How To Get More Control On Your Turns/Steps | Figure Skating

Hey skaters, it's Stace here from Next Step Tutorials and today's lesson I'm going to be showing you how to gain more control on your turns and steps. So why is control so important? It allows us to skate on one foot and more important it helps us control our turns and steps. So one of the biggest things that I see skaters they want to control that turn but they can't. Everything just keeps whipping around. So what it looks like, I'm just going to do a left outside three turn, they push and it keeps moving around their body. There is zero control. They want to be able to but they just can't. So I'm going to show you three steps that you're going to focus on in order to control that turn. The first step is going to be our head. The second is going to be our shoulders and arms and the third is going to be our free leg. Now we're going to take that same three turn and we're going to focus on the head, the shoulders, arms and our free leg. So I'm going to push forward. I'm going to make the turn and my head is looking where I'm going. My arms and shoulders are right where they need to be inside my circle and the free leg is pulling. It's not coming into my body after the turn holding. I am using it to help me stretch out that edge on that back inside edge. So let's take a look at it one more time. Head always looks where we're going. It is our direction. Then our second is going to be after the three turn. Our arms are going to be inside the circle. They're not going to be flinging around our body so we have to stop it there and the free leg is going to be pulling me so I'm maintaining that back inside edge. So we set. Always looking where we're going. Bend. Three turn. Hold. Arms are inside the circle. Free leg is pulling and I'm looking where I'm going. Now watch what happens when I do two of those. I remember my arms. I remember my free leg. But watch what happens when I forget to look where I'm going. It throws it all off. So our head is so important. It's going to keep our direction. Three simple steps. Head. Shoulders. Arms. And our free leg are really going to help you on all the turns with control. Now I've given you three exercises that we're going to look at and we're going to focus on those three steps. So exercise number one we're going to go down the ice with a mohawk c-step and it's just going to help us focus on the head, the shoulders, and the free leg because we're going to be inside our circle the whole entire time. So I'm going to start off our c-step. So we're going to go one, two, push forward. Then the other side. One, two, push forward. Now notice my shoulders and hips inside my circle push hold. Then the other way. One, two, and step. So this is your first exercise focusing on these c-steps with our body parts inside our circle looking where we're going. We are right there. The mistake comes in when you do this. And step. And then the other way. You want to make sure that your whole entire body is inside that circle hugging the circle and our feet are just working. And then push and hold. Then the other way. Head looking where we're going. And it's this checking feeling. One. Check. And check. Then glide. Step. Check. Step. Check. And glide. So that is your first exercise focusing on those body parts and staying inside your circle. So before we move on to this next exercise, I want you to check out the link below in the description for your free PDF guide on the four turns we have in figure skating. It goes over our three turn inside and outside, bracket inside and outside, counter inside and outside, and rocker inside and outside. It's going to help you identify each turn. And if you have any questions, it's right there in that PDF. So give it a click. So our second exercise is going to be an outside three turn with a little hop because it's going to make us feel that balance and that checking. So we're going to go outside three turn. Now watch this. Hop. Then the other way. Outside three turn. Hop. Outside three turn. Notice how you have to have control in order to do this exercise. So this is why I love this exercise so much. I have full control after and before the three turn. I have control here. Here. Jump. Hold. So this second exercise is fabulous because I have full control enough to do a hop within, sorry, after that three turn to do that hop and hold. Now for the third exercise, it is going to be a C-step push back, back outside three turn, and we're going to utilize both sides. So there are two important free legs in this exercise, and I'm going to point them out to you as I skate it. So we're going to start off here. C-step there. That is one of the most important free legs. Then we push back. Three turn right there. Pulling. That way I can add an arm. Then we're going to go the other way. Mohawk. Push back. Three turn. Now watch this. Arm around holding and pulling with that free leg. Then the other way. C-step. Push back. Three turn. And I have full control to add my arms because I'm pulling with my free leg for that extra balance. Then the other way. Now balance and control. So with this exercise, the main two focuses on the free leg is after the C-step pulling. So I'm maintaining that control so that I can add that back three turn. And again, pulling and control right there. So that's why this exercise is fabulous because it focuses twice on the free leg with that control. So I just want to recap on this lesson with the three body parts that we have spoken about. The head, the shoulders and arms, and free leg. Each one I could literally give a full lesson on just each individual part. But what I want you to remember how to have control after these turns, they're all working for the same thing. That pulling, looking where you're going so that you're able to maintain that edge. So after a three turn, you're looking where you're going. You're feeling that checking. The free leg is pulling you so that you're maintaining whichever the outside or the inside or the back inside or the back outside. You don't want to have one of them dipping in and then shoulders keep rotating. So you can take any of your turns and go back and just focus on those. Film yourself. Go, okay, is my head looking where I'm going? Are my shoulders and hips feeling that and checking? Is my free leg pulling? It's a very simple fix that you can do all on your own. Thanks for watching Next Edge Tutorials and looking forward to seeing you in our next lesson.