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Toeing Out
Question
I am relatively new to inline racing, and although I have never competed as of yet, I amcurrently polishing up my technique. It seems as though when I am finishing up a push stroke, (either forward or crossover) it has been brought to my attention that the last wheel to leave the ground is my front wheel.My coach refers to this asˇtoeing˘. I have already switched to smaller front wheels to solve the problem of pushingwith the toe of the skate, but now I am confused. All of the images in FASST show world-class athletes doing what I am being told is my problem (i.e. the toe of the push skate is the last part to leave the ground). Any assistance you could give me would be greatly appreciated
Answer
My first comment is that caution has to be taken when viewing still photos. The dynamics of inline technique are such that a ‘snapshot’, or photo, of a skater can often be misleading, and seemingly represent technical errors when they do not necessarily exist. Depending on precisely when the camera shutter opens, even a technically proficient skater can look goofy and awkward. For this reason, some caution has to be taken when diagnosing technique using still photography.
My second comment has to do with the actual definition of ‘toeing’ or ‘toeing out’ as some skaters/coaches call it. Others call is ‘toe flick’. There are really two separate actions that are typically referred to using this remark, but each is very different. For the sake of clarify, we will refer to these observations as ‘toeing out’ and ‘toeing down’. It is important to realize that the toe (or foot/skate) can ‘flick’ either down or out.
Toeing out involves erroneous movement of the entire leg/thigh. In other words, the skater will externally rotating the leg at the end of a stride so that the skate (when viewed from above) points outwards (from the direction of travel). The easiest way to identify toeing out is to look at the direction the knee cap is pointing. In a skater who toes out the knee cap will not be pointing straight ahead, but will instead be directed outwards. This is a fairly gross biomechanical error, and reduces the effectiveness of the push. This error is typically seen in inexperienced skaters and cross-country skiers who unknowingly rotate the thigh outwards during push-off, leaving the skate pointing away from the body. The problem is not necessarily that the skate points out, but that power is compromised because sideways pushing force is reduced when the thigh is externally rotated at the end of the push.
Toeing down, on the other hand, involves pointing the toes (flexing the ankle) slightly at the end of the push so that the first (toe) wheel is the last to leave the ground. If this action is combined with toeing out, then there are fairly serious limitations in force output. However, so long as the knee cap is pointing ahead and the thigh is not rotating externally, toeing down in itself is not as detrimental to force production.
The other thing to keep in mind is how and why the first wheel is the last to leave the ground. Whenever you analyze a technical discrepancy, it is important to look a little deeper into the action and trace the movement back to understand why it is happening. If the toe wheel is the last to leave the ground because the skater is actually plantar flexing the ankle and forcefully pushing the foot/toe of the skate down, then this is generally a bad thing. However, if pushing force is directed through the middle of the foot and the skate/ankle ‘flops’ towards the toe at the end of the push then this is not so much a big deal. As with all errors, there are varying extremes, and without seeing you skate it is impossible for me to conclusively state how much of a problem this is for you, or whether or not you are toeing out or toeing down. Hopefully this will give you a little further insight. Talk to your coach, and between the two of you try to look a little closer at why this is happening. Are you powerfully pushing the toe into the road, or is the toe of the skate simply tilting forward at the end of the push. This is a critical thing to ascertain before determining the severity of the error, and how to go about correcting your alignment.
opyright © 2004 Barry Publow. All Rights Reserved.
