Spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a flying camel lesson. She begins by sharing a standstill drill that helps a skater develop an understanding of the proper movement of the hips and legs. She starts by having the… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger teaches at one of her Grassroots to Champions seminars several years ago. The information in this series is as valid and useful today as it was when it was recorded. These… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Bobbe Shire talks about the push into a backspin from a forward spin during a change foot spin. She reminds us, “Anytime you change position on a spin or anytime you change feet, everything… Continue reading
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster works with a skater on cross strokes, particularly in terms of edge pressure and power generation. Doug begins the lessons by explaining and demonstrating what he wants for the forward cross strokes (gather,… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Laurent Depouilly continues his presentation on exercises for proper lutz development. In Part 1 he discussed the idea of using a back outside pivot to train the alignment and edge pressure. In Part 2,… Continue reading
Figure skating strength and conditioning expert Matthew Blair Davis continues his discussion on techniques for improving a skater’s strength for the sit spin. In Part 1, he shared a progression of exercises that develop the necessary basic… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Kori Ade begins a multi-part series on jump setup patterns. The demonstrator for this series is Jordan Moeller and his jumps are definitely worth modeling. This series will cover the six main jumps, and… Continue reading
Figure skating coach and choreographer Chris Conte gives a short presentation on how to tie figure skates for jumping (and hence all singles and pair skating!). Chris covered this on iCoachSkating before, but this updated version is a… Continue reading
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch gives a skater a lesson on death drops and flying camels. Although this skater is challenged by these skills, this video offers insights into some of the drills Charyl uses to correct these problems. … Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his discussion of loop jump mechanics (see Part 1 here). In the video below, Robert addresses an extremely common problem with the loop jump. Many skaters actually lose proper alignment… Continue reading
International coach Nick Perna gives a double toe loop lesson at a skating camp. Overall, this video provides a progression of exercises and drills any coach and skater can use to build a double toe loop. On the… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues her explanation of the mechanics of a toe loop. In the first video of this series, she introduced the idea of the edge and the heel take-off with a straight leg,… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues her explanation of the mechanics of a toe loop. In the first video of this series, she introduced the idea of the edge and the heel take-off with a straight leg,… Continue reading
International figure skating coach Page Lipe explains how she often trains opposite-direction jumps with her skaters in an overhead harness. She uses opposite-direction jumps as a way to help skaters break the monotony of training. She… Continue reading
Figure skating coach Sheila Thelen teaches an illusion to a skater who has never done one before. An illusion is a windmill-type spin performed from a backspin or a back camel (unlike “bounces” which are performed from a… Continue reading
In this very short video, spin specialist Kim Ryan offers tips for exiting a hydroblade position. As she notes, if you can glide in a position, you should be able to get into that position and spin in it… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Bobbe Shire continues her discussion of spin basics. In the first video of this series, she shared a repeatable spin setup and entrance to maximize rotational energy while giving the skater the greatest possible… Continue reading
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster works with a skater to improve a section of her program. The focus of this video is an unnamed turn or step that is sometimes called the Scott Hamilton turn, the Scotty turn, the… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Laurent Depouilly continues his presentation on exercises for proper lutz development. In Part 1 he discussed the idea of using a back outside pivot to train the alignment and edge pressure. In this video,… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Laurent Depouilly shares some exercises for proper lutz development. The first exercise is a back outside pivot drill. (NOTE: Laurent’s primary language is French so his pronunciation of the word pivot sounds more like… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger teaches at one of her Grassroots to Champions seminars several years ago. The information in this series is as valid and useful today as it was when it was recorded. These… Continue reading
Figure skating strength and conditioning expert Matthew Blair Davis continues his discussion on techniques for improving a skater’s strength for the sit spin. In Part 1, he shared a progression of exercises that develop the necessary basic… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade continues her discussion of what she calls the “second up” as a way to think about jump take-offs and collecting into the air position. In the first part, she explained the basic concept and… Continue reading
This video by Chris Conte is actually a continuation of his multi-part series on air turns or the Russian Twist where he references this discussion about reach position. However, the bulk of this discussion is focused… Continue reading
