the fear factor

[froggy]

maybe someone out there has gone through this stage and can give me some sound advice, I'm learning my waltz jump and I can do it off ice and near the wall, but I just cannot get away from the wall for the life of me. I keep trying to mentally do my jump in my head when away from the wall...it is so frusturating to be so held up by this. When I do try to practice away from the wall I go through the prep and and right before the jump I just end up "walking" through the jump instead??!!!! Any advice out there please help!!

[coskater64]

Because I skated as a child I have no recollection of learning a waltz jump, I do recall learning my harder jumps again--what it takes is practice and comfort. While that is an unfortunately easy answer, it is very true w/ time you will get over the fear, you need to learn to fall correctly and learn that falling is an important process in learning how to skate. Pad yourself up as needed and just push onward. Many have written of breaking bones and injuries but that is just part of the game.

I am sure you will do fine just keep it up.

la :D

[sue123]

Went through the same thing, although I didn't think I was afraid because I wasn't aware of it, I just couldn't get my feet to leave the ice. They simply refused. The only thing that helped was being stubborn and refusing to be anywhere near the wall when I do them. Eventually, my feet came off the ice, very little, but it was a start. Now though, I could only do them on one side of the center circle, which is odd, but that's something I'm working on.

I don't think there's a magic secret, other than believing in yourself and knowing that you can do it. If it helps, imagine the wall near you. Or maybe start near the wall, but each time, take a step further away from the wall until you're in the middle of the ice. It's really about getting comfortable and having confidence in yourself. If you can do it near the wall, then you already know what you're doing, it's just a matter of putting that fear behind you.

[rf3ray]

The best way to learn jumps is to take risks, and know that iceskating is a process of learning of falling and getting up.... The more falls you have the more confident of different ways your normal body will react to these moments and they wont be seeming that foreign to you. The only way to improve is to take risks

[icedancer2]

Another way to get off the wall might be to hold someone's hand (like your coach's hand) while you do just a tiny jump. -- or hold both of his/her hands -- then one hand, then "no hands"!!

Good luck with the jump.

[Andie]

When I was learning the waltz jump, it took probably 2 months skating an average of once a week before I could comfortably try it away from the wall. Just keep doing it near the wall until you're comfortable enough, then try it away from the wall. You don't have to do it going fast or do a big leap right off the bat.

I kind of pretend (or used to) that there's an invisible wall or table near me, which helped. I dunno if that works for anyone else.

[Chico]

I can't remember being afraid of waltz jumps but I do know that I'm afraid on other skills from time to time. The only way I get over being afraid is just going for it. The first few times are hell, but it does get better each time I try.
Try having your coach hold your hands a few times, then hold a hand, and then go solo. Start tiny. =-) Good luck. Jumping is adddictive, it's like flying. =-)

[Kit kat]

you can never learn if you never fall :]

[Chico]

My old coach used to say something like this. =-) The brusises I sport say I've learned tons!

[sk8pics]

I have had this problem from time to time as well. One thing that helps me is numbers: practice, practice, practice so you are comfortable with the jump near the wall. My coach will also "be the wall" and stand on the side that the wall would be on. Literally at first he would stand with his arms spread wide, and it did actually help. Sometimes now he stands near me to "block" in case someone skates right into my path. That's my issue lately, because I'm really not good at jumping when I'm looking around too much.

Good luck! Hang in there!

Pat

[flippet]

I must be the odd one around here....I've never understood the need to do moves by the wall. In fact, I HATE jumping or doing moves anywhere near the wall--I have NO desire to hit the wall and go down, rather painfully. I know that if I'm away from the wall, I have more room to do the move, and if I should happen to fall, it's just smooth ice out there--nothing to kill myself on.

[sk8er1964]

I must be the odd one around here....I've never understood the need to do moves by the wall. In fact, I HATE jumping or doing moves anywhere near the wall--I have NO desire to hit the wall and go down, rather painfully. I know that if I'm away from the wall, I have more room to do the move, and if I should happen to fall, it's just smooth ice out there--nothing to kill myself on.

You're not the only one. I've never done a jump near a wall, as far as I can remember. I think I'd be too afraid of hitting the wall to try.

As for the fear of jumping, practice and pushing yourself to do something scary is the only way to overcome it. It's hard at first, but it will get much easier over time and you'll wonder why you were ever fearful to start with!

(At least that's been my experience.)

