Training Articles

The start is a key technical area which must be mastered for success in speed skating, especially in short track. There are two basic types of starts, the two-foot or parallel start and the toe start. The parallel start is the basic start and is taught in the Level 1 coaching course. The toe start gained prominence about 15 years ago and is now the preferred start for almost all international competitors. The purpose of this article is to describe the technical pros and cons of each start and give some hints about who would use each type.

The strong point of the parallel start is that it requires little balance and, hence, provides a stable base from which to initiate that all-important first step. That is why this start is taught to Level 1 coaches who will usually be working with new skaters. The starting position, with the feet shoulder-width apart at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the start line, is easy for beginners to both visualize and attain. Once in the starting position, balance is easily maintained while waiting for the gun. This means that the first step can be initiated from a stable base and that increases the likelihood of a good first step from which the rest of the start flows. For beginners, the important technical points during the start are the foot and body orientation. The feet must be turned out during the first steps; the shoulders must be higher than the hips; the body must be leaning forward and the hips must be thrust forward so that a straight line can be drawn from the head down the back, through the hips and along the pushing leg into the ice through the skate. An unstable starting position will make it harder to concentrate on what must be done during the start, in addition to increasing the risk of a false start. Basic starting technique should be mastered by all skaters before thinking about changing their starting position. Success in the start is due more to what happens after the gun than to the actual starting position.

The advantage of the toe start is that it allows the body mass (represented by the centre of gravity) to move closer to the starting line and, hence, may decrease the reaction and/or movement time necessary to take the first step because the distance that the front foot must move before crossing the line is less than for the parallel start. All other things being equal then (reaction time, strength, power, flexibility, technique), a skater using the toe start should take less time to initiate the first step, and should have the edge in the start. The toe start may also facilitate the adoption of a good body lean. With the body weight closer to the starting line, the mere act of lifting the front skate initiates a body lean which is essential for effective horizontal force transmission during the start.

The problem with the toe start is that it requires a fine sense of balance to be able to hold the requisite 1-1.5 seconds in a perfectly still position before the gun goes off. This is why the toe start should be attempted only after a skater has mastered a good, solid, parallel start. Humourous, and sometimes fairly disastrous, things can happen when a skater loses balance during a toe start.

How do you maintain balance during the toe start? Most balance problems result from a poor placement of the back skate. If the back skate is placed at the wrong angle relative to the starting line, it can slip back or to the side during the first step, resulting in an ineffective push. The back skate must be placed at about the same angle as the back skate during the parallel start, i.e., about 45 degrees to the starting line. This will permit a solid perpendicular push for the first step. Slips off the back foot are usually related to an incorrect orientation of the front foot relative to the starting line. Slips off the front foot can occur if too much weight is placed over the front foot. Weight distribution in the parallel start is usually about 50:50. This changes to about 60:40 (front:back) in the tow start, and is one reason why the centre of gravity is closer to the starting line as compared to the parallel start. This is a fine balance, however; too much weight over the front foot makes it very difficult to lift the skate after the gun goes off, as well as increases the difficulty of controlling the lean, while too much weight over the back foot leads to too much vertical push during the first step. The trick is to be able to balance on the tow of the skate with enough weight so that the centre of gravity is brought as close as possible to the starting line, but retaining enough weight on the back skate to provide an effective push. Coaching corrections usually revolve around altering the weight distribution and back skate placement in order to realize the advantages offered by the toe start technique.

The objective in any start is to get into the race as quickly as possible. The toe start is preferred by experienced skaters because it enables them to do just that, The toe start is generally regarded as a faster start and most skater should probably move to it once they have emphasized, however, that what happens after the gun is more important than what happens before the gun. Thus, selection of the optimal starting position is probably important only after the skating technique of the start has been perfected

The objective of the 500m start is to attain the maximal speed in a minimal amount of time at the sound of the gun. From this definition, two aspects of the start must be considered: the reaction time and the acceleration phase.

Reaction time is a measure of the time from the arrival of a suddenly presented and unanticipated signal to the beginning of the response to it. In speed skating it refers to the moment between when the sound of the gun is heard and the beginning of the movement of a skater.

Reaction time can range from a few tenths of a second for a well trained athlete to a full second for beginners. In order to minimize reaction time, a stable position on the line that will allow the skater to concentrate on the sound of the gun will greatly improve the speed off the line. This position should comfortable and easy to maintain for 2 to 3 seconds without movement.

In speed skating the acceleration phase is dependent on three major factors: explosive strength, speed of movement and technique. For the purpose of this article, only technical aspects will be examined.

Technique refers to the ability of the skater to transfer his/her explosive strength to the skates in order to produce a displacement of the centre of gravity in the desired direction, thus, producing ice speed. In the 500m start, skaters encounter two different phases.

The objective in the phase is to “push” the skater forward. The pushing skate (the skate further away from the line) must be perpendicular to the direction where the body will travel in order to eliminate side movements of the pushing skate.

Movement of the body in another direction will result in lost time and power. A “Banging” noise is generally an indication of upper movement of the centre of gravity, while a skater’s loss of balance (skates rotating backward) indicates that the skates are not perpendicular to the direction of the push.