Trevor Laak explains and shows how the loop jump CAN indeed be thought of as a vaulting jump. Historically, the toe jumps in skating (toe loop, flip, and lutz) have been compared to a pole vault, where the picking… Continue reading
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch works with a skater on her layback and layback variations (side layback spin, haircutter spin, and Biellmann spin). Notice how even with an advanced spinner, Charyl has the skater warm-up the back at the… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby provides a relatively thorough discussion of proper loop jump mechanics. In the process, he builds a walk-through for the jump. The details covered here are applicable to single loop, double loop,… Continue reading
International coach Nick Perna works with a skater on her double loop. This is a short section of a much longer lesson, and this section offers a valuable tip for coaches and skaters. For skaters having trouble… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings.… Continue reading
International figure skating coach Page Lipe shares some great tips for developing and improving spread eagles and Ina Bauers. These elements can be very challenging to learn and require good drills and lots of persistence and patience. For… Continue reading
Spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a number of valuable tips for improving a back sit spin. Some of the tips will help improve any backspin entry. Kim says, “The trouble with most people’s back spins are their… Continue reading
Figure skating coach Sheila Thelen offers a series of tips to improve a combination spin. The combination spin in question is a back camel, back sit, twisted back sit, upright, change foot to haircutter. Sheila begins… Continue reading
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson explains how some aspects of Moves in the Field can be used to address issues when teaching free skating, including jumping. She begins by saying, “I like to take some of… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Bobbe Shire continues her discussion of spin basics. In the previous video, she shared a repeatable spin setup and entrance to maximize rotational energy while giving the skater the greatest possible chance for centering… Continue reading
Figure skating strength and conditioning expert Matthew Blair Davis continues his discussion on techniques for improving a skater’s strength for the sit spin. In Part 1, he shared a progression of exercises that develop the necessary basic… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade continues her discussion of what she calls the “second up,” particularly as it relates to axel or double axel. In the first part, she explained the basic concept and why it’s important and began… Continue reading
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on air turns or the Russian Twist. In Part 1, he introduced the overall concept. In Part 2 he explained the first turn and discussed how it relates to snizzles and… Continue reading
In this very short video, World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo explains that he prefers to work as part of a team of coaches. Every coach has certain strengths, and skaters benefit from working with… Continue reading
In this short video, World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby offers a valuable drill for developing the feeling of using “big muscles” to pull in on jumps (and spins). One of the most common jump errors is when skaters… Continue reading
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch gives a spin lesson to a skater with advanced spinning skills. Notice how even with her advanced skaters, Charyl starts the lesson with a basic upright back spin and works toward improvements (in this case,… Continue reading
In this very short video, Nick Perna is working with a skater on his air position. One of the most common similarities among elite skaters in terms of air position is a locked axis leg and a flexed axis… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In Part 2, she discussed the salchow and some drills to improve landings.… Continue reading
International coach Page Lipe gives a skater a double loop lesson. As you’ll see in the video, the skater is rotating and landing the jump, but the jump lacks flow. Page wants the arms to be… Continue reading
Jump specialist Trevor Laak analyzes the following double lutz jump: This skater was in a couple previous videos on iCoachSkating about the double lutz. Those videos were part of a lesson that Page Lipe was giving the skater.… Continue reading
In this figure skating spin video, spin specialist Kim Ryan is working with a skater to improve her butterfly. If you are looking for information about the basics of a butterfly, check out these two videos: … Continue reading
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson offers tips, advice, and exercises to help skaters and coaches master the Backward Loop Pattern from the USFS Junior Moves in the Field test. At the beginning of the video, Karen… Continue reading
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo discusses the value of using video as an analysis and a teaching tool. Using step-by-step or slow-motion video to analyze jumps is an obvious use of video in… Continue reading
Professional choreographer Douglas Webster works with a skater to improve a circular step sequence in her program. In this video we see Doug teaching and offering insights about a program put together by a different choreographer. The… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Bobbe Shire reviews her foundational spin concepts and explains the challenges of the forward scratch spin. After a brief introduction, Bobbe talks about how she uses a 5-step system to teach spins. She… Continue reading
Matthew Blair Davis shares tips and techniques for improving a skater’s strength for the sit spin. The sit spin requires significant strength in the legs and torso. A lack of strength is a common limitation for skaters… Continue reading
