Looking down - breaking the habit

[SkatingOnClouds]

I realised that I am probably as guilty as the next skater for looking down at the ice too much, instead of some vague point above the barrier. Especially on footwork, it's like I'm afraid my feet won't do the right thing or I'll accidentally stomp on my foot doing a mohawk.

Later in the year I am going in a competition (no doubt I'll post more about that closer to the time) so I want to improve my presentation.

What strategies have you or your coaches used to get you out of the looking at ice habit?

[rf3ray]

Wear a neck brace!!!!

[Skittl1321]

Wear a neck brace!!!!

I'm assuming this is a joke- but it's not a great idea. This would really restrict your mobility- not allowing you to look behind you or to your sides- could be real dangerous if you weren't the only one on the ice, and still a bit dangerous if you were.

That said- if anyone wants to try it I have 3 different neck braces (including 2 that you can shower in!!!) if anyone wants to buy one.

Me, I tend to better when I think "don't look down. The ice is not going anywhere" before I start. And if I am doing something that is already in my memory I continue to chant it while I skate. So far- the ice hasn't gone anywhere.

I personally, talk to my skates- they hold the correct edge better when I do that, and often that means looking at them (it's rude to not look at someone when you talk)- so I too am guilty of looking down.

[Skate@Delaware]

One thing that helped me was looking at the glass above the boards-seeing my reflection helped a lot. I also needed to see myself while doing edges and things (spirals) so it was easy to do.

Of course, it's hard not looking down to see your tracing after an awesome spin....my old coach suggested a quick "eyeball glance" or just skating away and looking at it later.

[Isk8NYC]

My first lesson with a new student includes the three rules of skating:

Look where you're going;
Bend your knees and ankles; and
Don't look down - nothing to see but hockey player spit.

I gently remind students to look up when they're not doing it.
Cues: "Look up" "Chin up" "Watch where you're going"

I also use the "Look at yourself in the glass." It's great for backward skating, too.

Remember the "Walk like a model" exercise of walking with a book on your head? It works on the ice, too. (Just make sure no one else is going to trip over your dropsies.) I put a glove on top of a kid's head and make them do their stroking - it really helps.

Pick a target to look at when you're skating - a sign, locker, doorway, something that's at or slightly above eye level.

When I choreograph programs, I include "where to look" so they get some eye contact with judges/audience and so they can set up the next step(s).

Video footage often lets you discuss "don't look down" because of the poor posture it often results in on the ice.

You're an adult, so I can be honest. YOU are the person who has to prevent yourself to stop looking down. The benefits are better position, straighter jumps, better spins. You'll look like the skater you are if you keep your chin up.

[sk8pics]

A few years ago, I gave one of my other coaches a sweatshirt for Christmas that I had custom-made. It had a drawing of a set of eyeballs on front and it said, "Look up!" Because it's an eternal problem that I had, and he had a girl he was teaching pairs to, and she did that, too. He told me that one day he was working with her, doing throws, and he ran off the ice and put the sweatshirt on and they did the throw again and VOILA! She looked up --at the sweatshirt!

[Paulie86]

Everyone has had this habit at one stage or the other. I think we want to see proof of what we've done on the ice. Feeling it is just not enough. And in order to break the habit you have to be aware of it and then train yourself not to loock down. I agree with picking a point or eye level to look at. When you're at skating next, constantly ask yourself where are you looking and it should help break the habit.

[flo]

Skate at Rockefeller Center! That's where I learned to look up - that's where the people and camera's are!

[PreciseIce]

Experiencing "feel" is as important as "knowing" that right posture will help to do.... to make things easier & better.

* Skate with head & eyes looking down in rink length ...
~ it adds alittle fear, keeping and pulling everything inward, making the body curl.

* Skate with chin up and eyes looking further to where you want to skate to again...
~Feel the freedom doing it & the confidence knowing where you're skating towards is very safe and open.
~Balance will improve, gliding will become stronger & you'll begin to be able to feel more "in control" of yourself & the open space.

That's some of the reasons ... to look forward into where you want to go & what you want to achieve before yourself.

[flo]

Remember, looking up makes your jumps appear higher. The audience and the judges tend to follow your eyes. Even if you intend to look down (checking something or in a pose) be sure to lift your head/chin.

