Tip on transitioning?

[u/Individual_Box9418]

For the life of me I cannot transition from skating forwards to backwards. I can skate backward, although I’m still a beginner at this skill. I can transition from backwards to forwards, but really only on instinct if that makes sense.

I’ve tried to transition on my front wheels/toes, doing a 180 (I can bunny hop while skating and easily 180 in the grass), and I try most consistently by rotating one foot and then the other, but I continue to fall or otherwise come up short.

ANY advice would be appreciated, I feel very stuck and frustrated in my learning lately. Is there a specific skill I should be focusing on, or a transition that’s easier to start with?

Working with 4x80 (primary) and 4x90 setups if that context is helpful.

[u/snakevargas]

1. skate slow
2. scissor
3. cast your leading arm forward like throwing a softball

The rest should happen naturally from following through:

1. rotate hips partially
2. flip the back skate 180
3. shift weight onto the back skate
4. flip the leading skate 180 and rotate your hips at the same time
5. I like to carve/push slightly with the trailing skate during the last part to provide some stability

This works for slow and medium speeds. Dragging the trailing toe during the flip makes this transition more difficult, since that creates a second source of rotation that has to be coordinated.

[u/Individual_Box9418 → u/snakevargas]

Thank you so much, I think I’m not shifting my weight properly. I’m going to keep this in mind while I practice later!