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final toe-push
see also
[ under construction ]
This is one phase in a detailed analysis of the sequence of moves for Leg-push motions
of "normal push" method of skating. For more context and
an overview of all the phases of the sequence, see
the summary of normal-push phases.
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Theme: Push with the leg-extension moves,
after the foot has moved far enough away from underneath so that
these moves can be effective. Also use the forward-pelvis-rotation
move.
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Engaging the hip-extension muscles requires moving
the knee and foot backward, not just out toward the side.
Tilting the shoulders to the other side and moving the chest and
shoulders upward and toward the other side, simultaneous with the
hip-extension move is a possible way to enable the foot to move less
backward.
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Extending the knee joint is critical for effective extension,
but often gets overlooked -- perhaps because it requires pushing the foot forward
relative to the hip.
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Actually it is not effective to go to true maximum
extension, because some of the muscle moves needed to achieve it are
either not propulsive or have bad side-effects.
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Hold back the final toe-push / ankle-extension
move: The heel should stay down through the finish of the
hip-extension and knee-extension moves, for best
transmission of their big push-forces.
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Ankle-extension can also add a little force to
inline skates and non-klap ice skates, if combined with
outward-ankle-rotation.
??
This phase goes from (roughly) the start of focus on the
knee-extension move. There may be some overlap with Phase 2.
[ physics and biomechanics parameters that drive the
amount of added propulsion work -- and the additional time it takes to
perform that work. ]
?? [ to be added ]
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overview of phases | R 0
1 2 3 | d-p
phases | more Leg
??
for forward propulsion:
also perhaps continuation of
back to Top |
overview of phases | R 0
1 2 3 | d-p
phases | more Leg
??
On icy snow or wet pavement, full extension may not be
possible, because edge grip is gets too difficult when the ski or skate gets too far away from
the down-force from the weight of the skater's upper body.
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Extending the knee joint is critical to getting
maximum extension of the leg. The main muscles for this
knee-extension move are the quadriceps.
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Extending the knee joint pushes the skate or ski forward
relative to the pushing hip.
The "magic" of skating is that it's possible
to generate a backward push-force by pushing out toward the side on a
skate or ski that is slicing forward.
For me it seems like the foot makes a
circular arc relative to the pushing hip. In Phase 1b the foot goes back
behind the hip. In Phase 2 the foot
goes outward. Then in Phase 3 the foot continues to go out and also comes
forward relative to the hip.
It feels strange because our natural intuition from
walking and running tells us that the foot must move backward in order to push
the body forward.
But the special "magic" of skating is that more
extension of the leg out toward the side gets converted into more forward
propulsion. This "forward slice" or "forward kick" is the true test of the
skater's faith in the power of pushing out toward the side.
[ inline: skate teachers sometimes refer to this
forward slice move as "carving", or as the final phase of the "C-stroke" push. ]
[ Bicyclists may note that it is also possible to use
a "forward kick" move to add power to seated pedaling -- by starting to use the
quadriceps muscles to push the pedal as it comes "over the top" of the circle. ]
To the extent that the knee was rolled inward
in Phase 1b, the leg was "shortened" slightly. For full extension, it
must be now be lengthened, to bring it out into the hip-heel line (or
more precisely, into the hip-heel-toe plane). This requires muscular
work by the outward-knee-rotator muscles, and this work is effective for
forward-propulsion.
The later this move is made, the more
effective it is (because of the angle of the leg to the snow) -- so it
continues into Phase 3b.
If the ankle was pronated earlier in Phases 1
and 2 -- or if it lazily collapsed somewhere along the way -- for full
extension it must be now be lengthened, to bring it out into the
hip-heel line (or more precisely, into the hip-heel-toe plane). This
requires muscular work by the ankle-supinator muscles, and this work is
effective for forward-propulsion.
The later this move is made, the more
effective it is (because of the angle of the leg to the snow) -- so it
continues into Phase 3b.
back to Top |
overview of phases | R 0
1 2 3 | d-p
phases | more Leg
??
There may be some overlap of this move with the moves
in the early part of Phase 3,
but I'm inclined to discourage this, in order to give emphasis to
allowing the longest time for best transmission of big push
forces through the bone structures of the ankle and heel.
[ inline: this phase does not apply to inline skates,
unless they are klap-skates ]
??
for forward propulsion:
??
This is the time for the heel to come up off
the klap-skate or ski. The heel should stay down all through Phase 1 thru Phase 3, for
best transmission of the big forces in Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Big Trap: When think consciously about the toe-push,
it's easy to get into pushing only toward the back, and to forget the "forward
kick" of Phase 3 which is needed to effectively gain maximum propulsion from the
knee-extensor / quadriceps muscles. Therefore some instructors avoid mentioning
the concept of toe-push, and recommend that most skaters just allow the proper
motion to emerge naturally from consciously thinking about overall leg
extension.
So early part of Phase 1 of the next leg overlaps with
later part of
Phase 3 of the previous leg.
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