What, The Puck?

Today's lesson with JJ on the 7:30 a.m. FS at Gilbert.  As usual, good ice and only 3 or 4 skaters.

Today's lesson:

• FXO/BXOs -- working on the pattern for the test.  I didn't really want to spend a lot of time on this but when I told JJ that I was having issues doing the LFI mohawk at speed, he wanted to work out some other options -- so we tried varying which side we did so that I would do a RFO3 or an LFO3, or a step forward (back inside mohawk).  Of course the LFO3 was the easiest/best, but it also means that I would do my worst sides of each (FXO and BXO).  Yuck.  So this says to me that I should just practice the LFI mohawk so that I can do it at speed.
• the puck! -- as we were working on this we spent a little time working to de-scratch my CCW BXOs.  JJ showed me a drill where you take a hockey puck (he went and found one) and then stand at the boards in the BXO position (weight on L foot, R leg crossed behind) and put the R skate on the puck and work to slide it toward and away from the body.  The point is to get a feel for how much the *R* leg needs to be bent and how close to keep it.  This was really helpful.
• 2-foot spins -- just a quick check on these.  JJ wants me to keep my hands up at the start.  I did an ucky one, then an okay one, and then a really good one :-).  I'll keep practicing them.
• spins -- finished up with these.  I mentioned to JJ how I'd gotten some good ones yesterday and then not, and he said that if I get 3 or so bad in a row I should either move on, or go back to practicing one of my practice moves (precursors) -- in this case that would be the two-foot spin and pick up one foot, or entering from the hockey glide.  Good advice.  Anyway we worked on them and they are improving.  We worked more on just holding the arms out and getting square.  It's getting there.  I am about due for a blade sharpening so it will be interesting to see if that helps or hurts.

I couldn't stay late today as I had to get to work, so only 45 minutes of freestyle today :-(.