As skaters, we must all have gone through, are going through, or, trust me, you will go through the long, tedious and often frustrating process of trying to get that element you are working on - be it crossovers, or jump, or spin, or twizzles...

Some get it quickly - I am very impressed by blackmanskating who is working on his double axels now. Unfortunately I'm not of that calibre... I thought it'd be interesting to share how our elements progress.

Earlier this year, I compiled a video of my double Sal progress. Last week, I updated it, and also did one of the Axel. So, here they are:

Axel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yL-5ItinPM
The first of these videos was taken in 2000, the other practise ones were in 2001. Program videos started in 2003, and it has been pretty consistent in competition since 2004. Ok, there were a few times I did still fall on it, but it was more of a "omg, i can't believe i fell on that!" rather than a "i couldn't have done that!" fall.

I thought the Axel took me forever to get consistent - until I encountered the double Sal, and then forever didn't seem quite so long anymore.

Double Salchow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5SLQS2PCeY
Again, the first couple of these were taken in 2000. I first landed it in competition in 2004, but after that, it has been on an exciting roller-coaster ride! I don't know why I still freeze on it in competition, but *sigh* hope I'll outgrow that soon.

I wanted to make one of the double toe, but... still waiting for it to be landed in competition - not just in warmup!

__________________
~~~~~
Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
~~~~~

Usually I struggle with something for days/weeks/months and then suddenly it just comes together! That only lasts a session or two then it disappears and comes back later, slowly, and then stays.


The only exception has been one-foot spins. After working for weeks to try to get 2-foot spins I told my coach I thought it would be easier to do 1-foot spins, and DID one

__________________
Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

Well, a year ago I was trying to get my 3-turns consistent and last time I checked I nearly did an axel. I just wish my spins would click like that too!
Something about my body is just not made to spin over my left side.

I'm curious to see what will be left of my jumps after I'm cleared to jump again.

It seems to take years (literally) for me to really get an element.

Sigh.

j

You're not alone, jskater49! I get SO frustrated when I see other adults learn practically overnight, while I still struggle with so many elements. I keep telling myself that many of the adults are either very athletic, or skated at some point, even recreationally, when they were younger, so I shouldn't try to compare myself. Or are just very talented! Double sigh.

Actually skating is more in your head than it is in your body. You've got to let go mentally of everything you know about movement, it's like learning to walk all over again. It's a little like when I learned swimming, which I did later on in life: when you tense up, you go down. You've gotta let go of everything you know about movement, because everything you know about movement is on earth, and on ice / in the water things work totally differently. And part of that letting go is scary.

There goes MY excuse! **triple SIGH!!** Mama always said I was "slow"

__________________
Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

My moves coach tells that I make "slow, steady progress." I can live with that!

Well, my axel seems to be taking years. I has improved where I get full rotation and my left foot hits the ice first (I'm cw skater) so that's good but the right foot just doesn't want to lift up. I know eventually it will but..it's very frustrating . I recently decided not to work on it soooo hard and to focus on MIF.

I see my MIF's get better a little every week. Slow and steady here too.

I was never athletic as a kid. Last picked for the team, that sort of thing. Skating has been the only sport I ever enjoyed. No that's not true, I am a good swimmer. But I have to remind myself it's amazing I can do what I can do, considering how unathletic I am.

Also, my excuse is that I don't skate that much or take many lessons. I would skate more if I had more $$$.

j

It takes me forever to get any elements... I can't even think of jumps yet. But the good thing is that once I start to get something, I seem to really improve with it at a much quicker rate.

LOL, I absolutely empathise with you about the free leg not wanting to lift up on the landing. I went through that phase on the Axel, the double Sal, and now the double toe.

However, much as my coaches liked to say " you just have to lift up your free leg just one inch", I personally think it really wasn't that. It is snapping into the backspin position in the air, and as soon as I can do that, it doesn't matter whether my free leg is high or low, it will land correctly.

__________________
~~~~~
Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
~~~~~

That's nice. I don't really remember having to "work on" 2-foot spins - I suppose I must have done it when I started spinning, but I was in a group class where everyone was already learning 1-foot spins...

