The Voice from the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Most Common Technical Pitfalls....continued

In past articles I presented readers with my assessment of the most common training-related errors. This article was so well received that it seems only logical that we now delve into the technical side of our sport, and examine the most common problems.

Through my SpeedCamp workshops I have come to the conclusion that almost all skaters display one (or more) of three or four common technical errors. Granted there are more, but several things are clear to me:

Most skaters do not understand what constitues proper technique.
Without feedback skaters will never know what they're doing wrong.
Even if skaters know what they're doing wrong, few know how to correct the error.

Speedskating is all about body position, balance, and timing. Efficient skating cannot exist without proficiency in each of these areas, with balance being the core ability. Becoming a solid skater requires patience, practice, and attention to detail. Too many skaters go out and skate hard, but also skate very poorly.

Building efficient skating technique starts with addressing basic body alignment, control over the edges, and sufficient balance to coordinate dynamic motion while rolling. As skaters speed up they reach the point where they will fall apart beyond a certain speed or intensity of effort. I refer to this point as one’s ‘technical threshold’. The simple truth is that most people skate above their technical threshold all the time. For developing athletes, 75% of skating time should be spent below this level. This is the only way one can properly address flaws and focus well enough on what’s happening to be able to apply corrective measures. Don’t ever underestimate the importance of skating slowly and in complete control.

Note: The below discussion relates to ‘classic technique’, which takes its roots from ice speedskating.

1) Body weight too far forward

When we address basic alignment we must look at the three key joints of the lower body. These are: ankle, knee, and hip/trunk. All three joints must be in proper balance if a skater is to apply maximum force through the wheels. Proper body position also places the muscles in their optimal position to develop power.

In basic position the joints should be balanced so that the body weight and centre of gravity are positioned over the skate roughly 2/3 of the way towards the heel. Most skaters demonstrate two related problems with this: insufficient knee bend, and too much forward flexion of the trunk. In such a position the centre of gravity falls over the toe wheel, or even worse – ahead of the skate entirely. This causes a chain reaction of problems. The skater will have a tendency to push back, wear out their front wheel, get a sore back, and reduce overall efficiency. To correct for these errors the strategy is normally to bend the knees further and elevate the trunk. This moves the centre of gravity more rearward where body weight is evenly distributed over all wheels.

2) Poor Edge Control

Once the issue of basic position and body weight has been addressed, the most fundamental skill for any skater is to master control over the edges. What does this mean? Most skaters understand that they have both and inside and outside edge, but few understand which edge to be on at what time, or – more importantly – the timing of the critical transition from outside and inside edge.

Most skaters know that we use the inside edge of the wheels to push, but most skaters don’t realize just how important it is to roll on the outside edge of the wheels. During the glide the pushing leg goes through its circular recovery. Midway through this action that the body weight begins to fall away from the support/glide leg. During the latter portion of the recovery the movement of the body weight will cause the skater to ‘roll over’ the apex of the wheel. It is at this precise moment that pushing force should be initiated. These forces are enhanced by the change in leverage as the wheel rolls from the outside edge, over the top of the wheel, and onto the inside edge.

Many skates glide and roll on the inside edge of their wheels, or have the timing of the outer-inner edge roll all wrong (usually too early). Most skaters suffer from premature weight transfer, and roll to the inside too early. The fix is to slow down the recovery, glide on the outside edge longer, and roll onto the inside edge at the beginning of the power/pushing phase.

Barry Publow

Find more information and valuable articles on Barry's web sites, Breakawayskate and E-Train

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