Extreme Mental Block- Advice Please!

[Clare]

I've been skating for a year and have gradually come to accept the fact that I'm a slow learner and have finally stopped comparing myself to everyone else on the ice.

The one thing I have been struggling with- as embarrassed as I am to say it, for 6 months- are backward crossovers. I have had periods where they seemed to be on the verge of consistency but then leave me just as quickly.

Anyway, it has got to the point where I have such a mental block with them that I just don't know how to get past it. When I manage them, they can be fairly decent but it takes such a build up for me to even attempt them that I work myself into such a state that they are generally a disaster. It all went spectacularly badly this evening when I actually left my lesson in tears :(

It is also starting to impact upon the things that are actually improving by affecting my self-confidence to the point where I have real problems thinking positively.

I'm sorry for the epic post but I know it's a mental thing rather than a physical one so if anyone has any tips or advice on how to break through it, I would be so, so grateful.

Clare

[jskater49]

Is it the backward skating or the crossing over that is the trouble? How about just doing back slaloms or half swizzles for awhile and then gradually work toward crossing over?

j

[Clare]

Is it the backward skating or the crossing over that is the trouble? How about just doing back slaloms or half swizzles for awhile and then gradually work toward crossing over?

j

It's the crossing over, I'm quite comfortable with backwards in general and can do half swizzles until the cows come home!! I just totally tense up as I'm about to actually cross then I get frustrated and make it all worse!

Clare

[Award]

I've been skating for a year and have gradually come to accept the fact that I'm a slow learner and have finally stopped comparing myself to everyone else on the ice.

I don't see any problem if you're learning to get good at backwards cross-overs after just 1 year. Some people might pick it up much faster, but only after 1 year of skating, consider yourself having learned a lot already, like being able to skate backwards and getting the feel of backward cross-overs.

The keys are probably - do it in front of the instructor, and the instructor will tell you if it is ok.....and also, ice-time. The more ice time you have, and the more practice you have, the more natural it becomes.......becoming part of you that is.

And if you are worried about falling or tripping, just wear some protective gear to start off with, and then remove once you've got the hang of things.

[doubletoe]

A lot of times, if something is scary, it's because your body isn't in the right position to do it, and that's why it feels insecure. If it's the crossing over part that's scary, then I would think you would have the same fear on forward crossovers, so I'm wondering if it could be something about your body position on the back crossovers that makes them feel dangerous?
One thing that could make them scary is if your knees aren't deeply bent (i.e., your butt needs to stay low to the ice the whole time). When your legs are too straight on the crossover, your feet can end up rather close to each other as you cross over and that can give you a somewhat justified fear of catching your blades. Another possibility is that you might not be keeping the leading shoulder (the left shoulder if you're going backwards CW, or the right shoulder if you're going backwards CCW) pulled back as you do the crossovers. The idea is to keep your face and chest facing the inside of the circle you're on. When you keep that leading shoulder pulled back and the chest facing inside the circle, it makes the crossovers SO much easier. Finally, leaning your torso just a little outside of the circle will counter-balance any lean into the circle that is created by the crossing over action, which should give you better balance (especially if you remember to stay down nice and low on your knees).
And it's true, whatever pace you learn at is just fine. You're still a better skater than 99.9% of the people out there! :)

[Rusty Blades]

Well I have been skating 16 months and only now am I on the verge of having BXO's - yes I have done them a couple of times but that was only a fluke. I too consider myself a slow learner (something about "old dogs" LOL!).

Here's what I have been doing to prepare for having good back cross-overs (which I think I will have within the week now):

1) While skating backwards, practice quick change-of-foots (ok, that sounds funny!) - stepping from one foot to the other. Work on that until you can change feet quickly and be properly centred on the new skating foot. That will improve your confidence in hitting the back edge solidly every time.

2) Now take that backward change-of-feet and start doing it on the hockey circle. That helps you with the weight shift on a curve. Also start focusing on getting down in your knees at this point. When you get here, it will only be a matter of time until you are comfortable enough to reach across for the cross-over. (That's where I am at right now - I'll let you know how it works out ;) )

[Kay]

Hey,

Just a quick suggestion, but try practicing back cross cuts on the floor at home. When you watching tv, stand up on commercial breaks and practice walking them out in a circle on the floor. You're in no danger of seriously hurting yourself and if you do take a tumble, you won't have an audience. Practice feeling where you body should be positioned. Also, once you can do them at normal speed, practice going through them extreeeeeemely slowly, like at a yoga position. By going through the motions really slowly you will be able to pinpoint at exactly what spot you feel unsteady throughout the entire process, and it will make you very aware of where your body is at all times. Building your confidence off-ice will make you way more comfortable on ice because it will be a familiar movement and you will feel more in control of your body. I hope this helps!! Good luck!!

