hey all,
I'm having my first testing session this tuesday. I'm doing pre-alpha, alpha, and Beta. I know I'll be able to pass these ones but I'm worried about Friday because I'll be tested in Gamma and Delta. I'm having trouble with my outside and inside 3-turns and Forwad outside and inside edges. I just started learning them and I'm pretty bad. I'm worried I wont have them down by friday. My coach seems to believe I will re-learn all this stuff real quickly but I don't know. I'm just curious if any others had as much trouble with 3-turns and edges as I'm having. Is this normal?. I feel really discouraged.

Yup - perfectly normal. I found 3-turns to be the hardest element to relearn. I spent several lessons last summer drilling inside 3-turns (especially the left inside 3, which I never used after I'd first learned it years and years ago). Edges weren't the easiest thing for me to pick up again either. In fact, I had a harder time relearning the basics than I have had relearning spins or jumps. I guess it's because I learned the basics at a young age and then never really revisited them until I picked up skating again last year.

Anyway, don't worry too much about it - just keep practicing and they'll come back Ask your coach for pointers on arm/shoulder/hip placement for the 3-turns and edges...having everything lined up correctly makes these moves so much easier.

that's exactly how it is for me. I can land a flip jump ...and do a loop jump and a scratch spin fairly well, but all this "easier" stuff seems to be much more difficult. My coach showed me all the arm/shoulder/hip posistions... I'm just having trouble getting them down. It's like I can't hold my balance and my arms go all over the place. I must look like a fool.
Thanks a lot for the advice and encouragment. and i will keep practicing hard. Hopefully i'll get it down soon.

The things you're struggling with depend a lot on core strength/muscles, which take time to build up. A lot of them aren't getting used a lot in our every day lives, so it may take some work/time to get solid with those skills while your muscles are getting stronger. Don't be discouraged; a week to go through all those things isn't very much!! You're better off not rushing the basics.

Everyone's experience is different, but I found forward 3s to be relatively easy. Edges are harder, and there are levels and levels of control you can have with them, ranging from making a passable arc, to holding nice freeskating posture and extension, and finally to the incomprehensible precision that figures people must have.

One tip for edges is that you should definitely practice them on uncrowded ice so you can do nice large lobes. I'm used to skating public sessions, and that gave me a tendency to make all my MIF compressed and small. Skate a morning freestyle or two to get adequate ice to yourself.

I think your coach is right though, especially if you're good enough to spin & jump. If you spend an hour every day practicing your edges, you should be fine by friday. A week of intense practice on my back outside edges has gotten me ready for my test on Wed. Each change my coach made in foot & arm positions seemed to completely throw me off and make me feel like a raw beginner during the lesson and for the rest of the practice session. The next day my body seemed to get used to it and the motions made sense -- although I couldn't execute them for every lobe every time, and after three days I was *enjoying* the movement. Hope the same happens for you!!

One more tip that may help: see if you can borrow the PSA (pro skaters association) Moves in the Field video (vol. 1). All four edges are on the pre-preliminary test, and I think it's helped me to watch it several times over and get the proper form embeded in my visual memory. For forward edges they really stress doing things in a step-by-step sequence (although your coach may vary this or have you do things simultaneously, in which case listen to her):

1. Balance on the skating foot, free leg behind
2. Arms (switch position of arms, brushing them by your hips)
3. Foot. Bring free foot in front, brushing it right by the skating foot; and extend toe
4. Together -- this one is from my coach: bring the free foot back next to the skating foot just before the transition so you don't make a wide step

After much confusion I've learned that the arm position for Forward Inside Edges is like walking (left foot skating, right arm leading in the direction of motion) and ALL OTHER forward and back edges are opposite to how you'd walk (same foot skating, same arm leading).

And always remember to and enjoy!

And now I need to shut-up and rush myself to the rink before it gets crowded!!

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