Moves in the field expert Karen Olson explains how she teaches the Power Double Three-Turns to Power Double Rocker patterns of the USFS Senior Moves test. Much of this discussion is specifically about these patterns, but even those not teaching or skating these particular patterns can learn a lot from Karen’s approach to teaching a complex pattern like this.
To begin working this move, Karen has her skaters skate a repeating rocker-rocker drill with a simple push between them. She focuses on “foot placement and how the legs work.” She shares a great tip or way of thinking about the quick rockers, using the idea of opening and closing the skating foot with respect to the free foot. She uses this drill to help teach the rhythm and placement of the rocker-rocker on the lobe.
Next, Karen has the skater review the double-three pattern from the Intermediate Moves test. She talks briefly about that technique and notes the increased speed and quickness at the Senior level. She also notes that edge quality between the 2 turns is typically a problem for many skaters so extra time should be spent mastering this.
To continue, Karen uses a repeating drill with 2 power pulls and the rocker-rocker (not alternating). This gets the skater moving yet keeps the movements simple. Karen says, “you’re just doing the pattern minus the double threes.” The purpose of this drill is to work on “speed and flow and edge quality without worrying about the double three” and the repeated turns on the same foot build mastery faster. She then switches it up to do the same drill but with the double threes only (without the rockers). Karen explains how to do these drills more efficiently (it’s not random which foot and edge you start with!).
Building further, the next drill is alternating (inside/outside) double three, change of edge, (outside/inside) double three, change of edge (repeated). Then she does the same drill doing rocker-rocker in place of the double three turns.
Finally, the skater is allowed to skate the final pattern. But Karen demands that all the drills discussed are mastered fully, making the actual final pattern relatively straightforward.
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