Back Edge Frustration

For today's lesson we had agreed we'd focus on back edges. We started off just by working on backward stroking, holding the free leg in front. This was so-so. I could do it but it was hard to hold the flat (falling to a BI edge), and it was difficult to get my weight placed correctly and leave it there. Anna says I need to work on pushing to the back edge and just holding my weight there; placing it correctly from the beginning, not struggling to find the balance. That will take some work.

From there we went to look at BO edges on the line. Sheesh, there's a lot wrong here. First, I need to actually turn my head when coming back to the axis. Second, I need to place my weight better and have my weight solidly on my blade, not bunched up in front. Third, I need to actually scissor the arms, not swing them wide. Fourth, I need to get a better push-off. Fifth I need to get a good solid "set" with the free foot in front. And of course, as always I need to not look down. We worked on these for quite some time, with a little improvement. Anna said she'd thrown a lot of stuff at me all at once and not to be too frustrated, but I am. I've been working on these for quite a while and I've still got so far to go! The other thing Anna mentioned (applies to forward edges too) is that I need to go ahead and practice them all the way down the line. I tend to do one or two and then stop, either because I messed up or because I'm at a crowded session; but Anna says I need to practice doing them all the way across so I get the feel for the change of feet and the push, and to learn to fight for 'em. She's right, of course, and the whole thing says I need more quality practice time (i.e., freestyle or adult session).

From there we went to look at the BI edges because, well, we have to work on them sometime! This was, of course, even worse. In particular I have trouble just getting onto a solid BI edge without dropping my free side from the pushoff. In one of those rare occasions, Anna held my hands while I pushed off on the edge to show me how much further over I need to be. She says the problem isn't really the BI edge itself (I can do them backward stroking just fine), it's getting the push onto the edge. Anyway, many of the same problems and corrections apply to the BI edges as well, just even more so.

That was all we had time for... I have got to find some more quality practice time. I'm going to start hitting the Sunday a.m. freestyles a week from Sunday, assuming they keep them. The only other freestyles that I can make are perhaps Saturday a.m. (if I get up frightfully early) or late Friday (at 5), although I'll have had a lesson that day already.