World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh shows a simple but very effective off-ice drill for helping with weak air positions. Many skaters suffer from a “pike” air position where the body is forward and the hips are pressed back in the air.

For this issue, Michelle suggests having the skater lay down on the floor on her back and get into the proper air position. Then, while continuing to squeeze the ankles together, Michelle lifts the skaters “free foot” which should lift both legs/feet and if the skater maintains the proper core tension, the hips will also come off the floor.

The result is a version of the reverse plank position with the feet raised and the shoulders down on the floor. If a skater lacks core strength, it shows up instantly and is relatively straightforward to fix using this exact exercise.

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