Frustrated Skater! Help me!

Question

Okay so I have been skating since 2002. I did not skate much about 3 of those years but I started again in November 2007. My skating has progressed SO much because I practice for hours and hours and am always at the rink working or skating. I have an amazing coach but there is one thing that is super frustrating to me.... I cannot do my backward crossovers counter-clockwise as in left over right. Its affecting me because when I go into my jumps I cannot lead with backward crossovers. Also some of the conditioning stuff is really hard for me. My coach and I were working on it recently and my biggest problem is that I cannot seem to lift my toe up so I am scratching my toe pick all the time. We have tried exercises to help but NOTHING is working! My backward crossovers are perfect the other way though. What do I do? I can do waltz jump, salchow, toe loop, half-flip and half lutz so I feel like I should not be struggling with something so basic. :(

Answer 1

I think it may just be because you're not used to doing it the other way. The best thing to do is to keep practicing until you get it! Although I know how irritating scratching your toe pick gets.

Start slow at first by holding onto a wall and practicing how your feet should crossover. You get used to how your feet should move and feel. Then gradually get faster until you can finally do it perfectly.  

Answer 2

That sounds really puzzling! I think that the only remedy for the backwards crossovers is to keep practicing them. Envision perfect ones in your mind. Every time you get on the ice, do them over and over again.

The toe pick thing, I'm not sure about. Maybe the problem is with your skates? I'm sure you've done this, but look at crossovers in both directions and try to see what you're doing differently.

Hope this helps...good luck!

Answer 3

Toe scratching on back crossovers could be one or a combination of a few things:

*You need to bend your knees more.  A deeper bend should center you over you skates better to get you off your toes.  Often we don't bend enough (or extend our legs) on our "bad" sides.

*Think of sitting back a bit.  It's not just about lifting your toes up to get you off the toe picks - your body needs to be positioned so you get your feet right under you.  This way you use your full blade to do push - not just the front half of the blade (for efficiency!).  

*Make sure you are NOT sticking your hip out to one side.  Body alignment is so important, but it's hard to tell on the ice.  I detected my mistake with hips off the ice and with a mirror.

*On that note about body alignment, good posture is important as well.  Avoid positions that will make you lean unnessarily forward to get you on your toes . . . keep your chin up and looking back so you see where you're going (not down on the ice).  Keep shoulders down - not hunched over - chest up.  I mentioned sitting back, but do not stick that bottom out - it will make your upper body lean forward moreso.      

*You need to relax more when doing crossovers on the side your not comfortable with.  It's possible you are scrunching your toes (literally gripping inside your skate).  It can make you "grip" the ice unintentionally too.  Tensing up can hinder your movements and "flow".    

Check this out: http://www.usfigureskating.org/programs....

Go to Adult Moves Diagrams - Gold 2 Backward Power Circle

(I think there's a video of it at the bottom, but I haven't looked at).

They are backcrossovers in a snail pattern, starting with one big push at the center and you are supposed to go excellerate as the circle gets bigger.  It's a good exercise to do as you have to do it both ways.  Sometimes if you follow a pattern, you can feel what you're doing wrong on the "bad" side . . . or at least feel what needs improvement "compared" to the other side. You can do an 8 pattern too so you can compare both sides in the same exercise.  

Go back and do your outside/inside back edges and 3 turns.  See if you're on your toes on those exercises as well.  Back power pulls are good to do too (stay off those toes!).  Oh - and have you tried doing crossovers keeping both feet ON the ice (never lifting a foot one bit?).  

See if your rink offers a group stroking class.  Even though you have an awesome coach, sometimes it takes another coach to say something different to make something magically "click".  

If you have a chance to skate on a session where there's hardly anyone, go to it and do your crossovers there.  It's so embarrasing when you can definitely hear your toe picks echoeing for all to hear (I've been there!) . . . it might make you quick to do something to STOP getting on your toes - hee hee!!  

*And as everyone already mentioned, good ol' practice.  Often we practice more on our GOOD side because it comes naturally to us - and the other side gets neglected.  One side is always going to be better, but it should eventually feel somewhat even.  Make it a point to really FOCUS on backcrossovers after your warm up.  Force yourself to do them before anything else.  Work hard on it now so it doesn't haunt you down the road . . . better now than later!        

Brainstorming for ya   :)  Hope that helps!  

Answer 4

Hmmm....Are u doing under cuts or the one where you just lift your foot up and place? Undercuts take a longer time, so if u haven't done the one where you lift your foot up in the begining, try that one first. And what i learned is that if you just wing it, and pretend like you're going to do it into a jump. It's all in your head. ANYONE can figure skate and do axels and etc.. if they're mentally ready for it. Also remember to bend your knees, lean in, back straight, look backwards, and arms up. Good luck! Ps. I find it helpful if you don't look at your feet while your doing it. If you're looking at your feet or forwards, your body weight is leaning forward, and vice versa.

Answer 5

work on backword crossovers alot.

everyone has a bad side of crossovers.

just do them for a long time in practice.

15 min

30 min

even an hour!

no matter how silly you look just keep doing it.

it isnt called "practice" for nothing.

and if you cant do basic things. odds are, you wont be able to progress anymore.

Answer 6

Try undercuts. Much easier. Instead of lifting the leg, you can just slide it to cross. Plus, you get more points in competitions that way :)