Revelation...On the Ice

At group freestyle, Dance Coach got round to me to give me my drill assignment.  He leaned against the boards and said suspiciously, "Have you been skating some place else?"

So, he's probably mentioning this because my skills have become much better in a short period of time. But I can't help but feel like I'm being accused of cheating on my (non-existant) boyfriend.

I confessed. "I went to Rink2, to take Basic 6 again to work on my Forward Inside 3." 

I need this, because to date the number of successful FI3 with full glide out, lifetime total...is 2.

This confession cheered up Dance Coach. "Okey, show me."

So, I do my crippled FI3. Nice entry, very nice turn. Grind to a halt.  Believe it or not, this is much better than the last time he saw me do FI3 a while back. 

He holds up his  arms and I rest my hands lightly on the back of his hands, and do a perfect FI3. "Very nice." He says.

"But you're holding me up." I point out.

He gives me the standard coach reply, "Practice." Then he skates off to another student.

Then as I stand there, mulling over my consistent failure to master the FI3, I HAD A REVELATION!

I can't do the  FI3 at Rink 2, even when the coach there is giving me support. Not only can I not do it, with the Rink 2 coach, it's actually scary. I can do it with Dance Coach, and Miss Bianca. What's the difference between The Rink 2 Coach and Dance Coach and Miss Bianca? 

Rink 2 Coach is taller by several inches, even taller than Dance Coach.

Soooo.......maybe when I do it at Rink 2 with the Coach there, I'm holding my arms too high, and....maybe that's pushing me on my flat or even so I lean outside the circle. And since I've been focusing learning from this coach, maybe I've developed a bad habit.

So....to fix it....I need to....

.......lower my arms through the turn?

I lower my arms. Push off onto the FI edge. Bring the free foot to the heel of the skating foot as I rise up...turn on the inside edge....keeping the arms lower than normal....

Life time total number of FI3?.....5! With 3 of those in a 2 minute period at the end of freestyle!