Author Topic: What did you achieve this week  (Read 630205 times)

Leif

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5280 on: August 19, 2018, 07:56:06 pm »
Several coaches have given me guidance for improving my forwards CW crossovers, which have been giving me some grief with my right foot sliding. Did a one hour public session yesterday, practising forwards crossovers and tight turns. Then a two hour hockey training session at 10:15 pm. A coach asked me to do forward CW crossovers, and said I’d got them down perfect. Well pleased with that. Still can’t control a puck while doing crossovers, but that’ll come with time. Tight turns are getting better, the secret is to turn the head and shoulders to face the desired direction. I can control a puck CW - said to be the hard direction for a left handed stick user - but not ACW. Again, it’ll come with practise.

The big problem hockey players have is getting ice time in kit for training. Much easier for a figure skater I guess.

Leif

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5281 on: August 27, 2018, 07:57:42 pm »
I was down at Guildford last night, and Gosport today, practising forwards crossovers and tight turns. Guildford ice was beautiful, slightly soft and milky. The ice at Gosport was very hard, although well prepared, but hard, not very nice as my blades just weren’t gripping properly. But despite the rink being the size of a dustbin lid, there weren’t too many people around, at least not for the first hour and a half, so it was good for practicing.

I have figured out my problem with forward CW crossovers, I was turning my right foot into the turn, but it should be perpendicular to the circle, so the edge was doing a sort of snow plough rather than digging into the ice correctly. I’ve also learnt to turn my body into the turn, which helps.

Tight turns are fun. I can do CW easily, even with a stick and puck where I have to hold both hands on my left, but ACW are hard. I spent today placing my feet almost inline, left foot in front, then leaning to the left, dropping my body, and turning my head and shoulders to the left. The hard part is riding the edges, left foot outside and right foot inside. Give it a month or two and I’ll crack this wee beastie.

As an aside, there was a middle aged chap teaching three women, maybe wife and daughters. He taught them to stop by dragging the rear foot along at eight angles. Is that really a good stop? I know inline skaters do it ...

VisuallyImpairedOnIce

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5282 on: August 27, 2018, 08:16:49 pm »
Today I achieved spending lots of money on new skates and blades.


I should have them by Saturday - blades needed mounting :)
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The Sacred Voice

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5283 on: August 28, 2018, 07:08:05 am »
Today I achieved spending lots of money on new skates and blades.

Oooh new boots and blades, exciting! O0 Tell all, what're you getting? Everyone always asks how to choose boots as well so if you have any insight into your buying process then that'd be good too!

I should have them by Saturday - blades needed mounting :)
I'm blogging about my skating journey, please read along at dontexcelaxel.blogspot.com

Snufkin

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5284 on: August 28, 2018, 10:19:41 am »
I'm ridiculously happy and relieved to report that I have made a little bit of progress with my spins, as I find myself completely stuck with them most of the time. I have realised that in order to get on the 'sweet spot' of my blade, I need to be pushing my supporting foot hard to the outside of the boot. I suppose what feels to me like a straight or neutral edge on that foot is in fact a slight inside edge and that was keeping me from getting the right position. It's hard work pushing that hard to the side and I feel like I can't maintain it for that many rotations but hopefully I will build up the strength for that now I know that's what the issue is. Before I was routinely falling out of a spin after 3-4 rotations because I couldn't balance them properly, so this is a breakthrough for me.

It's got me thinking a bit because I also find it hard to get a decent outside edge on my left foot and I feel like it's limited basically by how far I can push the right side of the boot into my calf. I don't have this issue in any of my other edges. Is it possible that my blades are slightly off centre or something? Is that something that happens? They're hard plastic soles anyway so I don't suppose they can be moved at all, but maybe something to think about for my next skates.
Started skating August 2017

Snufkin

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5285 on: August 28, 2018, 10:25:55 am »
As an aside, there was a middle aged chap teaching three women, maybe wife and daughters. He taught them to stop by dragging the rear foot along at eight angles. Is that really a good stop? I know inline skaters do it ...

The only stop I know of where you drag your rear foot is the T stop, which is a good stop (in my opinion) and looks nicer than snowplough, is that what you mean? I think inline skaters do a T stop but with the dragging foot much further behind the skating foot, and applying less pressure, so that wouldn't be as effective on the ice.
Started skating August 2017

Leif

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5286 on: August 28, 2018, 11:22:39 am »
The only stop I know of where you drag your rear foot is the T stop, which is a good stop (in my opinion) and looks nicer than snowplough, is that what you mean? I think inline skaters do a T stop but with the dragging foot much further behind the skating foot, and applying less pressure, so that wouldn't be as effective on the ice.

No not a T stop, that uses the outside edge of the trailing foot, these people were dragging the training foot, so sort of using the inside edge. Not a good way to stop IMO. I think figure skaters prefer the T stop, and a similar one but with the braking foot in front of the other foot, because as you say the snow plough is considered inelegant.

WednesdayMarch

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5287 on: August 28, 2018, 01:30:36 pm »
No not a T stop, that uses the outside edge of the trailing foot, these people were dragging the training foot, so sort of using the inside edge. Not a good way to stop IMO. I think figure skaters prefer the T stop, and a similar one but with the braking foot in front of the other foot, because as you say the snow plough is considered inelegant.

Sounds like a T-stop being done incorrectly!  I see a lot of those...
Returned to the ice in Sept 2017 after a major leg injury in 1999. Skating in Jackson Elite Pro & MK Vision Syncro. Still scary after all these years.

VisuallyImpairedOnIce

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5288 on: August 28, 2018, 09:54:56 pm »
For those interested, I got Jackson Debut boots, and a new set of Coronation Ace blades (mine were 1/4 inch too short...)


Short version was: coach gave me his list of requests for my new boots (wanted me to stick to current blades if possible, and wanted an equivalent to my Edea Overtures if I switched brands), which I took to a shop, told the nice chap in there, and we had a chat about various things while he looked at my current boots.


Looking forward to trying them on Saturday.
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Leif

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5289 on: August 31, 2018, 01:02:17 pm »
Tried tight turns last night during the 10 minute warm up before scrimmage and managed tight turns to the left and the right, while carrying a puck with the stick. I was well chuffed. They are not yet up to game standard, but they are on the way, and I thought this would take much longer to learn.

I also tried hard contact lenses for the first time during a hockey session. Far better than disposables.

Leif

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Re: What did you achieve this week
« Reply #5290 on: September 02, 2018, 08:17:34 pm »
I thought I’d a few notes for the annoying little fat kid, or The Big Guy as I call him to his face. I see his each Sunday at the rink, and he always does something he thinks is good, then skates up to me, stops, and acts nonchalant while expecting praise.  ;D  I usually do tell his he’s doing well. Today he did four and a half hours, and looked decidedly hot and tired. He has learnt to hockey stop on his preferred side, as well as a forwards snow plough. He’s learning to skate backwards, and can do a backwards snow plough, and backwards one foot stops which are kind of half snow ploughs. His forwards crossovers are rough, and his feet tend to bow out a bit. But he’s only 8 years old, and doing surprisingly well. I know competent adult skaters who struggled with backwards stops, and hockey stops. At this rate he’ll be the annoying little thin kid. I note that dad was on the ice, but I think junior will soon out skate him.



 

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