So, when I started coaching, it was embarrassing that I couldn't do a 2-foot spin to show the kids! Eventually I went and figured it out.

__________________
~~~~~
Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
~~~~~

for me, it's just a matter of practicing things. so far I've been progressing pretty quickly.

__________________

I always got picked last too... I was scared of large balls and I never had any strength in my arms. All we ever did in class were ball games and gymnastics where you had to stand on your arms/hands. So I always got picked last.
I actually was athletic. I was good at running, I was the only one who could climb ropes in class, and I never missed a ball or was out with baseball. But we rarely did that. So I got the impression I sucked at sports and I kind of gave up on them. When I discovered I was good at jumping in figure skating, I was like... WAIT a minute, I'm not athletic - how can this be?

I'm exactly the same (minus the swimming bit lol!). I could do with more lessons too.

Even though I skated for a bit as kid, I take forever to learn stuff, and often feel secretly jealous of my friends who learn quicker and are doing really well. But, as someone pointed out to me recently, when you go in for a test or a competition, you don't wear a label saying 'I've been skating x years', or 'I skated as a kid so should be better.' So I stop myself from getting too disheartened by reminding myself that even if my friends are doing level 6 dances when I'm still struggling with level 1, it doesn't matter, at least I'm keeping myself fit in the process - and one day, I will get them.

S xxx

__________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

I am one of those pseudo athletic people. I am moderately decent at all sports but not really good at any of them. In skating, the elements come very slowly. I get about halfway there and then keep plugging along at them.

__________________
Happily defying the laws of physics when I skate...and not in a good way

If I could meet ole Axel Paulsen, I would kick him in the teeth

President and Founding member of the I hate Toe-Loops Club

Still a member, but trying to get out of the Pre-bronze peanut gallery.

Visit my skating journal

It takes me forever to get anything. I didn't skate as a kid, I was always very unathletic anyway, and spent over twenty years as a couch potato!

And then when I do get something, my coach promptly takes it up to the next level, so I can't do it again.

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

Annabel, I must say, I can see an improvement every year I see you!

__________________
~~~~~
Blog: http://chowskates.blogspot.com

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/chowskates
~~~~~

Thanks, Chow! I do progress, but slowly. And, of course, sadly, all my opposition also progresses so I still end up down at the bottom! Ah well, it's fun trying.

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

I improve very slowly. But the things I can do, I usually do very well as I'm a perfectionist. My personal preference is to work consistently on stroking, power, and speed. I am convinced that the better my basics are, the stronger my skating will be eventually. I fully expect to get out there on the ice one day and everything will click and I'll have a huge leap in progress -- that's usually the way I work when I learn something physical -- I struggle and seem to stagnate, then, suddenly, everything clicks and I take off like a bat outta hell.

Now, if only I could convince myself that three turns are NOT the devil and that jumping WON'T kill me...

Somewhat slowly for me. It took me forever to learn jumps as a kid (compared to the other kids). I'm actually picking up jumps, spins, etc. more quickly now than I did then (maybe it's because I'm practicing more! ), but I know that it will all take some time.

However, it's been VERY hard for me not to compare my progress with the kids at the rink; I'm getting a great lesson in patience and perseverence. I have to keep reminding myself that it's not a race. There is no deadline for me to land a lutz or get a strong, fast camel.

Definitely slowly. For me it's a matter of endless repetition to get something really smooth & easy.

I have to look back to a year, or more, in the past & compare things to really see progress. I *know* I couldn't do xxx 2 years ago, & now I can do it easily, so I must be improving.....right?

Well, who knows if i'll ever get mine, but i am beginning to get more serious now that i finally passed my Silver levels. But right now i am ecstatic that i have a LAYBACk and that is a sweet thing for me!

Hi Chowskates,
I agree, regarding the snapping part. My coach talks about that all the time. I truly don't feel that snap in the air. Just recently, (within the last few months) my back sit got much better. And, I can feel the snap with that. Let's hope that translates into the axel!