Turn Technique and Execution
Turn Technique and Execution: This skill has many layers to it including, posture, upper body placement and lower body placement. Judges are looking for execution of turns with clean technique and consistency throughout the whole routine.
✅ Judges are looking for clean spotting, proper arm placement and shoulders down. These three major areas can be improved by strengthening the upper back, lats, traps and rhomboids. See the previous chapter labeled Upper Body Placement and Precision for more details and exercises for this.
💡 Training Tip: If you're leaning forward in your turns or dropping your arms be sure to train your back. This will also help with turn timing and arms will be the first thing to slow you down in your rotations.
✅ Judges are also looking for a passé that's connected as well as hip and leg placement in all styles of turns. If you're dropping your working leg or your passé is disconnecting, strengthen the hip flexors, psoas and adductors. See the previous chapter labeled Lower Body Placement and Precision for more details and exercises for this.
✅If your'e struggling to "pull up" and keep your legs straight and heels lifted I recommend training on one leg at a time performing a KNEE DRIVE (below) to train the ankles up through the quads and glutes.
✅If you feel yourself "sitting" in your turns, it's a lack of glute strength and If your working leg in your open turns is turning in, train the outer part of your glutes, your rotators.
💡 Training Tip: Are you leaning sideways or backwards in your turns? Train your core with ANTI ROTATION exercises to keep you from leaning. My favorite is below.
🎤 What Judges Have to Say About Turn Technique and Execution of Turns