What Can I do to Improve my Skating?

[roxystarskater]

I have been skating for a year, and i can only do:
two foot spin, one foot spin, small scratch spin, small sit spin, bunny hop, almost waltz jump, quarter flip, spiral, small layback, front and back crossovers, three turn, and a few other simple things. Is this good for how long i have been skating? If not, how can i improve?

[Hannahclear]

I have been skating for a year, and i can only do:
two foot spin, one foot spin, small scratch spin, small sit spin, bunny hop, almost waltz jump, quarter flip, spiral, small layback, front and back crossovers, three turn, and a few other simple things. Is this good for how long i have been skating? If not, how can i improve?

Do you take lessons?

How often do you skate?

It's not good or bad, it's what you can do for skills. Skating is a skill set. What skills do you want to learn?

[Skate@Delaware]

It's not always about what you can do (# of tricks) but how well you do it that also counts.

If you are not taking lessons, can you?

[roxystarskater]

I'm taking public lessons and a few private lessons. My coach is a guinness world record holder for the most revolutions in a spin! That record has been broken, but it is still pretty cool!

[dbny]

While agreeing with both Skate@Delaware and Hannahclear, I think you are doing pretty well. How old are you? That also affects how quickly one can gain new skills.

[mikawendy]

I agree with what everyone else has said--try lessons if you're not already in lessons. Also, focus on good basic technique--stroking properly (no toe pusshing), bending your knees, using core strength to keep yourself steady, and edges, edges, edges, the foundation for everything in skating. If you can attend a stroking class or edge class in addition to lessons, that can help, too.

[Sk8pdx]

In addition to lots of practice that will improve your skating, remember not to overlook the things you do when you aren't on ice that can improve your skating. Yoga, Pilates, stretching, aerobic exercises, Ballet...I go to a kickboxing class once a week (we even do some plyometrics in class). Doing other things outside of skating gives your mind and body variety. This has helped me out of plateaus and even becoming (dare I say it), *bored* with skating. :)

[Kevin Callahan]

I run. It's a cheap and easy sport, provided you make the initial investment of a good pair of running shoes or cross-trainers.

[TashaKat]

It's not always about what you can do (# of tricks) but how well you do it that also counts.

Completely agree but you are doing well to have those skills under your belt even if they're not perfect .... yet :D

You ask how you can improve your skating. Basics, basics, basics. It's SO easy to learn all of the 'tricks' but if your basic skating isn't up to scratch it will never look easy, graceful or polished.

As a dedicated free skater and anti-ice dancer (thought that it was for old people and people who were too scared to jump) I started ice dance lessons with the express purpose of improving my basics. Cute dance coach helped too ;) Anyway ... realised that there was more to this ice dance lark that I first thought and after the first few (boring) baby dances started to get addicted! I ended up doing better in dance than I did in Free. It DID help my Free skating, though, more flow, better edges, more secure.


So ... if you fell asleep during that lot .... if you want to improve your skating then get lots of work on your basics. Field Moves helps but, IMO, ice dance helps more because there's a lot more about the 'package' rather than just getting the moves right :)