Jump specialist Trevor Laak continues a multiple part series on the loop jump. Please see Part 1 for a summary of when and how the survey was conducted. Responses from coaches and skaters were separated, and… Continue reading
This video is a continuation of a class on partner skating (see Part 1 here) by US National Pair Champion Jeremy Barrett and US World ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue. In this video, they cover a lot… Continue reading
The vast majority of the information at iCoachSkating is focused on singles skating and particularly, on how to figure skate singles or how to teach figure skating to a singles skater. This video represents a slight deviation from this… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade continues a discussion with her skaters about the mental and emotional side of skating. In the first part of this series Kori used the metaphor of the “shell-less turtle” to help build confidence and… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade has a discussion with her skaters about the mental and emotional side of skating. In this video, Kori uses a fun and humorous exercise she calls the “shell-less turtle” (or “naked turtle”) as a… Continue reading
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on air turns or the Russian Twist. In Part 1, he introduced the overall concept. In Part 2 he explained the first turn and discussed how it relates to … Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby shares some simple but important concepts to help skaters and coaches address jump issues. He begins by explaining there are “3 big parts” which are pattern, position, and timing. Pattern is related… Continue reading
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch works with a skater on her attitude spin. The attitude spin is a foundational spin that provides some basics to be used later when a skater learns a layback. The attitude spin is… Continue reading
International and World figure skating coach Nick Perna shares a drill he calls the “disco dance” which he uses to help skaters understand the concept of flow or flight direction in a jump. In the last video by… Continue reading
Jump specialist Trevor Laak begins a multiple part series on the loop jump. A few months prior to posting this video, Trevor asked iCoachSkating subscribers to take a survey about the loop jump. The survey consisted of… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh continues a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. In Part 1 she focused on some basics and the axel. In this video, she discusses the salchow and some drills to improve landings.… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh begins a multi-part series on off-ice jumping. A large percentage of elite skaters use off-ice jumps as part of their regular training and warm-up. And top coaches like Michelle often have… Continue reading
International coach Page Lipe continues with a double lutz lesson and shares more valuable tips regarding the lutz. In the first part of this lesson, Page focused on the arms. In this video, the primary focus is… Continue reading
In this video, figure skating coach Sheila Thelen is giving a skater a lesson on the broken leg sit spin (sit side). Sheila explains one method of using the arms on this spin to make the… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger shares a game she developed to help keep her highest level skaters motivated who were training in near isolation. The game is particularly effective for skaters who are the “best” skater in… Continue reading
This short video by figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan is a follow-up to the lesson she gave a skater on a sit spin that transitions from a regular forward sit spin (sit front) to what the skater calls… Continue reading
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson continues a discussion of the Serpentine Step Sequence from the USFS Senior Moves in the Field test. Make sure to watch Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a lesson on a sit spin that transitions from a regular forward sit spin (sit front) to what the skater calls a turtle spin (also called a clam), which is a forward… Continue reading
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson continues a discussion of the Serpentine Step Sequence from the USFS Senior Moves in the Field test. Make sure to watch Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before… Continue reading
This figure skating video is a continuation of an advanced loop class by Ryan Bradley at the G2C Supercamp in the summer of 2015. In Part 1, Ryan offered a number of tips and some specific advice… Continue reading
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo continues his presentation on choreography (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here). In Part 3 he discussed the idea of “polishing” a program, and he continues… Continue reading
World and Olympic figure skating coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo continues his presentation on choreography (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here) with a discussion of “polishing” or improving existing choreography. Pasquale wants every single moment of… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade continues her discussion with her competitive and elite skaters about how elite people approach the world as compared to how ordinary people and even successful people approach it. See the first part… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade has a discussion with her competitive and elite skaters about how elite people approach the world as compared to how ordinary people and even successful people approach it. Her goal is to… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby explains how he teaches a toe loop jump. He begins by acknowledging there are lots of ways to set up the jump, but once backward and reaching, the position should be the… Continue reading
