Steps Cheat Sheet

[dbny]

Today I taught my coach how to do a closed outside mohawk. Of course she did it better than I can.

But I took some ice dance lessons a decade ago, and she always did singles.

Forward, back, or both? I love the look of the back outside closed mohawks, but can't do them any faster than at a snail's pace.

[MR-FAN]

My cheat sheet should indicate the free leg position for different turns. It's usually difficult for me to figure out when does free leg go in front and when tucked behind, lol.

Does it matter? Last Wednesday I was practicing my right forward inside 3-turns both ways, one with my free leg in front and another with my free leg behind. I thought it could be done both ways. But let me guess, the correct free leg position would be in front (since it's the harder one for me )

[gkelly]

Forward, back, or both? I love the look of the back outside closed mohawks, but can't do them any faster than at a snail's pace.

Forward, like in the Foxtrot etc.

What does a back outside closed mohawk look like?

[jjane45]

Does it matter?

There is probably no right or wrong, but some turns are easier with free leg in front while some are not. I should take notes while practicing haha.

[dbny]

Does it matter? Last Wednesday I was practicing my right forward inside 3-turns both ways, one with my free leg in front and another with my free leg behind. I thought it could be done both ways. But let me guess, the correct free leg position would be in front (since it's the harder one for me )

I don't actually believe you can do a FI three with the free leg in front. You can exit it with the free leg in front, and need to do that to enter a backspin. For back threes, the easiest way is to have the free leg in front (heel over toe of skating foot.) I just saw a bunch of Preliminary & Pre-Juv MIF tests skated with the free leg next to the skating foot and sometimes even behind. All of the turns were clunky, and some students failed, with the turns contributing, I'm sure. Their coach is a former Olympic ice dance competitor

What does a back outside closed mohawk look like?

The free foot takes the ice behind the skating foot, almost like ballet 5th position. As the backward skating foot leaves the ice, it must come forward, so it is in front after the turn. I'm seeing this a lot in elite freestyle programs lately, although most of them are really flat, and as such not true mohawks or choctaws, for that matter.

[MR-FAN]

I don't actually believe you can do a FI three with the free leg in front. You can exit it with the free leg in front, and need to do that to enter a backspin.

Yes, that's what I was doing. Practicing exiting with the free foot in front and in the back

[backspin]

I don't actually believe you can do a FI three with the free leg in front.

Yep, you sure can. My coach has me do running 3's as part of an exercise, w/ the free foot not only in front, but crossed. Not easy & I don't enjoy it, but definitely do-able (and I'm no elite skater!).

However, I wouldn't recommend it when you're learning 3's, that's for sure. Mostly FI 3's are done w/ the free foot behind, which is how you'll see them done for the most part in moves tests.

[leafygreens]

Easiest to most difficult:

3-turns
Bracket
Counter
Rocker

Just my opinion! Brackets are definitely a challenge at first! But you have to get them in order to learn counters. Rockers are the hardest for me because they require a very held check of the arms, more so than counters.

[gkelly]

I'm scared of the forward outside counters. The forward inside ones I can do but they're shaky. Can't do backward ones at all, but I'm not good at backward turns in general.

I much prefer rockers to counters.

But i's probably like a salchow vs. toe loop preference. Not a big difference in absolute difficulty, but different strokes for different folks.

[dbny]

Yep, you sure can. My coach has me do running 3's as part of an exercise, w/ the free foot not only in front, but crossed. Not easy & I don't enjoy it, but definitely do-able (and I'm no elite skater!).

Actually, since F brackets are done with the free foot in front, it shouldn't be all that much more difficult to do threes that way, now that I think about it. Are you really on edges with the running threes, or are they flats, like the so called three-bracket-three pattern they just removed from Novice MIF?

[backspin]

Are you really on edges with the running threes, or are they flats, like the so called three-bracket-three pattern they just removed from Novice MIF?

Oh, no, coach would never allow flats! This is in the context of ice dance lessons, so 'edge' is my middle name!

[vesperholly]

The free foot takes the ice behind the skating foot, almost like ballet 5th position. As the backward skating foot leaves the ice, it must come forward, so it is in front after the turn. I'm seeing this a lot in elite freestyle programs lately, although most of them are really flat, and as such not true mohawks or choctaws, for that matter.

That sounds like the choctaws from Junior moves, but a FO edge instead of FI.

[aaron]

This thread is so interesting. I appreciate the posters and MR-FAN for asking this question