[jskater49]

A lot of times, if something is scary, it's because your body isn't in the right position to do it, and that's why it feels insecure. If it's the crossing over part that's scary, then I would think you would have the same fear on forward crossovers, so I'm wondering if it could be something about your body position on the back crossovers that makes them feel dangerous?
One thing that could make them scary is if your knees aren't deeply bent (i.e., your butt needs to stay low to the ice the whole time). When your legs are too straight on the crossover, your feet can end up rather close to each other as you cross over and that can give you a somewhat justified fear of catching your blades. Another possibility is that you might not be keeping the leading shoulder (the left shoulder if you're going backwards CW, or the right shoulder if you're going backwards CCW) pulled back as you do the crossovers. The idea is to keep your face and chest facing the inside of the circle you're on. When you keep that leading shoulder pulled back and the chest facing inside the circle, it makes the crossovers SO much easier. Finally, leaning your torso just a little outside of the circle will counter-balance any lean into the circle that is created by the crossing over action, which should give you better balance (especially if you remember to stay down nice and low on your knees).
And it's true, whatever pace you learn at is just fine. You're still a better skater than 99.9% of the people out there! :)


Just want to echo the advise about your shoulders and facing the circle - I have trouble with the creeping arm, rather than keeping my arm back and I didn't realize how much that can interfere with crossovers until I was teaching adult basic skills and I saw my student do it and saw how being twisted the wrong way made it neigh impossible for her to do them ...

and also ditto on how most of the time - it's not mental - it is that your body position is wrong. That was quite an epiphany for me and very encouraging because it's usually easier to fix your position than your mind!

j

[dbny]

In addition to the very good advice already given: Are you doing them by picking up the crossing foot, or by sliding it across? whichever way, try the other one. I've found that one way works well for some people, but not all. ISI insists on the picking up method, but if you can feel comfy with sliding across first, then you can try picking up the crossing foot later. Another way to think about BXO's is that they are not XO's, they are "Push Unders". Of course that only works with the sliding across method. Finally, try a different coach just for this one problem. Sometimes it just takes a different perspective or a different way of presenting something.

[flippet]

One thing that could make them scary is if your knees aren't deeply bent (i.e., your butt needs to stay low to the ice the whole time).

Another possibility is that you might not be keeping the leading shoulder (the left shoulder if you're going backwards CW, or the right shoulder if you're going backwards CCW) pulled back as you do the crossovers. The idea is to keep your face and chest facing the inside of the circle you're on.


Just a quick suggestion, but try practicing back cross cuts on the floor at home. When you watching tv, stand up on commercial breaks and practice walking them out in a circle on the floor.

Just want to echo the advise about your shoulders and facing the circle - I have trouble with the creeping arm, rather than keeping my arm back and I didn't realize how much that can interfere with crossovers until I was teaching adult basic skills and I saw my student do it and saw how being twisted the wrong way made it neigh impossible for her to do them


Yes, yes, and yes!

#1 - When we say you need to 'sit' into back crossovers, we mean you need to SIT into them. Like you're sitting in a chair, no kidding around. If you think you're low enough--you aren't, GO LOWER! :)

#2 - 'Hug' your circle like you'd hug a beach ball. Your upper body needs to face completely into the circle. As said above, if you let that back shoulder creep forward, when you try to cross, you're fighting against yourself. This does make it feel VERY unstable.

#3 - Practicing at home is a great idea. Do it on the floor (remember to still get low in the knees and hug your circle), or a really great exercise is to go up and down stairs SIDEWAYS. Hold the wall or the rail, but go sideways, crossing your feet over both up, and down.

Some other tips:

#4 - Don't think of crossing your feet. Think of crossing your THIGHS. This can help you get past the idea of tangling your feet up.

#5 - Be sure you're not 'breaking' forward at the waist. Keep your waist straight, your back 'flat', but be sure that you're bending well at the ankles, knees, and HIPS, not waist.

