One-sided tendency is KILLING me

[FallDownGoBoom]

Ugh, ugh, UGH!

Outside three-turns and mohawks on the left foot -- perfect. Textbook. Award-winning. Envy-inducing.

On the right foot? Forget it. As though a wall rises before me. My body simply will not cooperate. I'm doing one-footed glides, edges -- anything to build up that right leg and foot. Practicing on the boards.

Nothing. Works. Absolutely. Nothing.

Thanks for listening.

Sniff.

[sue123]

I know exactly how you feel. For me with the 3-turns, I struggled for the longest time. Then one day it all just clicked, and although I get this weird feeling in my stomach when I do RFO 3-turns, you can't really distinguish my weaker side. Although power pulls, forget it. I can go about halfway down the rink on my left foot, but with my right foot, I can't do even one power pull. I try to do one side on my left foot, and then 2 on my right foot, and while I'm getting better on my left, my right is going nowhere.

[doubletoe]

Don't worry, it's not just you, it's just about all of us!
What works well is to analyze exactly what every part of your body is doing at every moment as you execute the move in one direction, then walk yourself through it in slow motion in the other direction, consciously moving the same body parts in the exact same way and with the same timing. You'll see that a lot of what we do is completely unconscious, but this brings it into the conscious realm and teaches you a lot about how your body works! :)

[Skate@Delaware]

for me, anything clockwise really messes me up...takes me a while to get going on crossovers and 3-turns. I just don't feel comfortable. It's weird.

[jenlyon60]

I can normally do turns with less thought CCW, but they are more technically better on the CW side. If that makes sense. Probably because they were harder to get to do the CW rotation.

[froggy]

I really really understand...it took me months to get my outside 3's on both sides, same with back crossovers and mohawks and my left inside 3 is still quite weaker than my right. but my forward crossovers..ugh my cw side is pathetic, it's like glide, clunk, left sorta inside edge etc...really horrific. But let me tell you two pointers that really help:

1. analyze your "challenging" side and break it down to parts for me on the foward cw crossovers that means practicing right outside edge on circle than left inside edge, then just holding crossover position etc..etc..

2. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE....you will get it!! my coach insists on this so you have got to believe in yourself and practice. you wont get any better by not practicing and youll be a much better skater if you can do fluidly all the turns and etc. on both sides well.

Good luck! and believe me you are not the only one !

[jenlyon60]

one of my coaches always recommends practicing the "hard" side twice as much as the easier side. It works. And I still complain when other coach makes me do CW progressives in a big circle. "You want WHAT? but... " as I try to excuse my way out of it to no avail.

[techskater]

Only 2X? I've heard 10X as much on the hard side.

[Chico]

I definitedly have a good and bad side. This is an issue that just about drives me nuts. Your not alone! I actually find doing my strong side first and really thinking about my body line, etc. really helps me with my weaker. I try to make myself work at both sides equally, although some days I'm just bad and don't.

Chico

[kateskate]

I don't have a rotation preference - I just prefer everything on my left foot - left forward outside and inside 3s, left back outside and inside 3s, left open and closed Mohawks, left brackets, etc etc etc. At least I can turn both ways - sadly only on the one foot! I know a lot of people who favour a rotational way though rather than favouring a foot.

As doubletoe said, breaking it down and making yourself consciously think of each position you are in for the good side and then repeating for the bad side does eventually get results.

[mintypoppet]

I don't have a rotation preference - I just prefer everything on my left foot

My side preference is definitely stronger than my rotation preference. RFI3s used to feel completely unnatural, despite being CCW - though lots of toe loop practice has sorted that one out, thankfully.

I wonder whether there's any connection between rotation preference and stronger side? I'm L/CCW dominant, but I know a couple of skaters who are R/CCW, which must present a completely different set of issues.

[samba]

Oh, one sided syndrome, hands up who doesnt have it.

I love right sided moves, hate left sided moves.
But love skating CCW, hate skating CW.
Maybe its something to do with being right or left handed.

These things are send to try and challenge us, and they sure try me, I cant be bothered being challenged anymore but I still enjoy trying things when I can get to skate.

[russiet]

For reasons unknown to me, when I come back to the ice after a summer off I have made some improvement to my one-sidedness.

At the end of last year my power-3s were good one way and almost nonexistant the other.

This year the weak side has almost caught up....it's like magic. I wish I knew how I did it.

Maybe time off is good.....it might be like hitting the reset button or rebooting your computer.

[Hannahclear]

I'm ok with moves, because I make myself practice the sides evenly. Moves are so structured that I get used to it.

But during my program? I simply cannot do much to the right. Between the nerves and it being my "bad" side, I pretty much only turn counterclockwise. It's an issue.

[Mrs Redboots]

I can normally do turns with less thought CCW, but they are more technically better on the CW side. If that makes sense. Probably because they were harder to get to do the CW rotation.Same for me. Although my RFI3s are horrible compared to my LFI ones.

