checking

[Dragonheart]

What the heck is checking?lol

[skaternum]

It's when one skater slams another into the boards. :P

[Dragonheart]

lol,not that kind of checking you hockey player you!lolol!

[TashaKat]

what's the point!


edited because there wasn't, apparently, any point in answering this thread!

[dooobedooo]

Checking is stopping over-rotation.

You can over-rotate a three-turn, a mohawk, a spin or a jump, because they are all done on a curve or in a rotational direction.

Firstly you are usually taught to check with the shoulders (which includes the upper torso above the waist), but eventually, on turns, you should be able to check with the hips.

Basically, you check a rotation (ie. halt it) by initiating a force in the opposite direction, by using the shoulders (and upper torso). This should not normally be visible to the viewer, who will just see your shoulders (and upper torso) stop rotating relative to the ice, and hold a position relative to the ice. But you can feel a very strong force in your body, usually around the lower back and waist. eg. if you were turning to the left, and check (invisibly, to the right), you will feel a strong force in your right lower back.

If you are jumping a waltz jump anti-clockwise, you can check the jump after landing by stretching the left arm forward, with right arm out to the side, and extending the left leg back and out to the left. This will stop your landing edge from doing a tight curve round and around in a circle, and give it a longer shallow curve. Note that in this case you are checking with your whole left side (shoulder/left arm forward, and hip/left leg out to left side). You get stability from the very approximate triangulation between your left arm (to front), right arm (to right) and left leg (diagonally to left).

If you want to check a LFO three turn, the concept is the same, but the sensation is more of holding the right shoulder and arm back along the line of the curve (rather than keeping the left shoulder forward).

In an anti-clockwise spin or jump, just as you rotate by bringing your right shoulder around with the rotational direction, so you can check it by holding your right shoulder back.

Checking movement is really the contrary of rotating movement - get someone to show you the alternating LFI RFI twizzle exercise and this will make it very clear. Also, 3-turns or mohawks on hockey circle with after-check.

If your coach is just bawling "check it!!" it means they have forgotten that they haven't explained it to you - get them to show you the checking position and some exercises! (Poor things, they do this day in day out for years, and take it for granted ...)

[Mrs Redboots]

When we were learning 3-turns, we were taught to check by keeping looking the way we were going until the last possible moment: "The head should be the last bit to turn". It was explained that if you turned your head with your body, you would spin! This was "checking without tears", but hasn't helped me learn to check my Mohawk or my inside 3s (which I still can't!).

As for the alternating twizzle exercise, my problem is pushing on to an inside edge after the twizzle - is it all right to change edge????:?:

[dooobedooo]

...As for the alternating twizzle exercise, my problem is pushing on to an inside edge after the twizzle - is it all right to change edge????:?:

I meant LFI RFI twizzles, so have edited my text above to refer. I think if you have a tendency to step onto an outside edge with your next twizzle, it is probably because you need to check the previous twizzle more. ie. RFI twizzle - bring R arm round so R arm meets L shoulder - do anti-clockwise twizzle - on exit, stretch L arm forward to check rotation, at same time relaxing R arm to R. (repeat doing LFI/Clockwise, etc.)

It may also be because your hips are too closed on exit from the twizzle; you can augment the check using your L hip, by turning out your L foot in a sort of T-position or V-position, and therefore keeping your hips open. This means your R hip won't want to keep going on round and make you want to step on a LFO edge.

Dragonheart, you will notice that this twizzle example is similar in checking to the anti-clockwise waltz jump - L arm forward, R arm to side, L leg turned out at hip. But best thing is to practise with a coach watching.

[Dragonheart]

Remember that if you don,t stop the rotation of your skating hip all of the counter checking in the world won't help.

[dooobedooo]

Remember that if you don,t stop the rotation of your skating hip all of the counter checking in the world won't help.

Errr..... did I fall into this one? Well, it won't happen again. Naff off, Troll-i-oh.

[Dragonheart]

Dooobedooo your post are great.Thats what the thread is about.

[Chico]

This is a good topic. I can't tell you how many folks I skate with who don't have a clue. One little gal that I skate with is forever falling on her doubles because of this isssue. Without a good check she's just throwing herself into her jumps. It can be a frightening sight. =-0 When you remind her to check, she's cluesless because nobody has taught her. I have to thank my coach for pounding this issue into my head. I may not have the greatest double attempts, but I don't kill myself either. I'm positive that knowing how to check has made the difference. Checking is important in everything in skating!

Chico

[Dragonheart]

"If your coach is just bawling "check it!!" it means they have forgotten that they haven't explained it to you - get them to show you the checking position and some exercises! (Poor things, they do this day in day out for years, and take it for granted ."

This one of the main reasons I started this thread,also it seems that at PSA meeting we always talk about triples and quads but not enough about some of the very important mechanics of skating.

[Mrs Redboots]

I meant LFI RFI twizzles, so have edited my text above to refer. I think if you have a tendency to step onto an outside edge with your next twizzle, it is probably because you need to check the previous twizzle more. ie. RFI twizzle - bring R arm round so R arm meets L shoulder - do anti-clockwise twizzle - on exit, stretch L arm forward to check rotation, at same time relaxing R arm to R. (repeat doing LFI/Clockwise, etc.)Yeah, I'm just beginning to be able to do LFI RFI twizzles - not more than 2 or 3 yet - but still can't do a decent LFI3. My RFI3 is ish-ish.... Will have to try that with the arms. It started because a friend is learning them, and will not pull in - scares her - and I tried, and found that if I pulled in, they were relatively easy. But they are still very much at the beginner stage....

It may also be because your hips are too closed on exit from the twizzle; you can augment the check using your L hip, by turning out your L foot in a sort of T-position or V-position, and therefore keeping your hips open. This means your R hip won't want to keep going on round and make you want to step on a LFO edge.

Dragonheart, you will notice that this twizzle example is similar in checking to the anti-clockwise waltz jump - L arm forward, R arm to side, L leg turned out at hip. But best thing is to practise with a coach watching.