what do you think of the harness?

[96.23??]

i was just wondering what evryone thinks of the harness?

[icesk8er31]

I started my axel this Saturday (I can hardly believe it) and while I didn't like the harness so much per se, if I hadn't had it I probably would be in intensive care right about now. This gives me a lot of love for it.

[96.23??]

really?
i finid it screws up my jumps more than helping them!!!!!!
i dont like it at all, the first time i went in it i loved it but after that i just hated it.

[Sk8Bunny]

I find the harness useful most the time. With my old coach, when we worked on doubles, she would use the harness for 20 minutes, each time i jumped she would lessen how much she helped me land the jump, until finally she was only helping me a little, then using muscle memory, i would come off the harness and do the jumps by myself. this method used to work wonders and sometimes it only took one or two of these 'killer jumping sessions' to get a jump back that i had lost or to gain a new jump. however, i found that sometimes it hindered my jumps more than helped it. once, we were doing double axels just for fun on the harness, and when i got off of it, i couldnt land my single axel for a few days after, it totally messed up my single axel techinque. but however, i think the harness is more useful than not, when used properly.
Sk8Bunny

[inuk_shuk]

i have never liked the harness...but i find it helps me stand up more when i jump after i get out of it. but it also makes me more nervous to jump afterwards without the extra support.

[96.23??]

yeah same,

i think it makes u hold back more when ur out because ur going to try to depend on the harness being there, like whn im in it i dont jump i jsut rely on it so i think thats what throws me off it also helps on who u have doing ur harness lesson who do u havew inuk_shuk?

[inuk_shuk]

ya, i totally agree it depends on who's doing it. the first person i had was terrible at it...i could barely get off the ice straight. but the coach i have now is awesome at it. most of the time she barely pulls and i'll land a jump and she'll be liek hey, you just landed a 2loop and i'll be like i WHAT?! (i couldn't do a double if my life depended on it out of the harness!!) but ya, it definatly makes a difference when you have someone who knows what they're doing.

[96.23??]

hi inuk_shuk

i know the two coaches u are talking about since we skate together lol but i felt the first guy new more than this new one

[inuk_shuk]

maybe...but i never went in the harness with him...i'm talking about someone else lol. but i know who you're thinking of. you know who...think back...i went in with her...then didn't for a few years...then went in again this year with my new coach. if any of that makes sense ;)

[96.23??]

o yes i get it i never had her but i thought the one i jsut had was better than the one now he knew how to control it better i felt

[inuk_shuk]

you wouldnt think so.....being the person they are.. ig uess? maybe i'm judging too much on....other things that don't ahve to do with skating...if you know what i mean....lol :)

[96.23??]

yes but maybe we should end up this personal chat and keep goin with what this is about the HARNESS
i dont like it lol

[inuk_shuk]

good call :)

anyway ya, i think it really comes down to a personal preference with the harness. for me..it seems to help less and less every time i go in it.

[96.23??]

thats the exact same way i feel!!!

[skateflo]

There are several components here - first, the style of harness used, and second, what is the objective for using it (learning a new jump.) As for doubles and triples (beyond me) I do see several students use it for that purpose. I hear the coaches talk about timing. I think for those students it also lessons the fear (and injury) factor for those beginning attempts. Obviously it does depend on how well versed the coach is to using the harness that exists at the rink. Another skater I knows did not like their style which was on a pole held by the coach. I think that style would have scared me too. No one wants to hurt the coach either.

When my coach was trying to teach me the toe loop and I was having such a hard time in putting the sequence together because of fear (I'm 56), we decided to use the harness. Our harness has a wide band that goes around the rib cage with a rope up the back to the pulley high up on a cable that goes the width of the rink. We started with waltz jumps just so we could 'feel' each other. Then onto the toe loop, finally trying it with a LIE stroke into a LFO 3 turn, pause, pic, etc. That really worked well. I must have done 25 of them gradually getting the feel for the whole sequence. We also did the salchow for the same reasons.

I found it very helpful and although I can't do them yet by myself without touching the barrier near the end of the jump, it has been a great help for muscle memory of the sequence. Hopefully, we will try it again soon.

