Chris Conte offers insights into ways coaches can speed the learning process by focusing on skills that emphasize basic jump rotation and developing power out of edges.  Chris offers ideas on drills and skills that are intended to augment or fill in the gaps in standard learn-to-skate programs.

Chris likes marching the ice as a way to get new skaters used to creating h-positions which are so valuable at all levels of skating.  Then Chris discusses a movement he calls “monkey drops” which is simply bouncing like a monkey.  This is done at a standstill, and Chris points out that when doing “monkey drops” skaters will automatically engage their core and maintain pretty good posture.  Later in the video Chris offers an alternative arm position for “monkey drops.”

Next Chris covers swizzles.  He starts foot positions, with the hips turned out, parallel and turned in.  The swizzle itself starts with a monkey drop.  Chris does not have the skater hold their arms up while learning swizzles.  He notes that at this level skaters don’t know how to hold their arms up for long periods of time without using the wrong muscles.  (For all you biomechanics people out there, the arms should be held up with the deltoid muscles but people that aren’t used to holding up their arms for long periods generally engage their trapezius muscles.)

Chris notes that one of his pet peeves in coaching is the typical approach to having skaters learn to skate and do their moves in the field with their arms held out with very rigid arms and shoulders.  It does not appreciably improve balance because typically the arms are hyperextened, the wrong muscles are engaged to hold the arms up, and it’s rigid and uncomfortable.  It also teaches skaters to skate with a static arm position which is often then difficult to undo for more advanced choreography later on.  Chris prefers the arms to be relaxed and at their sides.  It’s safer in case of a fall and it promotes relaxed skating.

Next Chris discusses rocking horses.  He likes this exercise, but note that he focuses on the “monkey drop” before the forward as well as the backward swizzle.

Finally, Chris addresses how to use these skills to develop natural rotation.  He explains it simply as a forward swizzle on one foot and a backward swizzle on the other.  He begins in the middle of the rocking horse.  Chris calls this a “rotating swizzle” and this is one of the “Missing Pieces” that Chris uses to help his skaters develop rotation and comfort with two-foot spins.  It forces the skater to engage their core, and Chris uses various arm positions to develop proper posture and balance.

These are great concepts for beginning skaters and coaches.  Please leave Chris a comment.

Please leave a comment below and check out the rest of the videos in this series by Chris:

Improving Figure Skating: Learn To Skate – Part 2 (Chris Conte)

Improving Figure Skating: Learn To Skate – Part 3 (Chris Conte)

Air Position Development In Figure Skating: Theory and Application (Chris Conte)

Improving Figure Skating: Learn To Skate – Part 5 (Chris Conte)

Improving Figure Skating: Learn To Skate – Part 6 (Chris Conte)

Improving Figure Skating: Learn To Skate – Part 7 (Chris Conte)

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