Twizzle help!!!

[Vladik]

Honestly please just throw me all the advice you’ve got for basic twizzles.

I started Skate UK level 8 two weeks ago, just had my second lesson a few days back. Twizzles are giving me a real hard time. I know it hasn’t been long, and I am being patient with them, but I’d like to improve them. One leg is definitely better than the other, and occasionally I’ll do a more or less perfect twizzle, and then the next will be awful. They’re very inconsistent.

I think a lot of it is the fear, my coach has been helping me with my twizzles and she says she can tell I’m very scared of them, (I tense up).

I’m just wondering if anybody has any advice for twizzles in general (the technique), and also for my overall fear of things. I feel like it’s really holding me back.

How long did it take you guys to get your basic twizzles nailed down? I see so many kids in my lessons get them their first try, -the things I’d do to have no fear lol.

Is it one of those things that will just “click” after a while?

Thanks!

 

[jersey1302]

Keep working on them! one foot will always be better than another at first so make sure you train both equally. RELAX your body.. havine a tense body is not going to help at all. You have to find a bit of your knee bend and centre of balance and get right in the middle of the blade in that sweet spot or you’ll be doing 3 turns instead of twizzles. It’s ok to fall of be off balance. You’re not falling from 3 feet up in a jump so you’ll be ok haha. I guarantee you as soon as you relax, don’t carry tense shoulders and let the blade go you’ll find it 100x easier. It’s ok to be nervous! But challenge your self to do it. You can do it!

 

[jayy]

From my experience, twizzles (and other difficult turns for that matter) do take some time to "click" but once they do, it feels like magic. Patience is key for learning any new thing, especially with difficult turns. It sounds like you are on the right track, and definitely keep working on them. What I found worked for me, was paying attention to where I brought my hands in on my twizzle. When I found a comfortable spot and consistently brought my hands in to it, that was one less thing I had to worry about when actually doing the turn. So find what feels comfortable and what works for you. A second thing that I found helped, was incorporating turns into my on ice warm up. After I take a few laps around, I will usually skate through my clusters and other difficult turns. This forced me to bend into my ankles right off the bat of the session, and I would quickly realize if there was anything that I needed to fix.

When it comes to the aspect of fear, there are two ways that I practice things that I am uncomfortable with:

1. Walk it through in my head, and then step by step on the ice. Making sure I go through each body part so that I don't get confused, and so that I can remember what I did. That way, if the skill worked, I know what to do next time, and if the skill did not work, then I adjust for the next try.

2. Breathe. Ok this might sound cheesy, but it has probably been the most helpful thing for me to learn. Whenever I am doing something on the ice, I try to time my breathing so that I start exhaling when I start doing the skill. I do this to engage my core, and to lower my shoulders.

You can do this, just keep practicing, and keep doing you

 

[Vladik]

Keep working on them! one foot will always be better than another at first so make sure you train both equally. RELAX your body.. havine a tense body is not going to help at all. You have to find a bit of your knee bend and centre of balance and get right in the middle of the blade in that sweet spot or you’ll be doing 3 turns instead of twizzles. It’s ok to fall of be off balance. You’re not falling from 3 feet up in a jump so you’ll be ok haha. I guarantee you as soon as you relax, don’t carry tense shoulders and let the blade go you’ll find it 100x easier. It’s ok to be nervous! But challenge your self to do it. You can do it!

Thank you! They're absolutely terrifying for me! Just to clarify, what part of my blade should I be on throughout the twizzle? Is it middle and then heel, or ball and then heel?

 

[Vladik]

From my experience, twizzles (and other difficult turns for that matter) do take some time to "click" but once they do, it feels like magic. Patience is key for learning any new thing, especially with difficult turns. It sounds like you are on the right track, and definitely keep working on them. What I found worked for me, was paying attention to where I brought my hands in on my twizzle. When I found a comfortable spot and consistently brought my hands in to it, that was one less thing I had to worry about when actually doing the turn. So find what feels comfortable and what works for you. A second thing that I found helped, was incorporating turns into my on ice warm up. After I take a few laps around, I will usually skate through my clusters and other difficult turns. This forced me to bend into my ankles right off the bat of the session, and I would quickly realize if there was anything that I needed to fix.

When it comes to the aspect of fear, there are two ways that I practice things that I am uncomfortable with:

1. Walk it through in my head, and then step by step on the ice. Making sure I go through each body part so that I don't get confused, and so that I can remember what I did. That way, if the skill worked, I know what to do next time, and if the skill did not work, then I adjust for the next try.

2. Breathe. Ok this might sound cheesy, but it has probably been the most helpful thing for me to learn. Whenever I am doing something on the ice, I try to time my breathing so that I start exhaling when I start doing the skill. I do this to engage my core, and to lower my shoulders.