[96.23??]

hi yes our harness is the same as your coach used. i dont find it helpful because you learn to depend on the strentgh of the harness being there and then when you come out onto the ice you rely on not falling because its going to help you , so i tend to not jump as hard. but as we said its the harness, the coach doing it, the kid, and the use for the harness.

[Lili]

I HATE the harness. I cant land anything in it at all. :evil:

[StarshineXavier]

I love using the harness. My coach is really good at using it (even with me being 6 inches taller and outweighing her by 30lb). It gives me added confidence with my jumps. On my own, I've landed up to a 2 flip, but in the harness, I've landed 2 axels, 3 sals and a slightly cheated 3 flip. I think it gives skaters that will never land triples a chance to at least try them out and see how difficult they really are. The only downside to it, is that it hurts sometimes.

[AshBugg44]

I don't have a harness at my rink but I want to go on it so bad at a rink nearby!!

[96.23??]

yeah its a good experience getting to try it out

[vesperholly]

I'm not a big harness fan. The one at my rink is attached to the ceiling, runs 1/2 of the length of the rink near the boards (which is rather disruptive) and looks like a big weight-lifting belt with the support strings attached on either side. I personally feel like they get in the way - like for a double loop you can't really check your right shoulder back enough. I've seen harnesses with the waist part and then a part around your ribcage and shoulders and the support strings go from the tops of your shoulders. Those look like they'd be more comfortable.

One coach at my rink has the fishing pole harness, but she rarely uses it, and only with her very small (height and weight) students.

Jocelyn

[96.23??]

yep thats the same one as ours but i dont find it gets in the way bc the strings i think come out towards the back of the belt no on the sides but i dont quite remember.

[Black Sheep]

While my coach pulls the rope, I get a better idea about what a correctly-done jump feels like! 8-)

[jazzpants]

Hate 'em for jumps, but good for backspins though... :lol: :roll:

[dbny]

I think it is exactly what is needed for adults learning one foot turns and even Mohawks. When the kids learn a new one foot turn, they just try it and keep trying. They rarely fall, and if they do, they bounce back up. With us adults, though, there is a significant fear factor and the possibility of real injury in a fall. Hence, we two foot the one foot turns forever. I know two adults who passed Prelim moves over two years ago and still don't have back 3's. When I have my own season rink, I'm going to have a harness.

[flo]

I like using it. It has been helpful for axels, double loops and double sals. For pairs we used it for overheads, throw double axels, and split double twists. It was tricky to use for throw double sals, as we would get twisted in the ropes.

[96.23??]

o sweet thatd be cool to use for pairs!

[Chico]

Once upon a time I didn't want to try the harness. As an adult I didn't want to look like Tinker Bell. Anyway, this is what my concern was. Finally my coach got me in it and.....I liked it. =-/ I was wrong. It made me feel more confidnent to try new skills without fear. I knew she would save my butt. Once she sneezed on my takeoff and she actually threw herself at the ice to break my fall. Built my trust in her anyway. Since then I've worked in it many times. I find that I can concentrate on how the jump feels more. I find this helpful when I'm out of it. If I can do it in the harness I can do it out of it.

Chico

[Mrs Redboots]

I haven't tried it yet, but I've seen kids using it and afterwards they very nearly had the jumps they were working on. It obviously gave those particular kids confidence. However, an adult friend of mine who was there that morning said that she had tried it and absolutely hated it, and wouldn't use it again if you paid her!

I don't see myself ever needing to use it, as I really don't jump enough for it to be worthwhile.

[nutty-ducky]

we dont have a harness in our rink, so i dont know what it is like. dont know if i would want to use it! :D

[LoopLoop]

Originally posted by vesperholly
One coach at my rink has the fishing pole harness, but she rarely uses it, and only with her very small (height and weight) students.


I love the fishing pole harness, but hate the regular (ceiling-mounted) harness. All of the male coaches at my rink have poles, and they work as secondary coaches for a lot of the skaters who have females as their main coach.