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues with a spin lesson for one of her skaters. In the first part of this lesson, Charyl covered the forward upright scratch spin, the back upright scratch spin, and the forward sit spin.… Continue reading
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on air turns or the Russian Twist. In Part 1, he introduced the overall concept. In Part 2 he explained the first turn and discussed how it relates to snizzles… Continue reading
International and World figure skating coach Nick Perna talks about jump trajectory and flow in the context of throwing a frisbee. Nick notes, “A jump is supposed to be moving through space, turning, and in a straight line,… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade continues her discussion of what she calls the “second up.” In the first part, she explained the basic concept and why it’s important and began some exercises to improve the second up on an… Continue reading
Olympic coach Kori Ade shares her concept of a “second up” in a good figure skating jump. The “first up” is the actual movement of jumping up in the air, and Kori explains, the “second up” is the… Continue reading
Figure skating coach Sheila Thelen shares some great reminders and tips regarding figure skating jumps. Sheila does a large number of seminars and workshops throughout the US each year. And she has some observations regarding common… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Michelle Leigh explains the mechanics of a toe loop jump as it relates to the non-picking foot. She draws a picture on the ice to explain the movements and she shows common errors. … Continue reading
International coach Page Lipe gives a double lutz lesson and shares some valuable tips regarding the lutz. This part of the lesson focuses on the arms, and this information is applicable to other jumps as well. Skaters… Continue reading
This is a short video follow-up to World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger‘s previous video on pivots and skids. Here Audrey recommends teaching a backward snowplow stop and skids in spirals. She highlights the need for figure skaters… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his presentation to a class on waltz jump and axel. In the first part he focused primarily on the setup and the landing. In second part, he shared a walk-through… Continue reading
Chris Conte continues his multi-part series on air turns or the Russian Twist. In Part 1, he introduced the overall concept. In this part, he explains the first turn and discusses how it relates to snizzles and… Continue reading
In this video, spin specialist Charyl Brusch gives a spin lesson to one of her skaters. The value in watching this video comes from seeing the errors (which are common) and the corrections and discussion. At the beginning… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan continues her layback lesson with a skater during a spin seminar. In the first part of the lesson, Kim talked about all of the main problems with the spin. In this… Continue reading
Chris Conte begins a multi-part series on air turns or what he refers to as the Russian twist. This is a very common jump drill, but oftentimes the details are missing. In this series, Chris provides enough information… Continue reading
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a layback lesson to a skater as part of a spin seminar. The skater does a layback with many fundamental errors which Kim identifies and then offers solutions for. A layback… Continue reading
Specialty figures expert Kirsten Olson teaches another specialty figure that uses crosscuts, edge changes, and forward outside loops to create a clover pattern on the ice. You can see Kirsten’s other videos on specialty figures here: Fishtails/Crosscuts,… Continue reading
Figure skating coach Sheila Thelen talks about 2 common misconceptions related to spinning. A high percentage of skaters are unable to correctly answer the following questions: Where on the blade do you balance as you spin? Does… Continue reading
Olympic coach Michelle Leigh offers two valuable exercises for correcting the “pike position” or “broken arrow” jump air position where the body is forward and the skater’s body does not make a nice straight line. The first exercise… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger talks about pivots and she provides motivation for learning pivots and skids/stops. She begins by showing the 4 backward pivots (right backward inside pivot, left backward inside pivot, right backward outside pivot,… Continue reading
International and World figure skating coach Nick Perna continues his explanation of how he teaches turns for complete mastery. In the first part of this video, Nick showed how he teaches a forward outside three-turn on a straight… Continue reading
Moves in the field expert Karen Olson continues a discussion of the Serpentine Step Sequence from the USFS Senior Moves in the Field test. To see Part 1 of this presentation, click here, and to see… Continue reading
In this short video, International coach Page Lipe explains the h-position clap drill. She uses this drill with skaters on loop, flip, and lutz jumps and she explains it doesn’t work very well on salchow (and toe loop… Continue reading
World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby continues his presentation to a class on waltz jump and axel. In the first part he focused primarily on the setup and the landing. In second part, he shared a walk-through… Continue reading
As an iCoachSkating subscriber, would you please take the following survey on the loop jump? Please select the correct button below to go to the survey. The survey itself should take about 5 to 10 minutes. If you do… Continue reading