But neither Husband nor I can skate LBO edges - if we try to skate backwards together, we must be enough to make a cat laugh - we don't go straight backwards at all, but diagonally across the rink! That, too, is something we need to address this winter. Not that any dance requires plain vanilla stroking backwards in Kilian hold, but we will have trouble with back chassés and back swing rolls if we can't actually skate backwards together, which we can't.

[sarahg]

I wonder whether there's any connection between rotation preference and stronger side? I'm L/CCW dominant, but I know a couple of skaters who are R/CCW, which must present a completely different set of issues.

I'm definitely one of those R/CCW skaters, which means that on forward crossovers both sides are OK since I naturally prefer CCW but the CW are technically better since my right foot can get a good underpush.

However, on back crossovers my CCW is so far and away better than CW because it plays to both the CCW preference and the fact my right foot can get a strong underpush. The CW ones are so pathetic they make me want to cry, it combines the worst of all worlds :giveup:

[mikawendy]

Oh, one sided syndrome, hands up who doesnt have it.



LOL, samba, I agree! I love (well, as much as one can "love" this move) doing the 8 step mohawk sequence going CW (it travels CW, but the FO-BO mohawk has the hips rotating CCW). However, if there were a cartoon balloon above my head on the CCW side (in which hips go CW), it would be full of &*)&%@*#&$#)($&#$ :lol: :roll:

[Skate@Delaware]

I am right-handed, but jump and spin ccw...so doing anything cw sets me at odds. They are not technically perfect either, just very uncomfortable! However, I don't have a problem in either direction of back crossovers (maybe because they are both equally bad) or edges. And my LFI 3-turns are just awful, but the rest are fine.

I give up trying to figure it out.

[FallDownGoBoom]

Mrs Redboots: Back swing rolls? The mere idea is giving me hives. And bruises. Zowie!

Froggy and Doubletoe: Thanks so much for your "visualizing" advice. I've been doing that to an extent, and now with your encouragement I'll make it a priority. It's worked well with my backward crossovers: "Hmmm, CW we're leeeeaaaaning into the curve. We're plaaaaacing that right foot innnnnttttooo the circle." Then, CCW: "Leeeeaaannnnn, fool. Leeeaaaaannnn. Take eyes off that cute instructor; ooooh, he just smiled. Blimey! Leeeeaaaannnnnn. Leaaannnnnn."

Here's what I have going for me. I'm a onetime aspiring dressage queen. On Saturday nights I shined bits, irons and bridle buckles with imported German silver cleaner. And for what?! Oh, wait. That's for another bulletin board.

Anyway. By God, I'm going to get over this one-sided nonsense.

Perhaps.

[Casey]

my 3-turns are pretty equal in both directions.

So are mohawks, back crossovers, forward/backward power pulls and heck, I can even do a waltz and salchow (albeit not as good) CW. So why is it that CW forward crossovers are so tremendously difficult?? :P

[SkatingOnClouds]

[QUOTE=samba]Maybe its something to do with being right or left handed
QUOTE]

I'm left handed, but do many things right handed. And I am a CCW skater. I can do almost every step better on the right foot. Except LFO 3s, for some reason. But LFI3s, mohawks, back 3s on the left foot, EEEK!

I agree with Jenlyon60:

"I can normally do turns with less thought CCW, but they are more technically better on the CW side. If that makes sense. Probably because they were harder to get to do the CW rotation."

The best thing I have found for getting around turns on my weaker side is to put something even trickier after the turn. I get so worried about what comes next that the turn starts to look after itself. This has happened to me many times, so it works for me.

[Skate@Delaware]

Mrs Redboots: Back swing rolls? The mere idea is giving me hives. And bruises. Zowie!

Froggy and Doubletoe: Thanks so much for your "visualizing" advice. I've been doing that to an extent, and now with your encouragement I'll make it a priority. It's worked well with my backward crossovers: "Hmmm, CW we're leeeeaaaaning into the curve. We're plaaaaacing that right foot innnnnttttooo the circle." Then, CCW: "Leeeeaaannnnn, fool. Leeeaaaaannnn. Take eyes off that cute instructor; ooooh, he just smiled. Blimey! Leeeeaaaannnnnn. Leaaannnnnn."

Here's what I have going for me. I'm a onetime aspiring dressage queen. On Saturday nights I shined bits, irons and bridle buckles with imported German silver cleaner. And for what?! Oh, wait. That's for another bulletin board.

Anyway. By God, I'm going to get over this one-sided nonsense.

Perhaps.
Ha! Ha! Ha! That's really funny....I should be good at leaning...I used to barrel race (that takes tons of leaning, though more on the part of the horse)...but that was a long, long time ago...(let's not go there ;) )

[doubletoe]

Mrs Redboots: Back swing rolls? The mere idea is giving me hives. And bruises. Zowie!

Froggy and Doubletoe: Thanks so much for your "visualizing" advice. I've been doing that to an extent, and now with your encouragement I'll make it a priority. It's worked well with my backward crossovers: "Hmmm, CW we're leeeeaaaaning into the curve. We're plaaaaacing that right foot innnnnttttooo the circle." Then, CCW: "Leeeeaaannnnn, fool. Leeeaaaaannnn. Take eyes off that cute instructor; ooooh, he just smiled. Blimey! Leeeeaaaannnnnn. Leaaannnnnn."

