COACHES’ CORNER


One of ISI’s goals is to draw our community of figure skating coaches together to network and share advice for the betterment of the sport and the industry. Below, you’ll find tips from several ISI coaches on specific skating moves and techniques. A sincere thank you to the coaches who participated.


Interested in sharing your GR8 SK8 tips with readers or have a topic you would like addressed? Please send to editor@skateisi.org.


GR8 SK8 TIPS


Teaching the Back-Scratch Spin Coach 1:


“When I teach the backspin, I tell skaters to turn their belly buttons to their left armpits — kind of silly, but it really helps them start to feel rotation.”


Coach 2:


“Be sure the change-foot spin from Freestyle 3 is strong. Is your student spinning on the back outside edge when they switch feet? Are they on the ‘sweet spot?’ Is their axis slightly in front and over the skating side? Is the skating side leading? Are the hips in a closed position with the free foot crossed tightly at the ankles in front of the skating foot? Skater should have a strong core, with head over the collar bone of skating side and arms crossed at forearms with elbows down.


“I have my skaters practice this


position gliding backwards in a straight line and on an edge around a circle. Have them practice opening and closing the position without creating rotation.


“For the forward inside edge entry, I


start the skaters on a hockey line and ask them not to start the spin until they get back to the line. Explain that a forward inside three takes place and that the three needs to point back to their start. Tere needs to be a strong inside entry edge. Free leg needs tension and should be placed slightly inside the tracing.


“If your students learned the correct


position in the change-foot spin, they will be well on their way to learning the back scratch.”


Coach 3:


“A good back scratch begins with a forward right inside three turn. Te blade rocks over from the forward inside edge to the back outside edge (leaning by the right pinky toe). I tell skaters to try to spin as close to the end of their three turns as possible. ‘Imagine an umbrella,’ I tell them. ‘Try and tuck the spin under the umbrella at the far end.’


“After rotating into a backward outside


edge back spin, it’s important for skaters to find their balance over their right hips or their rotating axis, extending their right arms to the side and left arms in front. Tey should try to balance on the balls of their feet or where their toes meet their feet. As they start pulling in their free legs and their arms over to the right side of their bodies, they will feel the centrifugal force they are creating and will spin very fast. Te goal is to try to create small circles on top of each other.


“Tips: 1. Practice, practice, practice.


2. Practice lifting left leg up and check back as exiting into a landing position.


3. Squeeze stomach muscles to the spine and don’t lean forward or arch backward.


4. Try not to control the spin — relax.


5. Additional entry options are from a back inside pivot, two feet, or crossing free foot over and gently dragging toe pick along the ice.”


Coach 4:


“Have skaters glide around the circle on back outside edge. Arms and hands should be slightly inside the circle with elbows down, hands 6 to 8 inches from the body and free leg in ‘h’ position over tracing of circle. As skaters get balanced, free leg can come in closer for back-scratch position.


“Once they can control their shoulders


and body position, I have them keep the same position, holding arms tight while holding my hand. I will curl them in to a tighter, deeper circle until almost spinning; if still balanced, I will pull slightly and let go so they are spinning.”


Coach 5:


“For back-scratch spin, I have a few pointers. First, I have the skater do a backward one-foot glide with the free foot in the back-scratch position. Ten we discuss what edge a back spin is performed on (back outside edge or little toe side of the blade). We also practice, on the wall, the hip-snapping action that will take place when we arrive at the spinning leg toe pick for the three-turn. Ten we use one of the hockey lines to do the forward inside edge, paying attention to the fact that the circle diminishes in size before the three-turn (we often times discuss that the standing leg toe pick must be pointed back to the line on the wall that is associated with the hockey line in order for the circle to diminish in size).


“Once we have hit the three-turn and


snapped the hip, we work on balancing first with the free hip up and the arms over the spinning hip. Sometimes I use a stick, and the skater will hold the stick with both hands and push it down toward the spinning hip when they snap, so they learn to balance over that side of the body. Once they have mastered that, we discuss pulling the free leg in so that the free foot touches the spinning leg’s knee and then pushing the free foot down with a flexed foot. Te knees should be pointing in the same direction and they should squeeze the arms and legs in toward the spinning hip.”


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