#6 - If you're catching your toepicks, try curling your toes UP in your boots. This shifts your weight just the slightest bit back on your blades, and puts you in a better position--and if you're toes are UP, you're less likely to drag them. It sounds funny, but it works...this is what helped me get back crossovers when I was feeling like an idiot with them, too. (In the same vein, don't look at your toes, either--try to look up at the boards.)

Let me say--back crossovers are HARD. I don't know one person who didn't struggle with them more than just about any other element at that level. It takes time, and practice. But eventually, muscle memory will get laid down, and suddenly you'll find that it's a lot easier than it was last week--and easier than the week before. You'll get it. :)

[singerskates]

Practice walking crossovers on a line; to the right and the left. Get your coach to show you this and to do it with you the first time. You'll feel like your in the show, A Chorus Line. Then take it to the hockey circle. Arm position should be with the arms closest to the inside of the hockey circle behind the middle of your back and your outter arm from the circle placed infront of your heart ahead of you. Break it up in steps. Bend your inner knee so that you almost feel like you are sitting in a chair. Start with 2 half snowmen going backwards with the outside foot doing all the moving; make sure the leg that is closest to the inside of the circle is on an outside edge. Then do 2 pumps by pushing out with the foot on the outside of your circle. The next thing is to pick up the outside foot and bring it to just to the side of my inside foot off of the ice and glide on one foot for 8 seconds. Repeat 2 times. Then once you have done that. Then glide on the inside foot on an outside edge, with my free foot (outside foot) directly infront of the skating foot (inside foot); repeat 3 times. Then finally, cross your free foot infront to the inside of your circle of your skating foot(leg) while skating leg is deeply bent and hold. Do this 3 times with a delay lefting your previous skating leg (foot); new skating foot is your outside leg (outside of the circle). Push your new skating foot out to the side just like normal stroking and then place your free leg (inner circle leg) back down on the ice. Do three circles of them around the hockey circle. See your own coach for more details and print this out to take with you to the rink.

[Clare]

Thank you everyone so much for the advice, I feel like less of a loser now!!

Reading through all of your suggestions, the things that stand out for me are the comments regarding shoulder positions and knee bend. I know I should definitely be sitting a lot lower so will work on that and will concentrate hard on maintaining the correct shoulder position too.

I hope to attack tomorrow's lesson with a lot more confidence!

Thanks again :)

Clare

[Petlover]

Clare, you are a winner just by going back out and working on the backward crossovers!!!!!!! :)

[Sessy]

Clare, a hobby shouldn't make you cry. If a hobby makes you cry, that's just not right you know? And it's not worth your precious tears either frankly.

I think you should shop around and see if you like any other sport better, just so skating won't be your only sport or something, I think you're putting so much pressure on yourself and if it's just one of the sports you do, maybe some of the pressure will go away? Alternatively, are you sure you're not forgetting how to skate in between your lessons, if you're having skating lessons like 1 time a week?

Just relax. The back crossovers are tricky, for everyone, no matter whether you get them fast or not. I'm not afraid of trying the axel, but I'm afraid of clockwise back crossovers!!! No really! You know why? Because on the axel, I know I WILL fall. On the back crossovers, everything seems to be going fine until I go too fast or make a mistake, and then it's SPLAT. It's been happening less and less lately, I force myself to practice them, but nonetheless I get nervous about them! So really, it's only natural that you are hesitant about them. That's okay, most people are. Question is, how do you deal with that now? Freaking yourself out never works. Gather up that calm fury of strength every woman has inside her. This is one beast you WILL tame, no matter what.

Have you tried practicing them on socks? Yes you can, on slippery socks and a sliding surface like linoleum or tiles. And on quad rollers you can too, quite well! Just pick a nice even surface, like a concrete basketball or tennis court without peddles or cracks on the floor.

Now, on back crossovers, there's a few things to remember.
1. DEEP kneebend. It's okay if your butt is sticking out, everybody's butt is sticking out. And if you feel like a chimpanzee, that's okay too, everybody feels like an ape on skates when they start bending their knees at first. Actually, monkeys are really acrobatic. So it's fine to look like a monkey! And fine to feel like one too.
2. Keep those arms where they're supposed to be
3. Try to be pushing with about the middle of your blade.

