Skating Technique: Figures

I had my first lesson on figures three weeks ago. Read about it here. I don't have enough information about figures yet, so I feel cannot really make a plan, like how much to practice, when to have a lesson. But here is where I'm at...

I looked online to buy a scribe, unsuccessfully. People say they see them on ebay occasionally, but now there are none. I remember I saw a post on Facebook about somebody making them, new, but I'll have to dig to find that post. A friend suggested some skating websites, but I haven't write the names down and I couldn't remember them. I have to wait until a see her next time. I'm also asking around if anybody would let me borrow theirs. Then I could take my time to find one...

Meanwhile, I tried to make a guide on my own. I measured a thread, and knotted looped at both ends and took two nails with me. I asked a friend to hold a nail and went around her. The first problem was that the thread I used was stretching, if I would do it again, I would choose maybe a ribbon for packing gifts. Then, the tracing wasn't very visible, I would need to go over it with a marker (I would have to buy one first, it needs to be a washable marker, so the Zamboni cleans the markings. This is the one my coach is using (Marks-A-Lot Jumbo Chisel Tip Washable Marker), I'll buy it on my next order. But, the biggest problem was that it took a while to trace it, and both me and my friend stayed in a squared position, we braved it trough but I don't think it;s worth it.

But! I had the feeling that my forward outside circles eight are quite round if I do them on the middle of the rink circle. I thought I'll ask my coach to bring out the scribe and check it, after I did it on clean ice. And... it was close enough. It was a little bigger, but the lobes were equal. So I'll use the forward outside eight tracing as my guide for the other figures, at least until I'll find a scribe.

Then, trying to implement my first lesson instructions, I have to change from what I was doing before for MITF test. Firstly, the push is very exact push. The pushing foot marks have to be on top of each other... I also had the push too laterally, but I don't feel I cannot really work on these yet. I feel i have to find the right speed, enough to bring me around, but slow enough so I can actually control the spot of the new push. At this point I'm going too fast I think. I was also concentrating on the spot (mark) where the new foot (the ball of it) should start. But it seams it may be better to try to alight the pushing foot over the old mark, one reason being that it is more visible. My coach says I have to do both... Also, one side is better then the other, when I push to the left, the marks are more consistent, when I push to the right I think I lean forward a little, and the push mark is a little back, I don't touch the boots in a T position. My coach showed me that my coming back to the center marks sometime pass on the other circle, so I need to keep it neat. I feel it is still an issue with going slower. AND looking down. Yes, on figures you are allowed, actually you have to look down. I still have to work on these things until I add to it. Because there is adding to it... My coach showed me that there is a difference in marking between a forward outside push and a forward inside push...

Then I had to work on the the lower body position... I used to hold the free foot extended back, then bring it at the ankle at the middle of the circle, then extended it forward. Now, I have to bring the foot at the ankle immediately, and I bring it at the back of the ankle, my coach wants it almost laterally. All this is so the hip position is locked in from the beginning of the circle, then you just hold. At the middle of the circle, I do extend forward, but without changing the hips alignment. I'm starting to do this consistently. And this would make my circles consistent so I can push with less speed and have more control on the push.

The waltz circle eight is more of a struggle. Firstly exit edge of the 3-turn was going out of the circle. My coach says I lean out of the circle on the exit edge, as I do on the dance 3-turns... See, figures will help my skating overall, including the dance. I'm able now to align the 3-turns on the circle, it was a  trial and error until I've got the right curve. I'm also Able to keep the cusp of the turn in the same spot (generally). But my coach says I'm forcing the 3-turns, they should be smoother. Then, the back outside push, again, goes out of the circle and mostly, I couldn't figure out how to turn forward at the same spot. My coach showed me I have to look down over my middle back, staying align over the hip. I was looking around, and that pulled me out of the circle.

I also figured that I have the time and I like working on figures twice a week at the beginning of the sessions for around 20 minutes. That is Wednesday, when I want to take it easy and save my muscle for my next day lesson, and Thursday, when I skate in the studio rink, so i cannot do power and speedy skating anyhow.

Skating Technique: Figures

I decided to add "figures" to my skating practice. I feel practicing them brings awareness on the body alignment for good edges, and also create body memory of that alignment. Mostly I feel they are easier on the body then the rest of the skating. I'm trying to skate 5 times a week Monday to Friday, but I know my body cannot take intense skating every day, so I can practice figures when I feel tired or when I want to preserve energy for the next day.

So I've spent a private lesson, with my regular coach that luckily teaches everything, on figures. He brought a scribe (like a big compass) to make a perfect circle mark on ice. Interestingly, when testing figures, you cannot use marks, not even the hockey marks and line that are on ice, lower levels can mark the center, that's it. But for practice, having a perfect circle drawn (scratched really), gives you the opportunity to start learning correctly. There are many rules for figures, but the lesson was 30 minutes, I don't think that would be enough to talk trough all the rules... So we jumped right into the forward circle eight, outside and inside edges. Besides, the rules are online, here: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/Compulsory%20Figures%20Rules.pdf

 What I've learned in the lesson:
- 2 circles were drawn, tangent to each other, with a radius of 94 inches. In my calculations I would need 98, to follow the rule, that is that "the diameter of each circle should be approximately three times the height of the skater"
- The start push is very specific, very exact: from a perfect T position, with the ball of the skating foot exactly on the starting line. AND all the subsequent  pushes are like that... Plus they have to be on top of each other...
- You have to repeat a figure 3 times, and the tracing should be on top of each other (I know there is a few inches allowance, but I don't remember it now).
- On this first lesson I wasn't taught specifics about how I should hold my body. I'm already able to do the forward circle eight well, so we built into that. One correction I was given was to bring the free foot near the ankle of the skating foot as  soon as possible, so I'll have the hip position locked. Then I would change the upper body at the middle of the circle, and lift on the skating leg, leaning into the circle, to finish the circle.
- The forward eight outside and inside circles were not bad, the worst part was the push.
- I've also tried the waltz eight circles and that was quite bad. I couldn't keep the 3-turn on the circle, I went out of the circle. I'm sure I will need to work on the 3-turn too, I feel is more "delicately" done then the one in MITF.
- I've also tried the back circles and while I do them MITF style successfully, I was very off the circle, like a foot or two....