[Sonic]

Remember, looking up makes your jumps appear higher. The audience and the judges tend to follow your eyes. Even if you intend to look down (checking something or in a pose) be sure to lift your head/chin.

I discovered this recently - if you look in the direction you're going you're more likely to get there lol!

I am getting better at looking up, in fact off the ice I consciously try and make the effort to look up, stand up straight etc, so I transfer this habbit to the skating.

I STILL have a tendency to look down on spins, though. If I were my free skate coach it'd drive me mad lol!

S xxx

[Casey]

Sometimes I close my eyes and just open them here and there to make sure I'm not going to run into anything...helps me realize I don't need to look at the ice to stay balanced.

Spinning with your eyes closed can be fun, and makes you learn to feel when you're centered better (not that I ever center....*sigh*).

[flo]

Reminds me of a funny story from skating at Rockefeller Center. We were doing a show and one of the skaters had a sort of religious theme and "really" looked up to the heavens. The people watching from above also looked up to see what she was looking at!

It was also fun to do a layback there and see all the tall buildings go round and round!

[Team Arthritis]

sigh, my poor posture would be perfect for hockey. Someday maybe.
Lyle

[lovepairs]

Looking Up has an incredible advantage:

The first is that EVERYTHING becomes much easier to do. Think of it this way...your head is a bowling ball that probably weighs somewhere between 10-20 lbs. (I'm guesstimating.) That amount of weight hanging over and looking down really changes your center of gravity. Talking about bowling ball heads: :P :!: 8-) :lol: :D :frus: :?? :!: :arrow: ;)

[doubletoe]

I have a specific place I'm supposed to be looking for every element in my program, and I practice each element that way (especially my camel and flying camel, where I have a habit of looking down at the ice). The focal point is always somewhere above the barrier, usually on a far wall. Whenever I'm facing the judges, I'm always supposed to be looking up in their direction and--ideally--smiling.

[SkatingOnClouds]

At skating last night I tried to be aware of where I was looking. I realised that it is mainly mohawks that cause me to look down. Other than that I could make myself look up.

I realised there really isn't anything to look at. Our rink is small, and on two sides there is just brick wall. One short end is glassed, behind it is a small viewing area, the other long side is where any audience/judge would sit.

But I think I am perhaps not as guilty as I originally thought. Perhaps though I can learn to project more to the audience, though I am not quite sure how.

[cassarilda]

If you can, invest some time in classical ballet lessons... you generally get into a lot of trouble if you look down so its a good way of practising keeping your eyes and chin up... also shoulders back and good posture, and everything else ballet does well for you ;)

[frbskate63]

Remembering to smile often helps. If my coach yells "Smile!" at me, I almost always subconsciously look up at the same time.

Fiona

[Skate@Delaware]

Remember, looking up makes your jumps appear higher. The audience and the judges tend to follow your eyes. Even if you intend to look down (checking something or in a pose) be sure to lift your head/chin.
This is really great advice!!! I have been passing it on to the girls that I catch looking down; and I've been trying hard to look UP when doing my mohawks...

[PreciseIce]

That's how I make the skaters practice multiple waltz jumps ... looking up with the same arms & leg as the free leg as they kick / swing / lift them up, into & across the air (I call them star jumps)...

It help stretch & extend out every part of the body with the "bouncing" off for take off of coz'. It create big & travelling jumps with transfer weight.

But of coz it might not work for all (So far it worked for almost everyone of my students who are going into serious skating.)

[crayonskater]

I am trying to break this habit. It's hard as I'm trying to learn to place the ice dancing patterns. (Note to self, swing roll does not go into the wall.) I try to think of presenting to an audience to keep my head up. Ballet helps.

[mikawendy]

A few years ago, I gave one of my other coaches a sweatshirt for Christmas that I had custom-made. It had a drawing of a set of eyeballs on front and it said, "Look up!" Because it's an eternal problem that I had, and he had a girl he was teaching pairs to, and she did that, too. He told me that one day he was working with her, doing throws, and he ran off the ice and put the sweatshirt on and they did the throw again and VOILA! She looked up --at the sweatshirt!

LOL, sk8pics, great minds think alike. One year as a gag gift, I gave my coach at the time a home-made T shirt with the words "Look up!" written on it. The gag was that the T shirt had the words written upside down on them (so they're legible if one is looking down). :lol: I told her this shirt wasn't for her but was a teaching tool!