"I have a saying that “A good point overdone becomes a bad point” and that is certainly the case for rotation." a quote from Ron Jellse...

In Compulsory Figure Skating, rotating too far can produce the wrong edge either before or after the turn.  In Free Skating, rotating too far on the take-off of an axle or double salchow can make the skater jump outside the circle.  In Solo Dance Skating, rotating too far at the beginning of a lobe can cause you to aim your steps in the wrong direction.  In Team Dance Skating, if one partner deepens or hooks his edge on face-to-face rotation, (example: Chase Waltz), it causes the team to go in different directions on the rotation.

The ingredients of an EDGE are:  1) Aim – The direction you are going.  2)Lean – The inclination of the body.  3) Momentum – The power or roll of the edge.  There is one other important factor and that is the constant side pressure on the skate.

It is important that we realize that we start out square to the trace and that our speed and depth of edge determine how far we rotate on an edge.  In other words, our axis of 45%, 60% or 90% determines how far we rotate.  An extremely fast skater will rotate further than a skater who is going slower.  The shoulders are many times the culprits here.  People will sometimes twist their shoulders ahead of the edge that causes an abruptly deepened edge (or hooked edge).  The rotation and lean of any lobe or any circle in figure skating should be set at the beginning and remain the same through the whole circle being skated or lobe being skated.  Sometimes in figure skating we will hook and cut across our circle.  In dance skating, we will see an abrupt twist or turn of the body to go the direction we want to go.  Remember, in both dance and figures, you always face the way you are going (square to the trace).  You never rotate ahead of your trace or beyond your trace.  The cross front in the center lobe of the Skaters March or the Siesta Tango are examples.

Sometimes people rotate too far and do not aim the center or fail to rotate the left side far enough forward and do XF-RIF instead of XF-ROF.  The LOF preceding the cross should stay on the outside edge and cross front is now the angular “AND” position and aims to the center.  It is extremely important that this be two beat outer to outer edges.  The angular “AND” position enables you to aim with a minimum of twisting of the shoulders.

On figure turns or in dance skating turns, extreme twisting of the shoulders can cause the wrong edges to be skated.  The problem is that this extreme rotation of the shoulders causes the hips to turn too soon.  This causes the skate to either rock over or exit the circle too soon. 

A tip in School Figures:  On all turns, when rotating the shoulders into a turn, hold the hips square to the trace.  This the torque that we so often speak of and is caused by the hips held square and the shoulders rotated.  Tension and release will be uncomfortable going into the turn so that you are comfortable coming out of the turn.

Another important tip on all turns is that you only turn the shoulders enough to start the hip rotating.  This is also different for each person.

Always remember:  Rotation is a touchy part of our skating.  It is very easy to overdo it and end up twisting instead.  In the end, what you are looking for is an easy flow without twisting or contorting the body—never anything that is offensive to the eye.

More important tips in both dance and figures

Pass your free leg close and in a straight line. Both in figures and dance skating the free leg often resembles kicking—this is very bad.

Never cross your free leg in dance or in figures.

The first three words in the definition of a swing, “a controlled movement” are often disregarded in dance skating.

In an attempt to stretch our free leg, we sometimes throw it forward.  If you want to stretch your free leg properly, you should work on stretching exercises so that you leg can be stretched without being violent.  In figure skating, you match your free leg in back and in front keeping it low to control your balance.

Progressive Runs—seem to be another problem in skating today.  In our lower divisions, we are taught to push on the first and third runs.  Some say you can push a little on your second run as long as you don’t cross it.  Our best international skaters were brought up under the American system=--Heather Menard, Jane Worjanowski, Lisa Friday, Jody Viola, Angie Famiano.  If you were taught to push only on the first and third run and then you add a push on the second, you are then super powerful.  This is the secret that the Europeans have been searching for in our compulsory dance at the Worlds.  The secret to power is starting with your feet together and pushing from the whole side of the foot. 

Pushing Tip:  The angle you start your push from is most important.  You start to the side and then your foot finishes behind.  The reason people cross the steps are that they leave their free leg too far to the side.

People at this past Nationals asked me, “Why should I start in the parallel “AND” position on hold step?  People won at Nationals stepping ahead and crossing their runs.”  I say they won in spite of these mistakes.  It does not mean we give up on teaching our basic fundamentals.  The only way I will change my teaching is if we change in our book what it says about basic fundamentals. We must have the courage of our own convictions.  Basic fundamentals are the backbone of our figures, dance and freestyle.  I am so tired of the Europeans criticizing our lack of basic fundamentals when we taught them to skate to begin with. 

I hope some of these tips may help you become a better skater and/or teacher.

Sincerely,  Ron Jellse

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