I'm in Freestyle 1 now, and am currently taking group lessons.
Do private lessons help a lot in gaining new skills, faster? What if I decide to take on group lessons again? How will I know which level I should be in?

I would talk to your instructor. The group lessons are fine for learning basics, and are quite cheap as compared to individual (a single individual lesson can easily cost more than an entire "semester" of group lessons.

I would take the group lessons as long as I could. If something comes up that you need extra work on, arrange with your instructor for some one-on-one. That will be just like an individual lesson (and expect to pay his or her hourly rate). Eventually you will exhaust any benefit from group lessons, and then it's time to move on to individual lessons.

I am in Freestyle 1 (ISI) also. I participate in both group lessons and private lessons. I like the group lessons because of the ice time included in the package that my rink offers (you get to practice free during the public session on your group lesson day) I learn a lot of basics during the group sessions and then refine skills and personal goals with my private coach. Often our coaches rotate teaching group lessons, so if I am struggling with an element in skating while working with my private coach,(Like 1-foot spins ) often another perspective or variety of coaching helps. I found that I have progressed quicker and conquered skating goals with private instruction.

Unless you're taking a lesson from a world class coach, I don't think this will be the case. It will be more expensive than your group classes (you'll have to pay for ice time plus the coach's fee), but it's often worth it. People often get stuck on one or two elements but are ready to progress in other areas (spins often slow down the progression through freestyle classes). Having a private coach lets you continue to learn new things as you're ready, but keep working on the lower skills that you haven't yet mastered.

You can go back to group lessons at any point; your coach will recommend which level to sign up for.

By Freestyle 1 (you didn't say ISI or USFS, but they're roughly the same) you're going to want to be in private lessons if you plan to compete anytime soon, or if you're hoping to get to the point of taking your USFS tests. Going through the freestyle levels just skating in a group class once a week is going to be slow going, and depending on how picky the instructors at your rink are, it's possible to pick up some bad habits that will hold you back later on. I know coaches who figure, "Well, it's just basic skills," and pass kids from one freestyle level to the next with sloppy skills. Usually, not only are these kids doing things wrong, they have no idea that they're doing them wrong! Being in private lessons means your own coach can keep an eye out for bad habits and correct them.

Of course, if you just want to skate and enjoy it and don't plan to compete or be serious about skating (a skater who has started working on USFS tests is generally taking one or two privates each week and practicing at least three or four days a week on her own) then maybe doing just group lessons is fine for you right now.

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I've only ever had group lessons (I was in FS3 when I quit), due to both finances and scheduling constraints. If you're a fast and good learner, you can do well in group lessons for quite a while, especially if your group is small. With only three or four people, it can be sort of like getting a private lesson for less money (especially if not everyone shows up every week)--because you still need to practice what your coach shows you a few times during the lesson. While you're doing that, they can be giving someone else an 'assignment' instead of just standing around.

I do think I would have progressed a bit faster with private lessons, but I was rather happy with my rate of progression in group lessons, especially given the price differential. Plus, there's the social aspect of group lessons (especially if you're in a group with other adults). We all helped each other, and cheered each other on, and I don't think we would have gotten to know each other as well if we'd all been taking private lessons.

If you have the means to take private lessons, go for it, they're definitely a good thing. But the right group lessons can be nearly as good, so you don't necessarily need to feel you're getting an 'inferior' product.

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Well, I pretty much agree with what the other people have already said. So I don't think I should repeat anything.
I've taken private lessons for more than a year (with about 3 different instructors at different times, the 3rd one being the teacher I've had since early last year). My private price is reasonably cheap in comparison to what most private lessons cost. While I may not become a real competitor, I still prefer one-on-one lessons and it's for my personal satisfaction.

I think I learn better in private lessons. At my main rink there aren't really any skaters my age who are that close to my skill level. I wouldn't mind being in a class with older adults though.

im in freestyle 2 and i recently gotten a private coach. I SAY GET ONEE!!!! i've learned sooo much faster. Talk to the coaches, they will work with you. At my rink, you can take both group lessons and private.. I hope you decide to get one, you wont regret it!

When I first started skating, I wish I could have had group lessons. I didn't have the option where I was skating to get group lessons. It was either CanSkate, which I coud already do or private coaches.

I think Skate Canada when it was known as the Canadian Figure Skating Association use to have for the Junior Level skaters (junior bronze and lower to upper CanSkate 5+) group lessons for these skaters but now you have to have a private coach. Or was that old program, that Skate Canada had, called CanFigure? Anyone who skated back in the 80's or earlier know? The only time you get group time on Juniors is when you're doing skills or stroking. Otherwise you have to practice on your own the whole session or get your lesson from a private coach (15 mins and up depending on the timing of the lesson you're willing to pay for and what the coach can give you timewise) and then practise for the rest of the session. At my club there isn't an intermediate session and so anybody that is either an adult (or 16 plus) close to passing the prelim test or those who have passed the prelim test are on the senior ice. The senior ice at my club does not have group time for stroking or skills. You're expected to practise these on your own or in a private lesson while on the senior session. I think this is because there are too diverse skill levels to have group stroking or skills on the senior ice. Now if we had more skaters, I think my club would try to have an intermediate session too. I'd difinately be on that session until the end of time. Why? Because there's little chance of me ever getting more than two double jumps and passing more than the Senior Bronze FS.

I was just about ready to test my prelim FS but then my injuries did me in and it became too painful to jump and spin. So I quit skating just before the test day and pulled out of the test. I would have passed too. But I think if I could have passed injured, how much easier will it be to pass when healthy again? It will be way easier on the jump take offs and landings and the backspin will be easier to control too. The camel will not hurt my shoulders after two revs. And I'll be able to crank all my spins when I'm healed up.

Oh my, I've gone on a tangent. Sorry.

Anyway, if you're at a lower level freeskate level doing group lessons half of the time and then taking private lessons for the other half will only help you. You can spend your group lesson time to work on stroking and moves (skills in Canada) and spend your private lesson time to work on footwork, spin and jump elements. And later your private coach can put together a program for you so you can both test and compete or just test. Most important thing is to have fun.

singerskate

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Skippyjoy_207, take a private lesson for whatever you need help with in FS1 group lessons, or take a private for what the group lessons are NOT teaching you. Sure it will cost more but the improvement will be worth it. Shop around for a coach too, find someone that you can click with.

My adult group was mostly ex skaters from the figures era, and older, so no one wanted to jump. Bunny hops were about it. I wanted to JUMP! so asked a coach on the ice for a private lesson, specifically for jumping. Gradually, that morphed into a freeskate lesson and eventually there was nothing the group lesson could do for me other than provide ice time, but I had group and private together for well over a year before going totally privates. Well except for skills, everyone in our club gets them in group lessons.

Like flippet, I had only done group lessons up until now, and when I went to college, I didn't have the time to do even group classes so I basically taught myself. I don't think I did too badly - I'm fairly comfortable with learning new things since balance and edges are not an issue for me. I've just had maybe 4 private lessons with a great coach (since I had the time and money to do it this summer) and I've learned so much. I improve even during the lesson, and he said, "Things are easy to fix with you...but you just don't want to do it!"

Of course I think I would have progressed faster if I had private lessons the entire time, but I would have only done them if I had had the time to practice more as well. (Skating only 2 hours maybe every 2 weeks didn't justify paying for private lessons, IMHO.) So, the faster improvement probably would have come from the combination of better teaching and more practice.

In my opinion, nothing takes the place of practice. Your coach may be the best coach in the world, but you have to take his/her advice and work it into your muscle memory. Only practice can do that.

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