Question about footwork

[Roma]

In last night's broadcast of Cup of Russia, I saw Plushenko do some type of turn in his footwork that looked quite interesting to me. Prior to the turn, he sort of did a very low kick with his free foot, and then after the turn, did a kind of low kick again behind his skating heel. I also saw someone else do the same turn last night, but I can't remember who.

Does anyone know what I am talking about, and if so, can you tell me what the turn is? Thank you.

[dbny]

It was probably a counter, which is done with a free foot movement like you described. A counter is a one foot turn from one edge to the same edge with rotation counter to the curve of the edge. For example, a Left Forward Outside (LFO) counter would go from a Forward Outside (FO) edge to a Backward Outside (BO) edge with Clock Wise (CW) rotation (since the LFO edge describes a Counter CW circle).

[icedancer2]

Or a bracket. Haven't seen the program...

[dbny]

Brackets are not done with a swing of the free foot, but I suppose Plushenko can do them any way he wants.

Do you know if he was on the same arc before and after the turn? If it was the same (that is, apparantly on a circle) then it was a bracket or three turn. If it was on two separate circles, then it was a counter or rocker. Counter springs to mind because it is done with the swing, which is what I think was described.

[icedancer2]

Brackets are not done with a swing of the free foot, but I suppose Plushenko can do them any way he wants.



Well, maybe not swing per se, but you can pass the free foot before and after the turn.

[icedancer2]

I see that there will be a repeat of Cup of Russia on ESPN2 this Sunday, so I will try, try try to remember to tape it so that I can check that out. Probably will be hard to tell on TV exactly what he is doing, but maybe... -- I am holding out that it could be a bracket, counter or rocker...

[jmp123]

Just watched it again in slow mo...

Right after the flying camel/back sit, he does what looks like a LFO bracket - he swings the free leg forward before the turn, and then swings it BACK with a little kick after the turn. A couple of steps later he does another.

I'm pretty sure it's a bracket - looks like LFO to LBI - not always easy to tell on TV, though!

[Roma]

I didn't expect so many responses! When Plushenko and someone else did the same turn within minutes of eachother, I thought, "well I've just recognized something, now what was it?" I had a feeling that it was a counter.

Those little kicks seem to be a good "clue" for me to recognize the upcoming turn, much in the way that the long glide into the lutz was a "clue" when I was just learning the jumps. I'm gonna learn all those darn turns before I die!

Thanks, everybody.

[dbny]

I just took a look at the tape again, and saw a RFI bracket with the swing and believe there were some counters too. It's really hard to tell from TV, as jmp123 already said.

[jmp123]

I had to watch it in slo-mo a few times - it's not always easy to tell the edge because of the camera angles. It was kind of unusual for a bracket - usually people do them faster and flatter. I liked it, though. Who else did a similar turn? I didn't have time to watch the whole thing.

[Roma]

Who else did a similar turn? I didn't have time to watch the whole thing.

I can't remember, and I didn't tape it. But I'll be watching it again Sunday on the re-broadcast.