What do you think of your skating when you see your skating videos?

Question

Honestly, when I've done badly in a comp, I look at it and think yah yah yah I know exactly where and why and how I messed up. But then there are times when I did well, and felt so awesome about what I did . . . and then I look at the video and still cringe! HA! I look slower, knees aren't as bent as much as I think, jumps aren't as high, spins aren't as fast, extentions aren't as extended - know what I mean?? Maybe videos don't justify how you look skating in real life . . . or maybe it's totally telling the truth - HA! Please don't be mean here about MY skating . . . I'm just wondering how you guys "see" your skating!

Answer 1

It's really hard to watch yourself skating on video. I used to notice every flaw and miss what I did RIGHT.

Now, I think of watching my videos as a learning experience. I make a list of what went right (spins), what went wrong (jump landings) and what was just okay (edges and turns.)
Then, I take that list to the rink and PRACTICE really hard to get rid of the bad stuff. It really does help, as much as it makes me cringe. (I have two show videos I've never watched because I know it went badly. LOL)

Oddly enough, most of the other people who watch me skate/watch my video never notice the flaws as much as I do - guess they're not as glaring as I think!

Answer 2

unfortunately, i dont skate. but i can definetly see where u are coming from. its great that u can see where u did badly, and it is an awesome reference tool when training so that u can nail that element and see step by step what u did wrong.

i think its gr8 that u feel great when u watch ur videos if uve done something right. when i shoot a basketball and make it in, it makes ur heart give a little bounce and a short smile which means...see i CAN do it. i love watching it happen when a skater lands a jump she missed before, like Oksana Baiul in 1994 with the triple-double combo at the end. i guess she just had to prove that she could do it after she missed it.

if u watch ur videos too often, then im sure ull get paranoid. i think if someone watches their video, for every good thing list a bad thing and vice versa so they can keep it in perspective.

[but no person is perfect, and skating helps u realize that. its just about getting as close as u can to perfect, and i think that utilizing video tapes of urself is just awesome. u can learn so much about urself and skating. but if u watch too much, ull get so caught up in the elements u forget the most important part. PASSION... no matter how good ur elements are, its also 99% heart. and no monitor can show u that feeling. only u can]

Answer 3

I think that the videos can help you see what you need to do differently to improve your skating, but I think that we are hard on ourselves and do think that there was so many problems, and things that should/need to be done better. I think that there is a value to some point of the videos, but it can be hard to watch them too because of some of the few minor details that we are so hard on ourselves about.

Answer 4

the way that i see myself in my head is always much more professional looking, faster, more elegant etc than what i see on the video. Videos have helped me a lot though, because seeing what i really am doing has helped me improve my positions in spins and picture myself landing jumps that i am having problems with.

Answer 5

dats exactly how i feel! like i just saw this video of me when i fell, and of course i thought that was bad, but i felt like everything else was perfect. but then wen i saw it i was like 'wow, is that really how i skate? that really sucks!!!'

Answer 6

i think that i look pretty good,but then again there are lots of things i can improve on.