Edges & Spins

For today's lesson we started by looking at the spin prep stuff again that we looked at last time. I still can't do the step-forward out of the RBI edge from back crossovers, but we got some improvement. Anna says I really need to feel that RBI edge and really push into it. Also I'm tending to not rotate as I need to. Anna reminded me that for the spin entrance I'll need to feel like I'm pushing "under" my arm. Instead I'm tending to swing my arm away. We also worked on the forward edge a bit, with Anna showing me that I need to get more kneebend as I get deeper into the edge, and feel like I'm keeping the free hip open. Also I'm tending to keep my free arm back and she says it would be better to keep it at the side, straight out.

We took a little detour in the middle of all that to look at Mohawks on the circle again, both directions. Anna reminded me that on the back Mohawk I need to keep my feet closer together (she's told me that before!) so I'm not leaning forward or getting my weight ahead of me.

After all the spin prep work we then went to look at all my edges. The FO edges are not bad. The FI edges we worked more on keeping that free side up -- Anna says I need to fight for it more, and also that I need to bring my foot forward a little earlier (about 2/3s into the lobe instead of more like 3/4ths). She also reminded me again that I need to be looking up the line during these. Also, she mentioned that I need to work on the push between lobes, so that the amount of time I have two feet on the ice is minimized -- the push should be more like a push in stroking, where the new foot is taking the ice and the old one is pushing away. Lots to think about!

On the back edges, they are a bit improved even from last time. The BO edges we worked some more on the push-off and Anna says on the RBO edge I'm doing a good job of turning the head along with the arm rotation, but on the LBO not so much. Also Anna reminded me that I need to stay down in my knees for the push (for BO and BI edges both, I believe). I'm tending to rise too much out of the push. On the BI edges, still a lot to do but they are a bit improved. Anna suggested thinking for each lobe that I'm trying to get my weight onto the heel of the skating foot -- this helped a lot. The problems with the BI edges are not so much the edges themselves as the (almost) total lack of control of the body position.

Despite my concerns and occasional frustration, these really are improving. Anna says my forward edges are passing quality (I'm still not happy with the FI though), the BO are getting there and the BI still need lots of work.

We finished up by looking at actual spins. These are doing okay. Anna reminded me that when I drop my pivoting foot I shouldn't really be going backward any length on it (which apparently I am, at least that time), but it should just drop off the pick and start turning immediately. Still she was relatively pleased with these, especially the exit.

Anna says I can be/should be more aggressive on my spins, and also on my perimeter crossovers. Those are the two areas she said I can specifically work to be more aggressive, the rest is okay for now. All in all I thought it was a good lesson and it's nice to see some improvement in these basic items.