Help with the teapot?

Question

I know this is a simplish move, but I can't do it! I can do jumps and everything, but everytime i try and do the teapot my leg get a cramp. I can go down low to the ice, but when I strech my leg out I get a cramp in my quad muscles! Any idea how I can improve this?

Answer 1

Have you tried the teapot (shoot the duck) holding up your freeleg with both hands (for now)?  

It sounds like you need more strength in the freeleg . . . you may be cramping because you're straining to hold it out in that position.  It's not that you can't get into that position, it's more that your muscle screams when it needs to stay in that position.  It's a different strength issue from jump muscles.    

See if holding the leg doesn't make you cramp up.  You can eventually get to just one hand or no hands at all - when you build up the strength that it doesn't hurt anymore.  

You can do some off ice work on it too.  Make sure you do quad stretches before you skate . . . and after you do teapots especially if cramp up.  I like this one in particular: standing quad stretch http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/Quadriceps...  Whenever you're just sitting in a chair, lift your leg(s) and hold it there as long as you can - aim for longer each time.  You can use light ankle weights too (on the ice you have the weight of your skates to deal with).  You can even do this standing up or lying down . . . just get that leg up and hold.  Remember to do both legs . . . it'll come in handy for sit spins and back sits!!  

Hope that helps!   :)

Answer 2

Jumps don't really relate to this move. Getting low is nice, but anybody can go all the way down as long as they balance. You know those sit spins where it's a 90 angle on the spinning leg? That's harder, because you need strength to go low but hold it against gravity and still be up off the ground. That's what you need, so work those leg muscles.

Answer 3

stretch your leg muscles and strengthen the leg that you are going to skate on while doing the teapot.  before you do the teapot hold on to the wall and go into the teapot position and put your leg out in front of you hold your leg there for 20 seconds repeat.  

good luck