You can do this, just keep practicing, and keep doing you

Thank you so much! I was so tense the other day. They’re terrifying to me!!! I’ll take your advice onboard!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Twizzles are, er, fun... I used to love them back in the 80s and 90s, when they were the preserve of the elite ice dancers but now they're everywhere...

Two things. Firstly, how are you back three turns? If you don't have solid back threes, you'll find twizzles harder. Secondly, keep your knees softly bent.

Good luck!

 

[Vladik]

Twizzles are, er, fun... I used to love them back in the 80s and 90s, when they were the preserve of the elite ice dancers but now they're everywhere...

Two things. Firstly, how are you back three turns? If you don't have solid back threes, you'll find twizzles harder. Secondly, keep your knees softly bent.

Good luck!

Backwards three turns aren’t great. I’ve never tried practising them on their own. They’re not part of the Skate UK levels, you learn your forwards three turns and then just get thrown into twizzles with no knowledge of the backwards ones.

I think I’ll try practice backwards ones this Saturday! They really freak me out as a whole lol.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Backwards three turns aren’t great. I’ve never tried practising them on their own. They’re not part of the Skate UK levels, you learn your forwards three turns and then just get thrown into twizzles with no knowledge of the backwards ones.

I think I’ll try practice backwards ones this Saturday! They really freak me out as a whole lol

I am deeply unimpressed by many aspects of Skate UK, the inclusion of twizzles being only one...

Ask your coach for help with the backwards three turns and remember to use your rocker to turn; that's what it's there for.

 

[Vladik]

I am deeply unimpressed by many aspects of Skate UK, the inclusion of twizzles being only one...

Ask your coach for help with the backwards three turns and remember to use your rocker to turn; that's what it's there for.

Thank you! I know forwards three turns are done on your rocker. I’m told that the backwards ones are on your heel, atleast that’s how I’ve been doing the backwards turn in my twizzles. Is that correct?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you! I know forwards three turns are done on your rocker. I’m told that the backwards ones are on your heel, atleast that’s how I’ve been doing the backwards turn in my twizzles. Is that correct?

Yes, but what I mean is that you use the rocker of the blade to rock to the back of the blade and forward again, rather than staying on the back of the blade for a hideous scrape. It's a kind of rocking horse movement, rather than a back and stay there thing.

 

[Vladik]

Yes, but what I mean is that you use the rocker of the blade to rock to the back of the blade and forward again, rather than staying on the back of the blade for a hideous scrape. It's a kind of rocking horse movement, rather than a back and stay there thing.

Thank you so much! You’re actually a saviour lol, you’re on every single one of my posts. Don’t know what I’d do without you.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you so much! You’re actually a saviour lol, you’re on every single one of my posts. Don’t know what I’d do without you.

Ah, you're welcome. I'm pretty old and I've done a lot of skating and teaching in my career!

 

[Vladik]

Ah, you're welcome. I'm pretty old and I've done a lot of skating and teaching in my career!

I can tell! You know your stuff!!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Yes, but what I mean is that you use the rocker of the blade to rock to the back of the blade and forward again, rather than staying on the back of the blade for a hideous scrape. It's a kind of rocking horse movement, rather than a back and stay there thing.

yes. all of what WM said!!!! Proper twizzles make my heart happy! LOL

 

[Vladik]

yes. all of what WM said!!!! Proper twizzles make my heart happy! LOL

Hahah yes!!! I worked on my twizzles today and they’re improving so much! It feels great. It’s inconsistent but I’ve managed some perfect twizzles on my right leg so far!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hahah yes!!! I worked on my twizzles today and they’re improving so much! It feels great. It’s inconsistent but I’ve managed some perfect twizzles on my right leg so far!

Good! Keep working on those! So proud of you!

 

[jersey1302]

Thank you! They're absolutely terrifying for me! Just to clarify, what part of my blade should I be on throughout the twizzle? Is it middle and then heel, or ball and then heel?

If you are on the ball it is where your toe picks are and you will scratch a lot. too far back and you’re just going to fall backwards. You want to be right in the middle of the rocker where you have that spot you can spin on with out doing 3 turns or scratching. I am not sure how else to describe it haha

 

[Vladik]

Good! Keep working on those! So proud of you!

Thank you so much!!!

 

[Vladik]

If you are on the ball it is where your toe picks are and you will scratch a lot. too far back and you’re just going to fall backwards. You want to be right in the middle of the rocker where you have that spot you can spin on with out doing 3 turns or scratching. I am not sure how else to describe it haha

Thank you! Anything involving my rocker is a bit of a pain at the moment considering I'm on crap blades (Edea Rotation). Been thinking of getting some coronations though!