[Skate@Delaware]

maybe someone out there has gone through this stage and can give me some sound advice, I'm learning my waltz jump and I can do it off ice and near the wall, but I just cannot get away from the wall for the life of me. I keep trying to mentally do my jump in my head when away from the wall...it is so frusturating to be so held up by this. When I do try to practice away from the wall I go through the prep and and right before the jump I just end up "walking" through the jump instead??!!!! Any advice out there please help!!
I spent the first few months doing the waltz jump AT the wall!! Then, it took getting a set of pads to get away from the wall and even then my waltz jump was more like a walk-through! That phase lasted a few months..... :oops:

Mental preparation is one thing, and very helpful, but you actually have to guts yourself up and go for it. I'm not brave by any means but I'm working at it... What also helped was lots of off-ice jump training because I did not know how to land well. It helped on body positioning and technique.

This all started coming together and my jumps started getting better and bigger once I got more secure in my landings and technique. See if you can get some coaching in this area!

[samba]

I think I must hold the world record for barrier crawling, I didnt leave the barrier for my first 6 weeks, hung on and was absolutely terrified.

After avoiding anything other than dance for the first 18 months, I asked my coach to teach me to jump, she laughed and then got down to teaching me, the best method for me was that she held my left hand and I jumped then she caught my right hand on the landing, that way I got the proper feel of the landing edge that you don't get using the barrier.

Cheers
Grace

[jenlyon60]

Me three. I can't stand doing drills (like 3-turns or rockers or counters, etc) near the barriers. I find it artifically constrains me because of the barrier being there. Other than stretching, the other barrier drill I do is to work on holding extensions, mostly to mimic checking the waltz-3 in the American waltz.

You're not the only one. I've never done a jump near a wall, as far as I can remember. I think I'd be too afraid of hitting the wall to try.

As for the fear of jumping, practice and pushing yourself to do something scary is the only way to overcome it. It's hard at first, but it will get much easier over time and you'll wonder why you were ever fearful to start with!

(At least that's been my experience.)

[flippet]

I was going to post more earlier, but had to log off quickly.

I think that maybe some of the wall issue is that those who need to jump by the wall perhaps aren't very comfortable out away from the wall in general. They haven't fallen enough to get past the fear of falling, and simply don't have enough experience under their belt in general to know that their legs are underneath them, and either their legs will hold them up, or if they do fall, they know how, and it's no big deal.

By the time I learned waltz jumps, I'd been skating recreationally for years, both at rinks and on ponds. Pond skating is great, actually--there's nothing to give you a false sense of security, and you learn pretty fast to rely on yourself.

My advice--make yourself jump out in the middle. If you have to start by stepping/walking through the jump, so be it. Just be sure that you finish strong, i.e., give that landing glide your all, with good, strong bent knee, check, and flourish. Get your body used to a solid landing position, and then gradually work up to tiny jumps. Your body will remember that your landing is actually pretty secure, and you'll be able to trust yourself to make the jump bigger and bigger.

[Skate@Delaware]

I was going to post more earlier, but had to log off quickly.

I think that maybe some of the wall issue is that those who need to jump by the wall perhaps aren't very comfortable out away from the wall in general. They haven't fallen enough to get past the fear of falling, and simply don't have enough experience under their belt in general to know that their legs are underneath them, and either their legs will hold them up, or if they do fall, they know how, and it's no big deal.

By the time I learned waltz jumps, I'd been skating recreationally for years, both at rinks and on ponds. Pond skating is great, actually--there's nothing to give you a false sense of security, and you learn pretty fast to rely on yourself.

My advice--make yourself jump out in the middle. If you have to start by stepping/walking through the jump, so be it. Just be sure that you finish strong, i.e., give that landing glide your all, with good, strong bent knee, check, and flourish. Get your body used to a solid landing position, and then gradually work up to tiny jumps. Your body will remember that your landing is actually pretty secure, and you'll be able to trust yourself to make the jump bigger and bigger.
Again, a lot of this also falls under the "off-ice training" catagory, which I highly recommend, even if you have to do it on your own (which I do now as homework)!

It's all well and good to be told "just swing around and jump..." on the ice, but when you are new at this and don't know what body part is supposed to be where, it helps to learn this off-ice then bring it all together on the ice (ok, no stalling allowed it's gotta happen sometime!) Learning off-ice was the real clincher to feeling secure enough to even stop wearing all the crash pads; although I will wear them when working on harder jumps.

I also highly recommend BENDING the landing knee; it's something that I really had to work on, that was causing me problems because I skate so STIFF! It will help you really stick your landings (mostly).

[sk8pics]

I think for me, another reason why I sometimes jump near the boards is that there is less chance of being run over by someone else. Sometimes the sessions are so crazy that it's just scary to jump out in the middle of the ice. That happened to me yesterday, in fact, where I was doing my opening jump combination out on the ice where it is in my program, and I saw a kid about to stop right in front of me in my path. He moved, but it really did not help my timing. When I have a coach nearby, he can block and that also definitely helps me.