Now for the middle of the blade thing, quad rollers are good (even the cheapest will do). Cuz there isn't a front or back of the blade on those. You get too far front, you fall. You get too far back, you fall too. Get yourself in every possible protective gear (wrist pads, elbow pads, knee pads, maybe sponges down your tights and maybe even a helmet) before trying. Falling on concrete hurts like hell, but once you're back on the ice, you're no longer afraid of falling on ice. I love that, might get you past your mental block if your fear is falling.


But other than that... Gee how to say this. You've got to feel the glide. Get deep in your knees, and just get on that back outside edge. Then, slowly, let the other leg glide across it, effortlessly, really if you're on a deep outside edge, your leg will want to cross. Just relax.

Breathe into your bellybutton. Really. Breathe into your bellybutton. Relaxes you all the way. Better yet, breathe into your "female parts" between your legs so to speak. The breath has to go all the way through your upper body.

Another powerful thing - and you will look at me weirdly now. IMAGINE yourself doing them just fine. You've had them at some point, so remember that and imagine yourself doing it, to the point where you can almost feel it in your muscles. This isn't some bunch of new-age hubba bubba, this is scientific evidence - they had athletes visualizing doing their trainings and found that the same parts of their brains were active as during actual training. Since crossovers are not a power thing, this will help. It helped me with my back edges too. Visualize yourself doing the crossovers successfully so you can feel it in your muscles. THEN do it out on the ice.


Also, before I go roller skating, I've to get down the stairs in my roller skates. Just like the poster above said, indeed, it feels a lot! like crossovers. The shoulder that's pointing UP the stairs, that's the arm you need to be using to hold yourself by the wall, the other one will then automatically point back like for crossovers. Also you'll need to knee bend, else it will never work.

Calm fury, girl, calm fury.

[Clare]

Thanks for the tips- visualisation really was starting to work for a while so I think I'll take that advice and try that again along with the knee bend and shoulder stuff.

There'll be no shopping around for a new sport though. I love to skate and it is only the pressure I put on myself over the back crossovers that gets me all het up. I need to chill and it will come, I know that. It's just hard to put into practice! 99.9% of the time, I'm overjoyed to be on the ice and I doubt anything could replicate that feeling :)

I skate 4 sessions a week at the moment so it definitely isn't a case of not enough ice time. I wish that was the excuse!!

Clare

[jskater49]

Clare, a hobby shouldn't make you cry. If a hobby makes you cry, that's just not right you know? And it's not worth your precious tears either frankly.

.

There's absolutlely NOTHING wrong with skating making you cry. A hobby can make you cry. Going to the movies makes me cry. I cry when I sew and I have to take out stitching. Skating has made me cry and I would not DREAM of giving it up.

You can spend your precious tears on whatever you like. They are yours to spend and there are more where they came from. Cry all you like and then get your a@#$$ back on the ice and work on those crossovers!

j

[SynchroSk8r114]

Clare, a hobby shouldn't make you cry. If a hobby makes you cry, that's just not right you know? And it's not worth your precious tears either frankly.

Really? Well, I just wanted to share two quotes I found on synchroboards.com - they have a lot of great skating/motivational quotes there, and this is one I really like, especially when I am going through skating's ups and downs:

SKATING: It's the feeling you get at the end of a hard practice when you pushed yourself to the limit, the way the ice feels when you get back on it after a few months off. It's a part of your identity, something you love and something you hate. A bond that no one else really understands, but that's okay because every time you get out on the ice, it isn't just you; it's all the friends and coaches over the years, all the practices, all the sweat, all the pain, all the tears, all the memories, all the laughter, all the "off" competitions, all the lifetime bests, and all the road trips. As individual as it may seem, skating is really a team sport, and even still, it's more than just a sport. It's a way of life.

So, yes...skating can bum you out sometimes, but you have to consider all the great things it has to offer. Honestly, when I have days that I feel down about the sport, I always find that the good outweighs the bad. :D Heck, I cried my eyes out when I passed my Senior MIF - just knowing all the hard work, time, money, etc. was worth it was such a huge reward.

Also, there's one from Jame Sale (pairs skater):
When you hit rock bottom, that’s when you realize you want to skate for the love of the sport.

I say, so long as you enjoy skating, let's say...95% of the time (we all have those days when we feel like pulling our hair out in frustration, hahaha!), keep skating. Cry, smile, skate - but enjoy it. And always make sure to do as jskater49 said and get your $@! on the ice...you know, fall down 7, get up 8...

