Figure Skating Basics Video: Life And Death Balance (Sheila Thelen)

Sheila Thelen offers a clever if not slightly diabolical concept to help skaters clearly remember their proper alignment side for jump air positions (as well as most take-offs and landings).  I’m sure all coaches have either said or wanted to say, “If you do that again you’ll kill yourself” when a skater pulls outside the circle to “help” create/speed-up rotation.

Of course it does not help create or speed up rotation but rather simply destroys the skaters alignment, usually resulting in nasty falls out to the free side. Sheila has simply taken this one step further and given it a name that will stick with skaters of all ages.  Once exposed to this concepts, skaters will NEVER forget the proper position or the importance of the proper position. Please leave Sheila a (diabolical) comment.

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4 responses to “Figure Skating Basics Video: Life And Death Balance (Sheila Thelen)”

  1. Sheila Thelen

    Debi!!! SO DO I!!! (Seems lots of our skaters, don’t seem to care!!)

  2. Debi

    I want to live

  3. Amanda

    Do you have any good drills to improve the ability to make the transition to the “life” side in the air on axels, salchows, toe loops besides the good old waltz jump into a back scratch spin? The understanding may be there, but the ability may not.

  4. Eliska

    Brilliant!!