How do you learn really good footwork. I think I've been inspired my emanuel sandhu's 03-04 short program, and this is definately the area I want to work on the most. So, lay it on me.

Ignore this.

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Rising through winds of turmoil
I am not regret.

Er, practice, LOL. I find footwork tough, cause it just takes a lot of discipline and I certainly don't have a talent for learning new turns. I haven't taken a lesson in a really long time but I can do a sitspin, camel spin, flip and lutz (all of them not very well but I can get through them). BUT my footwork is in a very sorry state. As my previous thread makes clear, my BI3's need a lot of work. My BO3's aren't much better, but at least I'm not afraid of doing them. The only turns I can do well are FO3s, FI mohawks, BI choctaws and RFI3s, LOL.

I think that learning a particular footwork sequence is probably your best bet if you want to be like Eman, LOL. Something like that must be choreographed and practiced over and over again to look good. Learning field moves is good practice, but it doesn't look as "cool," I don't think, LOL.

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

Two words: ice dance! Seriously, it's the best possible foundation for good footwork.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

AMEN!!!

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do ya ever get the feeling that ms. bielman wishes she'd never done that damn spin???

I was inspired by that footwork too! I just sat there staring at it! I like have it memorized! One time I went: "Gawd! I have Emanuel Sandhu's footwork stuck in my head!" and my sister just bursted out laughing! He has inspired me to do many things in skatinG! I have foot work almost identical to his with a little bit of Johnny Weir toe twirling! Like when he does his straight line and he is on his toes twirling.... that probably isnt the right term...

Ice dance! absolutely also doing those field moves, finding the specific moves you like and putting things together slowly w/ no wild arms and then working on doing the footwork quicker. I used to do r edge pulls 2 then quick rocker, cross in front rocker choctaw to the left side, rbi double 3s, rocker choctaw to the right, extend --that was a diagonal staight line piece that required about 3 crossovers for good speed in...I learned it slowly and over several weeks and months sped it up, worked on arms and it went nicely @ the time I was only on my Intermediate moves and was still very scared of footwork.

Having just passed my 14 step yesterday and only dancing for a year and a half I can tell you dance has been so helpful not only w/ neat feet but with posture and being solid on the ice. At 5'10" it's hard to look solid since I am also very thin but dance is just great and it will also help w/ the field moves.

la

All I can say is practice, practice and practice!!
Take your time learning it and don't focus on how fast the music is, but on the quality of the footwork you're doing. Eventually, the muscle memory will sink in, and you'll be imitiating E-man in no time!

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Are you thinking of the moves where he does about 5-6 rotations on his toepicks? I want to learn that, but I don't know what it's called if anything.

Anyway, how do people train in dance? Does it have to be done with a partner, and is it mostly compulsories?

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The spotted bird flies
Rising through winds of turmoil
I am not regret.

You dont have to do dance with a partner, they can all be soloed except for testing....usually there are set paterns for the dances that everyone skates until they are done them....

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Hurrah for Desert Skaters! YAY for Jeff Buttle and Virtue and Moire!

It doesn't have to be done with a partner, but it's more fun! Even the compulsory dances are fun if you skate them socially - the joy of dance is that there is the social scene, and you can do baby dances a lot sooner than you can do a free skating programme! Plus you can then dance it at a dance evening, or whenever your dance club has social dancing.

Here in the UK, we have a free dance test stream from the word "go", but most people would learn the first several compulsory dances, whether social dances or in our test/competition stream, before they thought of tackling a free dance or even a variation.

The best thing is to take a class, or even dance lessons.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I have to agree with Mr Redboots. Even though I do not dance myself, ( although I may concider it in the near future ),I will admit that great dancers do great footwork, Moves in the field are also a good background for great footwork. I am also keen on good footwork. As I saw many times in ice shows, not everyone who does a triple toe gets a job. It often gets down to the basics of being good on your feet.
My tip... work on stops, all edges, all directions, powerpulls both feet, Loops, and MIF. It will take time but it will pay off.
My interp this year is nearly all footwork and its a lot of fun to do neat things on ones feet.

I am really excited to participate in my first dance weekend this summer, I didn't go last year because I only knew the first three dances but this year I know at least 6 mid level dances and hopefully 2 silver dances. I'll also start freedancing which is basically a continual series of footwork sequences small lifts, and dance spins. I feel ever so sorry for the young man who is my coach it may kill him.

But it really does help, I cannot tell you what a difference it has made for me.

la

Ya, i dont know the name!

Have you taken any moves in the field tests? If not, I would recommend that you start. You can take the moves tests past your freestyle level, and they really do help your security in the footwork.

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

Yes, I hardily agree that moves and ice dance is the best for working on footwork, but as someone who is STILL, ummm... not very good with her "moves in the field" herself, I suggest working on BASICS first. Work on 3turns, mohawks, crossovers (backwards and forwards.) Later on you can add brackets, choctaws, counters, rockers, loops (not the jump kind, but from the old figure days...)

I also recommend that you learn all those from someone with an ice dance background. Most ice dance coaches are very nit-picky about the basics and will make you do crossovers 'til the cows come home... But when you finally get it done the way s/he wants it, it does make a world of difference.

Trust me, I'm a much better overall skater now on the ice than when I started working on moves. (And I'm still crappy enough not to pass Adult Bronze Moves so you can only imagined how bad I was 3 years ago...)

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

err... footwork is my least favorite lol... my long footwork was hard to learn it took a while but I just kept practicing it.

From starskate
Good advice jazz