"point your toe" or "flex your foot"?

[Noorah101]

I've noticed something, both in real life and on this forum.  When describing how to hold one's foot out behind during a spiral, everyone says "point your toe".  When I was learning a spiral, my previous coach also said this to me, and I couldn't get it right until she actually had me stand at the barrier wall and she held my foot where it should be.  Then it clicked that she doesn't mean "point your toe", she means "flex your foot". 

In my mind, "point your toe" means to push your foot and toes away from your body, while "flex your foot" means bringing your foot and toes in towards your body.

I know in a spiral the foot should be "turned out" and I understand that action.  But why does everyone say "point your toe", when it seems the action is more like "flex your foot"?

Rene

[taka]

Your free foot should turned out and be pointed (away from your body!) in a spiral, not flexed.

Think of a spiral as doing the splits... only while standing on 1 leg as you do them! You point your toes to help stretch out to the widest split you can manage. Also actively pointing your toes helps to ensure both legs are straight and under control as it slightly tenses your leg muscles too. It makes the whole action a bit more "solid", less wobbly and a position you can hopefully hold up for a while! It also looks much prettier if you point your toes - a nice continuation of your leg line!  Remember too, to keep your back slightly arched, shoulder blades together and head up! 

Have a look here for some spirals...

[Noorah101]

Hi taka,

Thank you so much for your answer and the link!  That helped a lot.  I know my previous coach was not a professional skater...she was still a student herself, just at a higher level than I was, so perhaps she didn't know or didn't explain it to me correctly.  She kept saying "point your toes", but then when she held my foot, she was flexing it.  So I was very confused.  I haven't done spirals with my new coach, so haven't asked her about it.

So the toes ARE pointed!!  I feel better now.

Rene

[patchman]

Turns out I heard the 'flex your foot' for the first time y'day. That was for bw cross-rolls, where you need to flex the free foot before you put it on the ice, so that you don't scrape the ice with your toes. The same goes when you're bringing back your leg after a crossunder and you want to avoid catching the toes and trip over.

[katepilarr]

yes, definitely point your toes (and turned out your foot). i have wondered about this before because you did mention it a few times.  perhaps as your old coach was trying to turn your foot out she flexed it my mistake