[garusha]

The very idea of crossing your feet seems scary. I had the same problem when I first started working on my clockwise forward crossovers. My left foot simply wouldn't go over the right one, and there was nothing I could do about it. I kept telling myself it was okay, but it didn't help. Now I understand that your body functions somehow separately from your mind. Sometimes it refuses to cooperate, and no voice of reason can silence that subconscious fear that paralyzes you.
This is what helped me. I started practicing crossing my feet at the boards. I would grab the board and cross my left foot over my right foot. That was easy, because I had support. Then eventually, I think my body got used to the idea of my feet crossed, and I could do it without any support. Developing muscle memory is important. Once your body remembers the cross-leg position, it's no longer afraid of falling. Try it as you work on your backward crossovers. Grab the board and cross. Do it at least 10 times, then try to let go. Repeat if you are still afraid. Believe me, it works.

[Sessy]

99.9% of the time, I'm overjoyed to be on the ice and I doubt anything could replicate that feeling :)

Clare

In that case, definitely stick with skating!!! :lol:

[BlueIcePlaza]

If you practise at home, try to practise in front of a mirror, or a patio window at night-time when the lights are on in order to see your reflection. I say this, as its an excellent way of checking your knee bend - you can never have enough knee bend!
A good deep knee bend will look and feel good, and help not just with the BXOs, but with your feeling of security on and off the ice.

[techskater]

There's absolutlely NOTHING wrong with skating making you cry. A hobby can make you cry. Going to the movies makes me cry. I cry when I sew and I have to take out stitching. Skating has made me cry and I would not DREAM of giving it up.

You can spend your precious tears on whatever you like. They are yours to spend and there are more where they came from. Cry all you like and then get your a@#$$ back on the ice and work on those crossovers!

j

J - totally agree. When I passed my Intermediate MIF, I cried. :)

[doubletoe]

There's absolutlely NOTHING wrong with skating making you cry. A hobby can make you cry. Going to the movies makes me cry. I cry when I sew and I have to take out stitching. Skating has made me cry and I would not DREAM of giving it up.

You can spend your precious tears on whatever you like. They are yours to spend and there are more where they came from. Cry all you like and then get your a@#$$ back on the ice and work on those crossovers!

j

Hmm. . . Come to think of it, the only times I can remember crying in the past year were over skating! I guess love makes you both smile :D and cry :cry: , and that extends to love of skating, not just love of another person. Of course it's important to find ways to alleviate frustration :frus: and experience that sense of joy and achievement :bow: too.

[BelleBway]

This sounds a lot like me. It took me forever to even try a forward crossover by myself. As in- months of group lessons (in which I often cried out of frustration) followed by about 4 months of private lessons. You couldn't pay me to do one by myself until Feb... and now I have people telling me how nice my forward power crossovers are starting to look.

I'm not sure I can offer too much advice, but I am posting more in an attempt to help you not feel so bad or embarrassed. It isn't so important how quickly you get a skill... and if you work at it, you will improve.

What helped me was having a very patient amd positive coach... I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but my coach held my hand for months when I didn't even want to do a crossover and just worked at getting me comfortable with them without putting me under any pressure; I'd told him before I started taking lessons that I had mental blocks because my coach in group lessons used to yell at me and that I didn't think I could ever learn to do forward crossovers. One day my coach told me I could do them on my own... and at my next practice, I got up the nerve to try... and I actually did some. And once I got some confidence with working on them, I started to improve quite a bit. (now that I'm getting better, he pushes me a lot more... but that wasn't what I needed at the time)

So I think that if you keep trying, you'll get there. Also, you may want to discuss this with your coach if you haven't already.

[Clare]

Thanks BelleBway :) It helps that I do have the world's most patient and upbeat coach and he is well aware of how much I'm struggling with the back crossovers and says if he could snap his fingers and make them happen for me, he would.

Before I went to bed last night, I lay there and repeated "I can do it" over and over and then visualised myself doing back crossovers smoothly. Coach is a huge believer that a positive attitude is absolutely essential (he once threatened to fine me £1 everytime I said "I can't"!).

This morning's lesson was so much more positive, thankfully! Whilst a miracle did not happen overnight of course, I did concentrate really hard on sitting lower than I think I have been previously and, what I think really helped, making sure my upper body position was right and that I was really hugging the circle like everybody advised.

