tips for better edge control?

[drskater]

Sorry to repeat advice, but if you can somehow find a way to learn school figures, like the basic circle eight, you'll learn all kinds of techniques for body posture and edge control to maintain a nice clean outside edge.

[Doubletoe]

Here is a tip from Carol Rossignol's education article in the most recent PSA magazine:

In this article, Carol tells about having the skater imagine a city of igloos that they will lean against as they describe edges and circular patterns (such as the 8-step mohawk.) She says "Mold yourself around each igloo, pressing the curved wall with all your parts, from head to fingertips to toes." I used this technique yesterday with a student who was having trouble with her upper body leaning out of her circle and it helped considerably.

I love that!! To repeat two things others have said but phrase them differently, I would suggest focusing on:
(1) *ankle* bend (think of bending your ankles, not just your knees and that will help keep your weight in the right place and make you press into the ice), and
(2) *alignment* over the side you are skating on. I say "alignment" rather than "lean" because trying to "lean" can make you drop your skating side shoulder, tilt, and get off balance. Let's say you are doing a left forward outside edge. Don't "lean" by dropping your left shoulder and tilting your head sideways to the left. Instead, keep your head level but shift it to the left so that your left ear is aligned over your left shoulder, which stays level. Now lift your right hip. You are now aligned over your left hip without being tilted and off-balance.
Also, as others have said, the position of your shoulders is important. You want your shoulders lined up over the imaginary circle you are on. For example, if you want to hold a left outside edge, push your right arm/shoulder in front and pull your left arm/shoulder back so that your chest faces inside the imaginary circle you are skating on. For a right outside edge, it would be left arm/shoulder in front and right arm/shoulder pulled back.

[icedancer2]

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned raising the free hip to create the lean.

I NEVER think about lean, it just happens when you raise that hip and get on the edge.

I agree that figures training will help of course, but then again I am biased... (big figures enthusiast here).

Good luck and let us know how it goes with all of this advice!

[Doubletoe]

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned raising the free hip to create the lean.

I NEVER think about lean, it just happens when you raise that hip and get on the edge.

I mentioned it in the post above yours, but it's definitely worth repeating!

[icedancer2]

I mentioned it in the post above yours, but it's definitely worth repeating!

Ooops - yes you are right but it was kind of buried in there I guess (and the rest of your post was right-on also!)