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World renowned speed coach Bill Begg shares his vast knowledge of skating every week in his "Ask Bill Begg!" column on the Inline Planet. | What about knee bend?
Hi, Sawyer family: You're right to be concerned about knee bend. It's crucial for getting full power out of your stroke. And it's one thing most skaters get wrong. The proper position is halfway between sitting on a chair and squatting on a toilet — much lower than most skaters manage. To get it right, you need to dip your knees forward and drop your butt. (Skaters often bend their knees without dropping their butts, which puts their weight on their toes.) When the butt is where it should be, the knees and hips naturally move into the correct position with knees over toes and hips over ankles. One thing that might help your son is low walking, which is an off-skate exercise. (Pat Creveling's tip on low walking.) If that doesn't work, he may need to work on his flexibility. Tight hamstrings and thigh muscles could be restricting his range of motion. In that case, stretching exercises would help. Bottom line: proper position is less about bending your knees and more about dropping your butt. Keep that in mind and your push will gain power. Cheers, Bill ... • Ask Bill a question
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