looks like they did that.
The terms "temporary" and "permanent" mounts are misleading and confusing. I think the terms "adjustable" and "fixed" would be better, but skate techs and coaches have settled on "temporary" and "permanent", so here we are. Even if the blades have been "permanently" mounted, the blades can be removed, the old holes filled, new holes drilled, and the blades remounted. Edea soles and heels are fabricated from carbon-fiber composite material. Edea sells special filler plugs, which are attached with special adhesive. If you need to have your blades remounted, make sure your tech has specific experience with remounting blades on Edea boots.
 

annaAK

Spectator
Joined
May 20, 2022
I'm an adult at 29 starting out a couple of months ago. My forward crossover is alright but I began training my backward skating along circles and getting really frustrated. I also train one foot three turns.

I am really struggling with getting out on an outside edge when pumping around the circle. I try so hard but it feels impossible to get out on that outside edge and also keep skating backwards.

After my last lesson yesterday my knee is in pain. According to my coach I tend to point my knees inwards but I can't correct that without twisting my feet wrongly for the circle. I have much easier to turn from inside edge to an outside edge in three turns and lifting my inside leg.

Att this time backward crossovers feels physically impossible to ever achieve. Also the rise and fall during three turns seems to cause stress on my knee.

Any tips? :)
If your knee goes inward-you have knocked knees potentially. Do you squat with your knees pointing to the inside? It can be fixed through working correct muscles.
 
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