61. Turns: Backward Inside Rocker

We're Xenia and Oleg, four-time U.S. national competitors whose goal is to make Team USA and represent the U.S. at international competitions. We'll share with you what we learned along the way, so let's make this journey together! Hi everyone! We're here in Ann Arbor exploring after our critique and today we're going to be showing you a new skating element. What are we showing them today, Xenia? We will show you how to do backwards inside rocker. But first we'd like to thank our supporters Terry and Carl. Thank you guys! All right, let's go show them! The basics of what it takes to make the rocker happen correctly applies to other one-foot turns. The information presented here you will likely hear again in future one-foot turns videos. One-foot turns such as the rocker consist of three parts. The entry edge, the rise and turn, and the exit edge. A backward inside rocker consists of a backward inside edge, a rise and turn on the same foot to a forward inside edge. The upper body twist happens like this. As you start the backward inside edge, keep twisting the shoulder of the skating foot so that your back is to the circle that you're on. Rise and twist your upper body so that now your upper body faces inside the circle you're on. Make sure that your upper body is warmed up and that you do side-to-side twists off ice. You have to press into the inside edge and curve the edge until you feel the maximum amount of pressure and edge. Don't rush to do the turn. This is an approximation to where you need to keep the maximum pressure in your foot. Press into your knee and ankle and skate in through your heel on a backward inside edge. Rise and turn on the heel of your foot. Press and exit skating through your heel on a solid forward inside edge. Avoid leaning with your shoulders when pressing into the entry edge, as this will make a wild, unattractive turn. Avoid going on your toe. A common mistake is to get up on the toe pick when pressing into the back edge. Avoid looking down when doing turns, as this will negatively affect your weight distribution. Instead, keep your head and chest up. Maintain a solid core and strong arms. A common mistake is to be loose with the upper body. This will prevent you from having a good exit edge. Don't force the turn. Even if you manage to turn, it will look forced. Instead, press and bend the knee and ankle of the skating foot as you near the point of the turn. When you reach the point of maximum pressure, rise and turn. Your knee and ankle action should be smooth and continuous. You can combine the forward inside and back inside rockers as part of one exercise. Do forward inside edges, a forward inside rocker, back inside edges, then a back inside rocker. When working on one foot turns, occasionally go back and check your tracing on the ice. Frequently, the emphasis is placed on the turn, but not enough on the entry and exit edges. Here are some examples of correct and incorrect patterns. Incorrect pattern. Entry edge is flat. Exit edge is correct. Incorrect pattern. Entry edge is correct. Exit edge is flat. Incorrect pattern. Exit edge starts with outside edge, then changes to inside edge. Incorrect pattern. Entry edge is flat. Exit edge is flat. Correct pattern. Entry edge is good. Exit edge is good. To be clear, you don't have to have super deep edges or lobes. What you need to have is continuous and unambiguous edges and lobes. There's being able to do turns, and then there's doing clean and clear edges with correct turn action, no scratching, and smooth knees and ankles. Doing clean turns is very difficult and takes a lot of time, patience, hard work, and regular practice. So don't let it frustrate you. Proper technique, practice consistently and regularly will get you there. As always, keep a strong hold, skate on deep edges, and make deep lobes. Don't tense up your upper body. Press and bend the knee and ankle of the skating foot before you stroke onto the free foot. Keep your body weight over your skating foot. This will increase your strength of push. Keep your shoulders down and back and extend your neck, but don't be stiff. Skate through your hips. Work on your basics a lot. Crossovers, edges, and turns are the core of your skating ability. And finally, don't look down. The ice isn't going anywhere. One of the difficulties in making these corrections while skating is having to correct multiple things simultaneously. But if you apply yourself, practice consistently, push your limits, resist fear and self-doubt, and work hard, your skating will improve significantly. Hey guys, we really hope you enjoyed the video. If you did, hit the LIKE button and click on the SUBSCRIBE to subscribe for more videos. Alright, see you next time!