#@%*&*$# Checking! Not ice hockey.

[SkatingOnClouds]

I know the importance of checking. Last night coach decided it was pick on Karen's checking night. Every element I did, she picked the same fault, whether on a jump or a spin - that I don't get my right shoulder back enough (CCW skater by the way). Came up in salchow/toe-loop/loop combo on all 3 parts of the jump and on the salchow and loop individually, on flip and lutz. And then it came up again on change foot spins, camels I think.

Now I know how to "hug" the circle when doing figures, that feeling of your arms/shoulders being aligned on the curve. And I thought I was doing it in free skating but obviously I am not doing this as well as I thought I was.

To my mind, the only way I can see to get more upper body twist to my right is to twist my hips so that the right hip is behind the left, that the left is in front.

Does that sound right? Or does it sound like I am just not getting as side on as I think I am?

[jskater49]

I know the importance of checking. Last night coach decided it was pick on Karen's checking night. Every element I did, she picked the same fault, whether on a jump or a spin - that I don't get my right shoulder back enough (CCW skater by the way). Came up in salchow/toe-loop/loop combo on all 3 parts of the jump and on the salchow and loop individually, on flip and lutz. And then it came up again on change foot spins, camels I think.

Now I know how to "hug" the circle when doing figures, that feeling of your arms/shoulders being aligned on the curve. And I thought I was doing it in free skating but obviously I am not doing this as well as I thought I was.

To my mind, the only way I can see to get more upper body twist to my right is to twist my hips so that the right hip is behind the left, that the left is in front.

Does that sound right? Or does it sound like I am just not getting as side on as I think I am?

Others will address this much better, but I was here first ;) and this is my issue too...and I sort of had an ahha moment last week when working on back 3 turns. I don't think it's the hip...I thought I had my arm behind me but my coach grabbed it and showed me the difference of really opening it up and what I was doing...I had my palm down and she turned my palm up. It's not hand but that but that drew my arm back even furth and not so much back as open and it hurt and was a strain and my coach said "that's right"

j

[Sessy]

You don't move your hips. You move your shoulders. Not your arms by the way - that's just the coaches' way of telling you so you'll remember. You can do almost every element with your arms hanging down if your shoulders are in the correct position.
Could be that you're trying to move your arm without taking your shoulder with you. You wouldn't be able to move it very far in that case. Try thinking of having hair gel in the hair in your armpits or something. Fix those arms to the shoulders and work the shoulders.

If you sit on a chair, you should be able to turn about 45-90 degrees to the side (both sides) without moving your butt. If you can't, there's probably a problem with your spine. If you can, you're perfectly able to learn to check and it's more of a psychological/balance issue.

[jskater49]

You don't move your hips. You move your shoulders. Not your arms by the way - that's just the coaches' way of telling you so you'll remember. .

Yea, that's the difference - shoulders not arms. When she turned my palm up, she moved my shoulders.

j

[dbny]

Yea, that's the difference - shoulders not arms. When she turned my palm up, she moved my shoulders.

j

Which I find interesting because my old coach stressed having palms down for just the same reason.

[sue123]

I seem to remember my coach telling me to squeeze my shoulderblades together. I would hold a check, and she would feel to make sure I was squeezing my shoulderblades.

[southernsk8er]

i had the same problem - i thought my arm was back, and it was, but my shoulder was still rolled forward. my coach taught me to keep my shoulder open and back, and he suggested sticking my thumb up. i guess that's the same as palm up, which other people on here suggested.

[SkatingOnClouds]

Thanks everyone, I will try harder tomorrow, see how I go.

[dooobedooo]

I think you are dead right on checking with the hip; this is also a method of checking. I was waiting for someone more expert to answer you on this.

Some dance coaches teach hip checking, but as mine didn't I've had to work it out on my own.

Also remember that your hip must always be over your skate (Pilates strong core, hips tucked under/tummy tucked over and in, "hips forward"). If you lean forward and stick your bottom out, it doesn't matter how much you bring your shoulder round, it won't work, as the physics will be all wrong.

[SkatingOnClouds]

I went to a workshop today with another coach. And my checking came up again! I did manage to improve somewhat, but it isn't coming easily.

I have tried to improve how far I can twist without allowing my hips to turn too. I think I am reasonably flexible that way, but clearly I don't do it right while skating.

More work required.

[peanutskates]

I know I asked before, but I've forgotten. What is checking, exactly?

(soz for the dumb question...)

[Sessy]

I know I asked before, but I've forgotten. What is checking, exactly?

(soz for the dumb question...)

Something like contra-body movement in dancing. Your hips and shoulders move separately, the shoulders aren't directly over your hips, aren't square.

For the jumps, it's relatively easy: a CCW skater will have their right arm and shoulder to their right (about 4 o clock), left arm in front of them; a CW skater will have their left arm and shoulder to their left (about 7 o clock), right arm in front of them. The logic with the jumps is that you hold the check for a long time, stopping your body from pre-rotating with the entry edge, and then you can accelerate into the rotation and jump in the correct, backward-spin position.

For 3-turns and the like it's a little more complicated to explain, but it's basically working against the rotation with your shoulders. If you turn your foot, you eliminate/destroy the rotational movement by counter-rotating your shoulders, that stops the rotation. If you were just to move as 1, you'd end up in a backspin instead of a forward inside 3-turn for example. The key to doing controlled beautiful 3-turns is to stop the rotation at exactly the right point, so you can ride out the edge in the direction which you choose. This is done by first letting the shoulders rotate with the turn (since you do need to turn of course), then stopping it with the shoulders.

For example, if you do a left forward outside 3-turn (LFO to LBI edge) your arms and shoulders will first be fixed with your body, then - right after you get around - you will sort of push to them to the right (but in reality they will stay where they were, but you need to push because you need to work against the rotation). The energy of your muscle strength here is the counterforce (-F) to the kinetic (movement) force (F). F-F = 0
Insufficient checking will make it impossible to do a 3-turn on a circle - you'll go into the circle instead of round-about.

[SkatingOnClouds]

Went to another workshop with Russian coach today. We did 1/2 flips and flips. And the Russian actually singled me out for my great shoulder control in the 1/2 flips. Woo-hoo!!!! Made sure current coach heard about it too.

But I do take her point, and it is something I must work hard on. Something the Russian said was to make my right arm (CCW skater) higher at the back than the left arm at the front in preparation for the jump.