Backward Chasses | Improvers Learn to Ice Skate Series

[@kennyhogg5820]

I assume this is to help prepare you for other move(s). If so which one(s)? Backward crossovers maybe?

[@IceSkatingLondon]

Hi Kenny, Backward Chasses are a great starting point for short backward curved glides (improving balance without the need to commit long term) This gives a skater the opportunity to develop upper body discipline before progressing to long duration inside and outside curved glides and of course, backward cross overs. Chasses are often under valued in their contribution to learning good backward balance technique. Folks tend to want to rush ahead to cross-overs, somehow placing more status on the crossing action than the backward balancing. Viva les chasses!

[@kennyhogg5820]

@@IceSkatingLondon Thanks for explaining. I'll have to try them. Plan is to get my own skates next week and get off rentals. Then hopefully it goes better with those and I can try new things and improvement goes slightly easier. Yeah I assumed that getting down simpler broken-down basics helps with more complex maneuvers later on.

[@honyakupjp]

When you say that all your weight should be on the inside leg, how about when doing the actual push for the lemon? Do you need to apply some weight to the outside leg in order to make the c-cut and then transfer weight to the inside?

[@IceSkatingLondon]

It is important to separate the term “weight” from “pressure” and “push”. When I use the word Weight it is referring to the distribution and carriage of our body mass. Strictly speaking I should use the words Centre of mass and Centre of pressure (for the foot end) but that all takes too long to say and not everyone gets it. Push and pressure are what we exert to propel us along the ice by the extension of joint angles (a bent joint becomes straight as we push) Now, image you are in a kayak on a lake….do you transfer some of your body weight to the paddle when it’s time to push yourself along? If you do, does your vessel remain stable? Or does the boat rock? Assuming we want to be more stable, we carry our body weight in the kayak and use the paddle to generate our movement across the water. Kayak is skating blade…paddle Is pushing leg. This is a loose analogy, but I I hope it helps create a clearer concept image for generating your pushes both backward and forward

[@honyakupjp]

@@IceSkatingLondon Thanks for the detailed answer! Got it, I think. Off to the rink today to try to put it all into practice.