It helped, it really did. I remembered to breathe and just did it- oddly, what helped was my coach holding onto just my elbow to remind me of where my arms/shoulders need to be, which suggested that this may have been a bigger problem than I had realised. Then he let go and I did a good handful by myself. Don't get me wrong, there were far from perfect but they were crossovers and I actually didn't panic even when I had a clicky blade moment.

I am hoping that, with all the advice all of you kind folk have offered plus a lot of positive thoughts, that I *can* and *will* get them before I'm 100 years old!

Thank you all for your support :bow:

Clare

[doubletoe]

That's good news, Clare! :D
I am trying to get my crossovers (forward and backward power circles, CW and CCW) up to passing standard for the Intermediate MIF test and what keeps striking me like a lightning bolt is how it's turning out to be ALL about my shoulders!

[Sessy]

Skating makes me cry too, but that's when I can't skate for some reason. Won't believe how much I've cried over the stupid ankle thing lately. :cry:

[BelleBway]

Thanks BelleBway :) It helps that I do have the world's most patient and upbeat coach and he is well aware of how much I'm struggling with the back crossovers and says if he could snap his fingers and make them happen for me, he would.

Before I went to bed last night, I lay there and repeated "I can do it" over and over and then visualised myself doing back crossovers smoothly. Coach is a huge believer that a positive attitude is absolutely essential (he once threatened to fine me £1 everytime I said "I can't"!).


I wonder if your coach is a distant relative of mine. The only time he really seems to get really firm with me is when I say anything remotely negative... even if it's just saying "I'm not that coordinated" when he's trying to get me to do something that my body just can't pick up so quickly.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that things went better. :)

[FLskater]

Clare, reading your post got me to join the forums! I just wanted to say you're not alone! I'm an adult skater. Been skating around 5 years, but you'd think I'd be a lot better than what I am with that many years behind me. It took me FOREVER to do crossovers! I've found that I am better doing crosscuts/cutbacks, where you don't lift the foot to cross over, you just slide the outside foot to the inside and push the other foot back. You've received some great advice here!

Believe me, there are times when I see other adults catch on SO much quicker, and I get so frustrated & want to scream & quit! Why does it take me so long to learn a move? Just keep on at it, & one day it will just click!

(Now, if I can only follow my own advice on doing a waltz jump!)

Take care,
Cindy

[dippytrout27]

Hi I'm an adult skater too and am very nervous going backwards, going fast and turning. BUT my confidence is improving with the help of my coach and even though other adults are progressing faster it's worth continuing cos I love it sooo much!

Stick with it Clare - you can do it :D

[Clare]

Thanks both of you :)

I certainly intend to stick with it, I am way too stubborn to let it get the better of me!

Clare

[kayskate]

Just wondering if you may have suffered a bad fall doing back xovers. That can increase your fear to the pt that your body locks up and cannot relax.

When I started ice skating in my mid-20s, I had already spent much of my childhood on roller skates as a hobby (no lessons or serious involvement). I could do back xovers from roller skating. I learned them quickly on ice b/c of my prior exp. However, I took a very nasty fall and hit my head. Had a lump for a while. I repeated the same accident 2x in the next few wks. And it took me a *long* time to learn to do CCW back xovers. As a self-taught roller skater, I only did them in my natural direction and never learned to do them CCW on quads.

You've rec'd lots of good advice. Hope it helps.

Kay

[Clare]

Just wondering if you may have suffered a bad fall doing back xovers. That can increase your fear to the pt that your body locks up and cannot relax.

Most of the falls I've taken have been on back crossovers (including one when I took my poor coach with me!) so I'm definitely conscious of that being an issue.

Clare

[doubletoe]

A little over a year ago I had a bad fall as I was coming out of a back crossover and stepping forward. When I replayed it in my mind, I realized I wouldn't have caught my blades if I had kept my feet farther apart, and that my feet are automatically farther apart when my knees are deeply bent and my butt is low to the ice. So I started doing back crossovers in slow motion, focusing on keeping my knees deeply bent--not just on each edge but also during the crossover itself--and now it's habit. I haven't caught my blades since!

[AdultPairSkater]

Hi everyone :)

For me, overcoming a mental block involves changing the focus from whatever move is giving me the problem to focusing on making movements deliberate and focusing on BENDING MY KNEES.

The attention to knee bend and deliberate movement seems to snap me out of mental blocks inhibiting my performance of an element.

Cheers!