Ha ha! Enjoyed your response. Remember, on crossovers, you only lean into the circle from the hips down. To counter that so you don't fall into the circle, your torso must actually lean a little outside the circle. Also, keep the back shoulder pulled way back. You are probably doing that automatically on your good side, but just don't realize that you aren't doing it on your bad side. ;)

[Mercedeslove]

I have the same thing. I cannot for the life of me do a mohawk on the right side. I'll get it every now and then, but other then that I blow. I also struggle with 3 turns on the right side. I spend about 15 minuets out of our whole hour on it, and it seems to get worse.

I try and break things up into 15 minuet sections.

But I can jump on my right side...not clean, but I can do toe loops picking with my right and with my left. I can also do Waltz jumps and salchows like this. I just can't do the stuff that should be easy.

[sk8_4fun]

Yep, you can sign me up as a member of this club!!:giveup:

[Raye]

Since starting to do synchro, my 'bad' side is beginning to catch up to my good side. EVERYTHING in this year's routine seems to be going in the 'wrong' direction off the 'wrong' foot.... aaaaaaaaaaak:giveup:

[ouijaouija]

I'm having those problems with my forward crossovers, and back to a lesser degree. I just can't right the right body rotation and grip on the inside leg and so it feels real unsteady.

So yah, my left leg sucks the most.

Three turns for me however are okay, but I have not yet practised 3 turns from backwards position yet

[Tinkerbell]

Sigh!

It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one riddled with problems. Really nice.

Lately I've taken to watching the other, better skaters do their perfect 3 turns and feeling that lump of envy and self hatred rising in my throat until I'm forced to give it up for the day and go home before I start crying right there on the ice.

I will definately say that there is a one sided thing going on but, at this point, I guess I feel so certain that even my good side isn't much to look at that I content myself with just getting that right.

With one exception. And maybe this should be a whole other thread but...

My left and right three turns--on the outside are both...functional and roughly equal. However, since trying to start learning the inside three turn I have discovered it to be IMPOSSIBLE! I have stuck mainly to the left (my preferred edge) because the right is not even funny how much I cannot do it.

What I don't understand is how the outside turn seemed, if not easy, at least understandable. My first try out of the gates I recall turning it. For weeks I kept putting my foot down but it was still turned.

This inside, for all the money in the world, does not want to turn at ALL.

My coach says "more speed". In other words, a better push off. But the moment I try to give it a good push, I'm around the corner before I can even think about turning. She also says the worst that can happen is that I put my foot down.

I suspect she underestimates how bad these are. I'm pretty certain that the worst that can happen (and likely would, if I just went for it...I can feel it try to happen, every time) is that I slip over to that outside edge, trip, and fly towards the ground at break neck speeds.

The crazy thing is that I've been trying to sort of training wheel this step. Start on one foot, put the other down, two foot turn, lift up on one foot for a finish. To at least get the edges down. What's uncool about that is that I know that that second foot is actually pushing me back. When I try to do it as it is, I end up not making a "3" but making a strange little circle. Even when I try to turn it.

It literally sends me into a fit of rage. Because I cannot think, for the life of me, what to do to make it work better. And, believe me, I analyse this stuff to DEATH.

I feel like the biggest REMEDIAL skater that ever lived. Still struggling with 3 turns and terrified of back crossovers (though I finally kind of got them going now...YAY!) and even choppy with my snowplow stop. Bleck.

Okay. Rant over.

[the old gurl]

Nothing. Works. Absolutely. Nothing.

Thanks for listening.

Sniff.My right side sucks too. Dance partner gave me some 'exercises' yesterday to work on control on that side; he said I need to build up my core strength to hold thing in alignment. I also need to start trusting my right edges.

So much work to do...*sigh* :giveup:

[FallDownGoBoom]

... he said I need to build up my core strength to hold thing in alignment. ...



Oh my gosh. I discovered THIS VERY THING on Friday. I finally, finally figured it out: These 3-turns come from the abdomen and mid-torso, not from the shin!

I was concentrating way too much on "stopping" mid-3, to begin the change of direction. I also was dropping my eye.

During the perfect LFO 3-turn, I noticed, I felt muscles tighten slightly around my tum, and my shoulders lift slightly and coax the entire upper body to swing around. Duh! I though. Think of the 3-turn as a bit of a spin! And the next thing I knew, I could do the RFO.

Here's also what helped: One to the left, one to the right, one to the left, one to the right. Boom, boom, boom. No standing there thinking about it. No goofing on the right and redoing and redoing (actually, renotdoing, renotdoing. Ahem.). Right, left, right, left.

Thank you all so very much.

... And now to insides. And backs. Eeek!

[Casey]

Think of the 3-turn as a bit of a spin!
Or, as my ex-roommate used to say, "A spin is simply a 3-turn set free."