[Skate@Delaware]

I actually prefer to work jumps in the center, as the ice is nicer there...but sometimes the "end zone" is quiet for 3-turns. Of course, working in the center means if you wipe out-everyone sees (especially if I wear my bright blue outfit) :oops:

Sometimes my daughter and I take turns "blocking + spotting" during public sessions if we are working on jumps...don't know if blocking is p.c. to do, but we figure after almost getting run over on public sessions by hockey guys getting lessons + not looking where they are going (back crossovers) and coach lady not letting us know she was going to hog the center for her lessons-whatever :giveup:
(daughter almost got clipped, as did I before we figured out it was a lesson; a friend got knocked into-no apology by either hockey guy or coach! :evil: rink manager apologized to girl's mom)
Guess that is the diff between rinks-ours lets people know there will be a lesson in the center (which rarely happens on public sessions, especially busy ones!)

[froggy]

thanks for all the great advice! I've been practicing off ice jumps a lot so I hope that helps. Tomorrow I'll put your advice to practice and just push myself to jump in the center even if it means falling the whole time, I'll make sure to wear my knee pads ;)

[Skate@Delaware]

thanks for all the great advice! I've been practicing off ice jumps a lot so I hope that helps. Tomorrow I'll put your advice to practice and just push myself to jump in the center even if it means falling the whole time, I'll make sure to wear my knee pads ;)
Push yourself each time you jump to go just a little bit higher/faster/farther (pick a different one each time) :D making sure your technique is good though! (and relax-it helps also)

[blue111moon]

Fear of falling isn't something I dealt with when I started (it's becoming more of an issue as I age, though :lol: ) but one thing I think that's helped me is all the practice I get teaching tots to fall. I go out with them and flop around deliberately several times each session and make it a point to laugh when I do it. It relaxes me and reassures the kids the falling isn't something bad, that everyone does it and it's not really that scary when you expect it to happen.

So maybe that's what we adults need to do more - deliberately practice falling under controlled situations so that we're not so terrified when a fall catches us by surprise. Just a suggestion?

[sceptique]

When I did my first waltz jump a few weeks ago I was so focused on getting a nice exit backward edge that I didn't even notice the jump. I remember the surprise - wow, that was easy! - and the sensation of a quick flight that I now try to repeat every time I practice it. My main fear is not of jumping, but of skating into one of those little cute devils :twisted: that hardly reach my waist, so it's very difficult to notice them when you're going backwards.

I think there's nothing wrong with a little "cheating" - just making a wide step instead of jump until you feel comfortable about keeping the balance on exit, so you know you can hold the edge even if you're a bit wobbly when you land.

[flippet]

When I did my first waltz jump a few weeks ago I was so focused on getting a nice exit backward edge that I didn't even notice the jump.


Exactly!! Practice the heck outta your landing edge FIRST. Then, when you jump, really all you're doing is finding a way to get to that exit edge, which you KNOW you can do. You're then focused not on the jump, but on the edge--and the jump just happens. No freezing up necessary--you sort of trick the brain to overlook the jump, because you're looking past it to the exit glide. :)

[russiet]

Exactly!! Practice the heck outta your landing edge FIRST. Then, when you jump, really all you're doing is finding a way to get to that exit edge, which you KNOW you can do. You're then focused not on the jump, but on the edge--and the jump just happens. :)

I agree with that.

The other thing that I don't think was addressed was this: don't think about turning in the air. Turn 1/2 the way with the take-off foot, and the other half of the way with the landing foot.

Here's a link that helped me:

http://home.pacbell.net/anamga/figureSkating.html#6.2.1

[Skate@Delaware]

I agree with that.

The other thing that I don't think was addressed was this: don't think about turning in the air. Turn 1/2 the way with the take-off foot, and the other half of the way with the landing foot.

Here's a link that helped me:

http://home.pacbell.net/anamga/figureSkating.html#6.2.1
That's how most of my 'beginning' waltz jumps were-more like walk-throughs than actual jumps (especially once I moved away from the wall).
Eventually, I became more comfortable doing them, got to know what I was doing and felt better about the actual jumping up part, adding more speed, etc. so I could focus on actually making it look like a jump. I got lots of smart-alek comments from the kiddies "what was that?" at first....I just ignored them

[Raye]

Fear of falling isn't something I dealt with when I started (it's becoming more of an issue as I age, though :lol: ) but one thing I think that's helped me is all the practice I get teaching tots to fall. I go out with them and flop around deliberately several times each session and make it a point to laugh when I do it. It relaxes me and reassures the kids the falling isn't something bad, that everyone does it and it's not really that scary when you expect it to happen.

So maybe that's what we adults need to do more - deliberately practice falling under controlled situations so that we're not so terrified when a fall catches us by surprise. Just a suggestion?


Great suggestion. I think you about said it all!!!!