The Little Book of Talent Tip #1--Slow Down

I purchased a book by Daniel Coyle, The Little Book of Talent, after listening to it on audio. Coyle visited 'talent hotspots' and consulted with coaches, scientists and master teachers to pull together these training tips. I like the book. Not everything in it is applicable to figure skating, but a great deal is.

Coyle's "Little Red Book"

Unlike other books, this is about how to improve your skills by improving your practices. I want to talk about one tip in the book that has helped me.

As I'm listening to the book, there's a section in it where the suggestion is made to 'slow down as much as you can when developing a skill, because it allows you to focus on the importance of every movement.'

So, I applied 'Slow Down' to my spins.

I can really do a slow one foot spin. And when I did, I noticed that I needed 1. to get off the flat and onto the inside edge with more precision, and 2. I need to make an in boot adjustment because I was clenching my big toe.

It took a couple of sessions of practice to get the entry so I'm able to hit that inside edge just right. And secondly, I put a pad under my big toe so I don't clench it.

My spins are not perfect, but they are much improved. I don't feel that I'm entering them with luck playing a part on where I am on the edge anymore. Now, I control the edge.

If I hadn't slowed down, I would have never noticed what was going on and might have taken weeks to get better.

If this was possible I could learn to jump!