Kalli begins by emphasizing that power turns need to use edges effectively. The essential basics are: bending of the knees, leaning into the circle, and keeping both feet in contact with the ice.
Many skaters drag the back foot while executing power turns instead of keeping it on the ice. The front foot should be on an outside edge while the back foot is on an inside edge. Edge control helps the power turn happen as quickly as possible. The skater should hear the edges cutting into the ice.
Coming out of the power turn, Kalli does a small crossover to maintain power and get a good push to start skating.
Beginners tend to have problems with distributing their weight correctly over their skates. Coaches might see the front foot skidding which means most of the skater’s weight is on their back foot. Sometimes skaters get lopsided and drag their forward foot. This has to do with improper hip direction.
Kalli demonstrates that if a skater is in the correct position they should be able to glide in a continuous tight circle. Their posture needs to stay up as well.
Kalli shows what the arms should be doing while holding a stick during power turns. The hand needs to tuck during her backhand clockwise turn.
Lastly, Kalli mentions that she teaches beginners to look where they’re going during the turn – into the circle. This keeps the shoulders in alignment. As athletes advance in skill they can swivel their head a bit more.
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