Move Backwards to Go Forwards

[Kitten23]

Has anyone here ever gone back to group lessons after years of skating freestyle?  I have a handful of basic skating moves that I just can't do and rather than spend hours and thousands (which I already have) trying to get them in my private lessons, I thought I'd go back to group lessons in January to learn these skills.  It sounds like a good idea on paper, but I can't help but wonder whether I'll be wasting more money.

And yes, I have tried to work on these skills alone, but I just keep making the same mistakes and developing bad habits.  Any thoughts?

[Loops]

Why is it moving backwards?  Sounds like a good strategy to keep moving forwards, to me! As long you're getting something out of it, and meeting your learning goals, then why not.  Plus it might be fun to meet new people.


I say go for it!

[jjane45]

I have always taken group lessons when I actively skated. it really depends on the class size, structure, and most importantly, who is teaching it.

most of my group coaches were willing to work with me on the skills I requested after group warm-up. but then I had the best group coaches in a small adult freestyle class.

[ChristyRN]

It is never going backwards to work on basics.

[dlbritton]

Has anyone here ever gone back to group lessons after years of skating freestyle?  I have a handful of basic skating moves that I just can't do and rather than spend hours and thousands (which I already have) trying to get them in my private lessons, I thought I'd go back to group lessons in January to learn these skills.  It sounds like a good idea on paper, but I can't help but wonder whether I'll be wasting more money.

And yes, I have tried to work on these skills alone, but I just keep making the same mistakes and developing bad habits.  Any thoughts?

It probably depends a lot on the make up of the group lessons. At my rink the adult LTS is called a workshop because Adult 2-6 are in one "class". But the rink is very accommodating in providing coaches. The past 2 sessions we have had 2-3 adult 2 skaters with a coach assigned, 3-4 in adult 4-5 with a coach assigned and 3-5 adults that have all passed bronze moves with a coach assigned to them. On 2 occasions I was the only adult 5 present and they only assigned 2 coaches so I chose to skate with the adult 2 group. I figure working on the lower skills was better than trying to keep up with the freestyle skaters. So at my rink someone in your situation would probably benefit from taking group lessons.

As some of the other posters stated going back to the basics is always a good thing.

[Christy]

It's definitely not going backwards to revisit skills that you want to improve. If there was an opportunity to do that locally I'd be first in line.

[JSM]

If there were an appropriate class available, I'd do group classes along with my normal practices and private lessons.  Group classes can be a good way to work on those basic skills for a good price - and more ice time is NEVER a bad thing!

[AgnesNitt]

Has anyone here ever gone back to group lessons after years of skating freestyle?  I have a handful of basic skating moves that I just can't do and rather than spend hours and thousands (which I already have) trying to get them in my private lessons, I thought I'd go back to group lessons in January to learn these skills.  It sounds like a good idea on paper, but I can't help but wonder whether I'll be wasting more money.

And yes, I have tried to work on these skills alone, but I just keep making the same mistakes and developing bad habits.  Any thoughts?

If you can't do the skills, then LTS is the cheapest way to do it. If LTS doesn't work then at least you can justify spending money on private lessons.

Tell the group coach up front what your issues are.

[rd350]

After injuring my foot due to my old boots and while I wait, and wait, and wait for my new boots to get done, I decided to go back to group, after doing privates and I am pretty happy doing it.  I definitely get something out of it for basic moves!  If you're in a good group you can also help and get help from others in practice.

[littlerain]

Agreed! Even if there aren't different levels available, at the very least you will have more ice time. When I was in California for work in the summer/fall, I took an adult group class that shared ice (and sometimes a coach) with the adult freestyle group, and I really was challenged to work on skills in sequence. Not to mention that the coach was a nationals level ice dancer - so all sorts of turns and sequences and basic corrections that helped so much!!

Anyway, my class at home is not divided into levels, but I appreciate having the time to work on different skills. I agree that working on basics always helps, and the two big things I've focused on is staying square (always!) and not looking at the ice. Thinking about knee bend and just being able to go over elements I may not otherwise practice often is good too

Oh, and I suppose you can always do skills other than what the coach tells you! There is an older woman in my class who frequently practices her spinning if she gets tired of edges, crossovers or whatever it is we're working on. Coach doesn't mind at all! Plus, she often gives students harder variations to work on anyway!

[Kitten23]

Thank you all for your feedback.  I will sign up for those lessons in January (which I just noticed is closer than I thought).  I may master those outside mohawks yet!

[sarahspins]

It is never going backwards to work on basics.

I agree with this 100% - as long as the instruction is good, it's not a step backwards, it's still a step forwards

I actually teach LTS at my rink but I still take some group classes (in addition to regular private lessons) just to get some extra instruction time, and also to work with some different coaches (only because sometimes someone will explain how to do something slightly different and that tends to lead to an "aha!" moment for me).  It works out great for me.

One of my biggest regrets when I started skating again nearly 5 years ago was that I didn't start taking lessons (in any capacity) again sooner than I did... it took me a year of skating on my own before I signed up for a group class (which was great) and I sometimes feel like "wasted" a year thinking I wasn't ready for it... there was so much I could have been working on in that time and I know that taking a class would have made my practice time much more productive.