Forward Inside Rocker

[Jeanne D]

I have a comfortable feeling FO rocker that I really enjoy skating. I've added some additional steps after the rocker, tuck behind to BO3. I'm finding that the inside rocker is a beast! It almost hurts my side. Heck, it does hurt my side/obliques! This must be a strong core move or something.

Is the trick to settle back onto the inside edge quickly after the turn. I do press my free foot forward for the turn, then push it back. I've almost got it, but it scrapes and the flow is nothing compared to my FO rocker.

Any help appreciated.

[daisies]

You say you press your free foot forward for the turn, then push it back. So where is your free foot *after* the turn? (It should be in front.)

It's basically a scissor motion with your free foot: The free foot is in front going into the turn, then as you turn the free foot comes back, then as you finish the turn it goes back in front as you settle into the BI edge.

If you are keeping your free foot behind after the turn, I can see why it would be difficult to hold your edge. Your hips would be in the wrong position -- your free hip will want to lead on the inside of the circle, when it should be your skating hip leading on the outside of the circle.

I hope that made sense. :)

[vesperholly]

What helped me was trying to do a BI 3-turn after the FI rocker. Beastly difficult, but it forced me into the proper check position with my skating side pressed back and free side in front.

[Jeanne D]

You say you press your free foot forward for the turn, then push it back. So where is your free foot *after* the turn? (It should be in front.)

I think it's to the side.:roll:

It's basically a scissor motion with your free foot: The free foot is in front going into the turn, then as you turn the free foot comes back, then as you finish the turn it goes back in front as you settle into the BI edge.

Yes. I've seen this on my MITF tapes, demonstrated at the boards.

If you are keeping your free foot behind after the turn, I can see why it would be difficult to hold your edge. Your hips would be in the wrong position -- your free hip will want to lead on the inside of the circle, when it should be your skating hip leading on the outside of the circle.

I hope that made sense. :)

That makes perfect sense, thanks!

[Jeanne D]

What helped me was trying to do a BI 3-turn after the FI rocker. Beastly difficult, but it forced me into the proper check position with my skating side pressed back and free side in front.

Hmmm....I've changed my free foot position on BI3s, I keep it in close instead of in front. I can see how this might help though, (adding the BI3 on to the FI rocker) and I will give it a try. Thanks a lot.

[doubletoe]

I have to agree with all of the advice just given, since Daisies' tip about scissoring the free leg from front (before the turn) to back (during the turn) to front (after the turn) really fixed my rocker! It was a LF outside rocker, not inside, but I'm assuming the concept is the same.
Great advice about the BI 3-turn afterwards, too! Once I started doing a RBI 3-turn afterwards (which required one crossover, since it was a LFO rocker, exiting on LBO edge), it really made my rocker so much better! That's because it forced me to keep my chest and shoulders facing outside the circle on the rocker exit.

[vesperholly]

Hmmm....I've changed my free foot position on BI3s, I keep it in close instead of in front. I can see how this might help though, (adding the BI3 on to the FI rocker) and I will give it a try. Thanks a lot.
Well, the BI 3 turn after a FI rocker isn't necessarily performed with the same entrance position as when you're doing it in isolation. The idea is to force you to keep the free foot in front and over the tracing. It's just an exercise. :)

When I first learned inside rockers for Junior MIF, I kept putting my foot down after the turn, about halfway through the lobe. I never really mastered the BI 3 turn exercise, though it did help. What finally made the turns work was practice, practice, practice. They gradually became more and more controlled.

[icedancer2]

I tried this today after reading this discussion and found it really easy - then I remembered that this is the ladie's rocker in the Westminster Waltz!!

But your comment in your first post on this thread about having to twist your core and feeling like it hurt made me wonder if anyone else experiences this kind of pain from the twisting of the core that occurs when doing these types of moves? I have suffered for a few years from what I can only call "core pain" and think skating MUST having something to do with it and no amount of yoga/pilates seems to help... anyone else experience this?

Probably for me has something to do with a somewhat (!) crooked spine.

[Jeanne D]

Well, the BI 3 turn after a FI rocker isn't necessarily performed with the same entrance position as when you're doing it in isolation. The idea is to force you to keep the free foot in front and over the tracing. It's just an exercise. :)

When I first learned inside rockers for Junior MIF, I kept putting my foot down after the turn

The tap....it never goes away! :P

Can't wait to skate tomorrow and practice more of these.