With increased ice speed it is necessary for the skater to adjust the direction of the skates in order to retain efficiency. In this phase, the skater must place his/her skates gradually more and more to the side.

The transition phase is characterized by a gradual diminution in the speed of movement. The pushes become longer and longer and the skater takes a lower basic position. The arm movement is important; a long and strong-arm swing in the same direction as the skates will result in increased efficiency.

It is common to see skaters fail to change their stride length and frequency during the start. This problem is usually due to the inability of the athlete to change the direction of the push with increased ice speed. By keeping the knees over the toes during each push and by making sure that glide occurs with increased speed, it s possible to correct this problem.

In general, the start of a 500m is a strong indication of the final result of the race. The ability of a skater to direct his skate in the direction of his/her travel is probably the most important factor affecting technique.

Emphasis during practice in controlling the direction of each push (for example, by asking the skaters to skate off the line even if you have to slow down the speed of movement) will result in increased efficiency and a faster time. Many of the athletes who worked with me had the same problems and were able to greatly improve their start. Why not you?

Entering into the corner is dependant upon many factors: speed, age, size, whether you are skating an offensive track to get as much speed as possible, or defending your entry to prevent a pass at that point.

Generally, the slower the pace the less the need to take a wide entry as the centrifugal force (the force that pulls you away from the corner) is not as great. As the pace gets faster you may want to take a wider entry to lessen the centrifugal force or to be able to hold tight to the blocks at the end of the turn.

The entry also depends on your ability to carve a corner at very high speed. Derrick Campbell is probably the best in the world at being able to hold tight turns without losing a lot of speed because of his ability to pivot, whereas Fred Blackburn generates the most speed by skating very wide entries and exits.

A good lean is crucial to generating speed on the corner. A common mistake young skaters make is to plant the left foot for the corner entry with the flat of the blade on the ice and the body still upright. This forces the skater to push upwards instead of to the side and is not very effective. Make sure that when you finish your last straightaway push with the right foot you are already in the leaning position you will maintain throughout the entire turn. The left foot should come down onto the ice on its left edge and be pointing slightly into the turn already.

Many skaters make the mistake of "diving" into the corner. That is, reaching towards the corner with the left hand and shoulder. All this does is put you up on your toes, rotates the shoulders away from the turn and causes you to slow down, or worse, to fall. Be patient - let the corner come to you. Don't reach for it. Maintain that good basic position and simply lean into the turn.

When to actually start the corner depends on all the factors mentioned above. A general guide is to draw a line from apex through the first block and another from apex through the second block (Fig. A). This is where the left foot normally enters the corner. Starting the corner any earlier means that you will not be able to lean enough as you are essentially still on the straight. It also forces you into the first part of the turn too early and you will have to change direction to get around the apex. If you find you can't get far enough down the straight to enter the corner at this point try adding an extra crossover on the exit or reaching up the straight further with each thrust. As a last resort you may need to add more straightaway strides.

Your path from the entry point should take you in a gradual arc to the apex block. At this point your left foot should pass by the block very closely. Figures B and C show two different stride patterns for the corner. Fig. B is typical of a younger skater or an older skater at high speed, while Fig. C is that of an older skater at a slow speed. Skaters should experiment to see what the best stride pattern is for them for different situations and practice these patterns often. What works at 75% speed may not work at 100%.

Good Luck and always remember to turn left!!!

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2) to hold a closer track to skate less distance,

• by skating close to the corner markers the skater will skate less distance in the race and will conserve energy,

3) to control the speed/strategy of the following pack,

• when one pivots, in most cases the skater slows down due to the resistance of the ice and air, and the skaters that are following have to control/slow their speed so as not to bump into the lead skater

• by making the following skaters adjust their speed in the corner, it is possible, by using a high frequency and power, to exit out of the corner and catch the others by surprise; but this requires good balance, technique and power to happen.

4) to prepare for a pass on the inside,

• when following a skater who exits the corner a little wide, the pivot will allow the skater to cut close to the blocks and will set the skater on a path that will allow him/her to make the inside pass on the straight

The pivot occurs when two things change in the normal corner technique:

1) the skater glides around the corner/or part of the corner on the right foot inside edge,

2) and the skater "puts his/her hip into the corner

The "putting of the hip into the corner" places the blade at a greater angle to the ice allowing it to carve a sharper turn and hold an effective pivot.

At the highest level some skaters appear to maintain speed in the pivot. This could be due to their ability to ride the blade in the correct manner, or simply that it appears that they accelerate due to the fact that they are able to execute this maneuver better than other skaters who lose speed. At this time, this has not been scientifically studied.

The pivot is an important skill in the short trackers inventory and should be part of the regular training in all types of intervals and speed work to become effective.

"Pivot Masters" to watch are Derrick Campbell of Cambridge and Fred Blackburn of Montreal. A good video of these skaters in action will help skaters to picture the skill well executed.

To pivot or not to pivot? That is the question. The answer is in choosing the correct time to perform the skill.