How to improve extension?

[sampaguita]

I know this is possible because I've done something similar with my arms. I used to have my hands down (I think they call them scarecrow arms???) but after a month of off-ice training, my arms are now straight, by default.

Right now, when I stroke, my free leg always appears to be bent at the knees. I can improve extension, but it's not natural. A lot of extra effort is involved. What exercises can I do to make it more natural to keep my leg straight? Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

[Icicle]

Your knee should be locked, almost to the point of pain. It's hard, but you have to remind yourself to keep doing it. Eventually it will become second nature.

[sampaguita]

Your knee should be locked, almost to the point of pain. It's hard, but you have to remind yourself to keep doing it. Eventually it will become second nature.

Hmm I should do that off-ice as well. Maybe just sitting on the floor with the knees locked will help?

[icedancer]

Think about extending all the way through your foot and pointing your toes as hard as you possibly can as you extend your free leg down towards the ice with the foot turned out.

As with everything in skating it takes a lot of practice and is probably the first thing to go when you get scared or thrown off your edge or something.

[sarahspins]

Hmm I should do that off-ice as well. Maybe just sitting on the floor with the knees locked will help?

I don't think that would help you much at all, because it doesn't mimic the motion on the ice, and what you want to develop is muscle memory, not the ability to sit/stand with locked knees.

It's just going to take a lot of practice and a lot of correction/reinforcement.  Some it may also have to do with technique - if you aren't using your knee bend and pushing with your blade correctly, getting that extension that should come naturally may feel very unnatural.

[AgnesNitt]

At 60+ I have adopted the 'yeah, whatever' attitude towards extension. 

Although if you're serious, practicing in front of a full length mirror helps.

[sk8time]

Your knee should be locked, almost to the point of pain. It's hard, but you have to remind yourself to keep doing it. Eventually it will become second nature.

It also helps to have a coach giving less than subtle reminders about wimpy legs every time you waltz jump, swing roll, etc.   

[Landing~Lutzes]

You could try the tennisball exercises (if it is a strength issue). Place a worn out tennis ball under your knee. Flex the foot and press down hard on the ball. This engages the quad muscles and stretches the back of the knee.

[sampaguita]

You could try the tennisball exercises (if it is a strength issue). Place a worn out tennis ball under your knee. Flex the foot and press down hard on the ball. This engages the quad muscles and stretches the back of the knee.

I will try this, thanks!

Although if you're serious, practicing in front of a full length mirror helps.

I do this -- off-ice stroking, with full extension, off-ice. But on-ice it is much, much harder...

[taka]

I do this -- off-ice stroking, with full extension, off-ice. But on-ice it is much, much harder...

Why do you find it harder? Is it a balance thing or your boots restricting your ankle bend?

If it is your balance, you could try using a wobble cushion or similar (off ice) to practice this on. If you can adjust and control your balance getting into and out of a nicely extended position while on it you may find it easier on the ice as you'll be used to making some of the adjustments in your balance you'll need to do/control on ice too that just balancing on your foot on the floor probably won't mimic.

Just use it away from furniture etc just in case you loose your balance!

[MadMac]

Extend the leg (straighten the knee as much as you can then pull up in the kneecap. You can practice this standing on both feet too. Pulling up the kneecaps will strengthen the muscles required to stretch the extension fully.

[Clarice]

This is one of those things where I find ballet very helpful.  In this case, I think tendu and battement exercises in particular would be beneficial.

[rsk8d]

Tighten your quad while simultaneously pointing your toes

[Doubletoe]

The deeper you bend your knees--and the lower you get your butt--with each stroke before pushing off for the next one, the more you will need to push off and extend the leg you just pushed off from.  So focus on keeping a wide stance, with deeply bent knees and butt low to the ice as you stroke.  Push off from left to right and then from right to left, rather than thinking about going straight forward.  This will make it more natural to extend the leg you're pushing off from (and point the toes!).  Since you are pushing off from side to side, there should be no toepick pushing.  It should all be from the edge of the blade.  And that means your push-off leg will extend somewhat to the side (7:00 or 8:00 for the left leg, 4:00 or 5:00 for the right leg).  Just remember, the deeper you bend before each push, the more time you have to fully extend the free leg.

[sampaguita]

Thanks everyone!

I revised my off-ice stroking to focus more on the quads than on the glutes, on extension more than speed. I think my extension is better -- my legs are no longer as bent at the knees as before -- but sarahspins and Doubletoe are right. A lot of it has to do with technique as well, and I'm still working on that on-ice.

I'll keep updating this thread as I experiment on this!

[Doubletoe]

Remember, your strokes are not supposed to be quick; they are supposed to be powerful.  If you try to stroke quickly, it's impossible to get good extension.  But if you start low with deep knee bend, then push off with maximum power, you will get a lot of distance per stroke (i.e., speed) and you will naturally extend the leg you just pushed off from.  Watch Patrick Chan and Carolina Kostner and you'll see great examples of this.

[jjane45]

Remember, your strokes are not supposed to be quick; they are supposed to be powerful.  If you try to stroke quickly, it's impossible to get good extension.  But if you start low with deep knee bend, then push off with maximum power, you will get a lot of distance per stroke (i.e., speed) and you will naturally extend the leg you just pushed off from.  Watch Patrick Chan and Carolina Kostner and you'll see great examples of this.

great tip!! my dilemma is not knowing for how long should each stroke be held. I want to get the most out of each push, but it also feels wrong to let it run out of momentum.

[sampaguita]

Remember, your strokes are not supposed to be quick; they are supposed to be powerful.  If you try to stroke quickly, it's impossible to get good extension.  But if you start low with deep knee bend, then push off with maximum power, you will get a lot of distance per stroke (i.e., speed) and you will naturally extend the leg you just pushed off from.  Watch Patrick Chan and Carolina Kostner and you'll see great examples of this.

Thanks Doubletoe! I also found that if I just keep my body erect instead of propelling it forward, it's easier to get speed.

A dilemma for me, though, is what to do when the dance requires a certain rhythm that's too fast for me. For example, in the Dutch Waltz, I always have a lot of difficulty with the push that happens on the progressive because it's too fast! I always end up either having to compromise extension, or compromising the push....

[taka]

what to do when the dance requires a certain rhythm that's too fast for me.

Practice, practice and even more practice!

My coach has me practice progressive runs round a hockey circle concentrating on good posture, extension, kneebend, push and underpush throughout. Start slowly and build up speed gradually until you are doing them as fast as you are able to while still doing them correctly, then push things a tiny bit past this comfort point each time. Do them in both directions. As you gradually improve you should be able to do them increasingly faster (still correctly!). It helps to build confidence that you CAN move your feet that quickly and also to get you used to the (ever increasing) speed over the ice too!

[sampaguita]

UPDATE:

It's been almost a month since I worked on my extension off-ice. Basically, what I did was off-ice stroking, with the same posture and knee bend that I would have on-ice, but with focus on extension. It worked! Now when I try to straighten my knee (off ice and on ice), the muscles don't hurt anymore. Could be a useful exercise too for other skaters out there with similar issues!

[Doubletoe]

Great to hear that, Sampaguita!  How is your stretching going, by the way?

[sampaguita]

Doubletoe: Unfortunately, my flexibility is not getting much better. I stretch every time I exercise (which is 3x-4x a week now), but I think it's main effect is that I don't get cramping afterwards, which is still good. Although I have noticed that I can now do swing rolls higher, but I think that's more an issue of strength than of flexibility.