Falling / Butt Pads

[DarthSkater]

I'm landing (and falling on) double sal, toe, and loop, and working on flip and lutz. My issue is that in the past two months I've had to take off a total of about 3 weeks from jumping because I keep falling hard and getting VERY sore. I wear butt pads (the thick ChloeNoel ones), but I keep either falling around the pads or somehow getting bruised through the pads. In general I don't tend to fall super hard, but recently it just keeps happening! I don't think I have a terribly low pain tolerance, and I've tried to just keep jumping (and falling) through the pain, but I always end up falling on exactly the same spot and getting EXTREMELY sore, and honestly I'm just really tired of not being able to just sit down without having to put all my weight on one side, I'm feeling guilty for having to tell my coach I can't run my program with doubles, and I just want to jump dang it! As I'm typing this my hip is swollen and very sore (after a tylenol) from a double toe that went wrong.

Basically I'm just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this kind of thing or has any advice. Better butt pads? A good bruise remedy? A magical tip for not falling as much or so hard? Any advice would be great!

Thanks in advance!

 

[loopy]

My skater uses triple 8 padded shorts. She had the Zoombang shorts, she used the pads you insert as well. Zoombang, aside from the gel drying over time, didn't give as much coverage as triple 8. Specifically she uses the roller derby women's ones. Some girls wear the regular ones but then hem them so they aren't as long. Falling still hurts (today was a tailbone fall) but it doesn't leave bruises or take her off the ice.

http://triple8.com/product/rd-bumsaver/?category_name=skate

https://www.zoombang.com/product/zoombang-female-three-point-protection-shorts-adult/

I've noticed more brands on Amazon, but I haven't had her try them. The triple8 look new and it's been 2 years.

 

[sandraskates]

Hi,

It's hard to tell from your post if you've mastered any of these jumps or are working on all of them at the same time. I'd suggest:

1. Mastering one jump before moving on to learning the next.
2. If you're falling on the same spot each time it sounds like you're making the same mistake (perhaps leaning one way in the air or breaking at the waist) every time. Your coach should notice whatever it is and help you correct it. If they can't then I'd seek out a second or new coach. Some coaches specialize in jumps or spins or footwork, etc.
3. And just my very humble opinion – try not using pads and see if you can keep your body in line to rotate and land the jumps. I have never been a fan of using pads. I could always “feel” them and then in a competition or show when you can't use them your body feels different without them.

I know other opinions will vary on my point #3.

If your hip is swollen then you need to take a break and let it heal before you can't skate at all.

 

[loopy]

3. Wearing padded shorts - I think it has to be a skater-coach decision.
1. My skater works on several jumps at a time because doing the same one over and over can cause issues (same hits to the ice). Falling in a variety of ways keeps any one point from being too sore. So right now she does her doubles in different combinations and sequences and then when those are looking okay, they move to double axel a couple times. In the beginning there are a couple attempts on a harness to control falls, but it's not used very long in a lesson.

You might consider the number of attempts and falls in a single session and make sure you aren't over doing it.

 

[larry]

I wear padded shorts when practicing on doubles, but to be honest they helped me more with my steps and getting used to putting my weight less in front of my skate and more above my skate when doing backward steps.

When it comes to jumps I currently tend to put out my hands when falling which hurts my wrists like hell after a few good falls.

 

[Tavi...]

I wear padded shorts when practicing on doubles, but to be honest they helped me more with my steps and getting used to putting my weight less in front of my skate and more above my skate when doing backward steps.

When it comes to jumps I currently tend to put out my hands when falling which hurts my wrists like hell after a few good falls.

May I suggest wrist guards:


http://demonsnow.com/store/Flexmeter Double sided wrist guard

I broke my wrist on a fall skating backwards and bought these when I got back on the ice. They are doctor designed and really expensive, but they're great.

This explains how they work:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hxDX2DFzsTA

This site also sells lots of super expensive padded stuff for extreme sports.

 

[larry]

Cool! They do look bulky though Doing pair skating so afraid it's going to be too much in the way, but it's really good to know they exist, big thanks!

 

[Tavi...]

Cool! They do look bulky though Doing pair skating so afraid it's going to be too much in the way, but it's really good to know they exist, big thanks!

Aww too bad!

I actually don't find mine bulky at all (my warmup jacket sleeves fit over them) but I'm not a pairs skater (or a competitive skater) and I wear the smallest size, so that could be misleading. If it helps, mine are 7" long and come about halfway up the forearm - in an adult male size I'm sure they'd be several inches longer at least. Basically they're like a Lycra sleeve with a thumb hole and a separate hole for your other four fingers. The plastic splint attached on the outside of the wrist is about 3/16" thick; you tighten it to your wrist with two Velcro straps. I have the double sided ones which have a second splint on the inside of the forearm and a removable plastic palm guard, but they also have a single splint model with no palm guard. Even in mine I have enough mobility to flex my wrist, hold hands, and lace fingers, but I would imagine the palm guard would be in your way for some stuff. If you do end up considering them, just an FYI they run small. I was lucky enough to find mine in an REI store but they were the only pair and I think typically they're online only. Anyway, good luck whatever you do!

 

[tstop4me]

Cool! They do look bulky though Doing pair skating so afraid it's going to be too much in the way, but it's really good to know they exist, big thanks!

Here's a less extreme pair of wrist guards that I wear:

http://www.amazon.com/Rollerblade-B...3912&sr=8-1&keywords=rollerblade+wrist+guards

I wear them over thin black leather gloves, and they're hardly noticeable. They should be adequate for figure skating. They probably won't interfere with your pairs skating unless you're doing lifts.