[Jeanne D]

But your comment in your first post on this thread about having to twist your core and feeling like it hurt made me wonder if anyone else experiences this kind of pain from the twisting of the core that occurs when doing these types of moves?

I think it's the checking part that bothers my side. I used to be incredibly twisty when I first took to the ice. In one of my first adult group lessons an instructor commented that I was too twisty. With my FO rocker I don't feel as twisty, it just turns. But the FI rocker feels like it won't turn unless I really rotate it. It's right after the turn where I feel a strong pull on my side in trying to keep it checked. I'm sure it's me and my poor technique.

Here's my mini foot sequence with the FO rocker in case anyone wants to try it.

After the rocker turn I let the left foot cross over my right, put it down and pick up right skate and then put the right skate back down behind the left foot, do a RBO3.

[doubletoe]

Here's my mini foot sequence with the FO rocker in case anyone wants to try it.

After the rocker turn I let the left foot cross over my right, put it down and pick up right skate and then put the right skate back down behind the left foot, do a RBO3.

That's funny, just this morning my coach had me try something similar (just no rocker). It was LFI chocktaw (LFI-RBO), then LBO crossover, step behind onto RBO edge and do RBO 3-turn. Rinse, repeat. It was kind of fun! :)

[Jeanne D]

That's funny, just this morning my coach had me try something similar (just no rocker). It was LFI chocktaw (LFI-RBO), then LBO crossover, step behind onto RBO edge and do RBO 3-turn. Rinse, repeat. It was kind of fun! :)

It is fun, I make mine kind of marchy after the rocker. ;) And I attack it a little, instead of hoping for the best which is what I would do with the LFI-RBO choctaw! ;)

[Jeanne D]

You say you press your free foot forward for the turn, then push it back. So where is your free foot *after* the turn? (It should be in front.)

It's basically a scissor motion with your free foot: The free foot is in front going into the turn, then as you turn the free foot comes back, then as you finish the turn it goes back in front as you settle into the BI edge.

If you are keeping your free foot behind after the turn, I can see why it would be difficult to hold your edge. Your hips would be in the wrong position -- your free hip will want to lead on the inside of the circle, when it should be your skating hip leading on the outside of the circle.

I hope that made sense. :)

LOL. I paid attention this morning while skating the rocker and *no scissor*. My free foot goes in front and just stays there for the entire time. I did have a couple of better ones today though, but the scissoring thing is just not happening.

[doubletoe]

It is fun, I make mine kind of marchy after the rocker. ;) And I attack it a little, instead of hoping for the best which is what I would do with the LFI-RBO choctaw! ;)

Actually, the LFI-RBO chocktaw was much easier than I expected. I jsut copied what my coach was doing, which was to really ride the LFI edge and curve it before pushing onto the RBO edge. Made me feel "edgy" heh heh.

[icedancer2]

Actually, the LFI-RBO chocktaw was much easier than I expected. I jsut copied what my coach was doing, which was to really ride the LFI edge and curve it before pushing onto the RBO edge. Made me feel "edgy" heh heh.

Welcome to the Pre-Gold dance called "The Blues" - that is the main feature of the dance!!:twisted:

[Raye]

I love that chocktaw! It has such a nice smooth 'feel' to it.(at least it does when I manage to do it right) I have it in my interpretive program.

[icedancer2]

I love that chocktaw! It has such a nice smooth 'feel' to it.(at least it does when I manage to do it right) I have it in my interpretive program.

I love it, too! In fact, I've been tol it is my "best move" - I think if I ever did an interpretive, the entire program would be this chocktaw and only this chocktaw!!

[Jeanne D]

Actually, the LFI-RBO chocktaw was much easier than I expected. I jsut copied what my coach was doing, which was to really ride the LFI edge and curve it before pushing onto the RBO edge. Made me feel "edgy" heh heh.

I've figured out the problem, I was skating it on too straight a line. I've seen this move demonstrated on MITF, swing rocker I believe they call it. The skater skates it down the length of the rink!

Next time I will strive to really ride the LFI edge. Thanks.