Figure Skating Crossovers: The Complete Guide to Forward, Backward, and Power Technique

Figure skating crossovers are the technique where a skater crosses one foot over the other (forward) or behind the other (backward) while traveling around a curve, transferring weight through a strong underpush to build speed without breaking the edge. Clean crossovers depend on controlled edges, a complete underpush, a quiet upper body, and equal work in both directions.

I’ve spent years building this skill from the very first wobbly attempts through junior and competitive-level training, and crossovers never stop mattering. They’re one of the first real ‘power’ skills a young skater learns, and they stay in every program through the most advanced levels — tucked into step sequences, spin entries, and transitions long after a skater has moved past basic power circles. In this post, I’ll walk through forward technique, backward technique, how real crossover power gets built, and the most common mistakes I see on the ice — plus how to fix them.

What Are Figure Skating Crossovers and Why Do They Matter?

A crossover works like this: the skater glides on an outside edge around a curve, the free foot crosses over (or under, going backward) the skating foot, weight transfers onto that new foot, and the original foot finishes with an underpush that drives the body further around the circle. That push is what actually creates speed — the crossing motion alone doesn’t.

Five ingredients separate an effective crossover from one that just looks like one:

• A controlled edge that holds its curve
• A deliberate, complete weight transfer
• A push directed around the circle, not just sideways
• A quiet upper body that isn’t compensating for the legs
• A consistent rhythm, rep after rep

Crossovers matter for more than just ‘going fast.’ They let a skater maintain speed through a curve without breaking flow — which is exactly what makes transitions, footwork sequences, and jump or spin entries work later on. A skater who can’t crossover cleanly will struggle to carry speed into almost anything more advanced.

One thing I tell every parent early on: most skaters find one direction noticeably easier than the other. That’s completely normal. It’s not a sign of weak technique — it’s because the coordination demands between the edge, the crossing foot, the shoulders, and the hips shift depending on which way you’re circling. We work on both directions from day one, but don’t expect them to feel identical right away.

How Do You Do Forward Crossovers Correctly?

Forward crossovers are built on a strong outside edge, a crossing foot that lands with purpose, and an underpush that finishes completely before the next cross begins.

Stance and Setup

Picture a counterclockwise circle: the skater glides on a left forward outside edge, the right foot crosses over and lands on an inside edge, and the left foot finishes with an underpush. Here’s the setup checklist I use with students:

• Bend the knees for a stable, athletic position
• Keep the torso quiet — relaxed, not rigid
• Turn the shoulders and arms gently toward the center of the circle
• Keep the head up, eyes along the path, not down at the blades
• Maintain a controlled lean into the circle, never a collapse
• Keep the hips level — no bobbing up and down with each cross

The Crossing Action, Step by Step

A crossover is a weight-transfer movement, not a step-over. The crossing foot isn’t just stepping across — it’s landing to accept weight while the other foot keeps working.

The sequence goes: the crossing foot lands securely on an inside edge, weight shifts onto it, and the original foot completes its underpush beneath the body before lifting. I teach this with a simple rhythm cue — ‘push, cross, hold, together’ — and it applies to forward crossovers just as much as backward ones.

Two mistakes show up constantly in lessons:

1. Crossing without a real push. It looks like a crossover, but there’s no speed gain. Fix: feel the push complete fully before lifting the free foot — don’t rush to the next cross.
2. Crossing foot placed too far across the circle. This pulls the skater off the curve entirely. Fix: place the foot in line with the curve’s path, not straight across the body.

Generating and Maintaining Crossover Power

Real power comes from edge pushes, not from swinging the arms or torso. If a skater is generating speed with upper-body momentum, that’s energy that isn’t going into the edge — and it won’t hold up as programs get more demanding.

I use a 45-degree push cue: direct the underpush away from the center of the circle and slightly backward, at roughly a 45-degree angle, while keeping the knees bent and hips level. To build real power:

• Load the blade with a controlled knee bend before pushing
• Use the outside edge of the underpushing foot for lateral drive
• Let the skating edge carry the body — don’t force it with extra effort
• Complete the push fully instead of lifting the foot early
• Keep a steady rhythm from one cross to the next
• Aim for equal push strength from both feet, not just the crossing foot

The toe pick should stay clear of the ice throughout. Scratching the toe pick interrupts the edge and breaks the smooth transfer of weight — it’s a technical flaw that shows up as choppy, inconsistent speed, not a minor detail to ignore.

Common Forward Crossover Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake	What It Causes	Fix
Leaning too hard into the circle	Posture collapses, blade skids	Moderate the lean, keep shoulders over hips
Twisting the torso with each cross	Unpredictable weight shift	Keep shoulders stable, let the legs do the work
Rushing the cross before the push finishes	Short, weak movement	Slow down, finish the push first
Standing too tall	Limits push length and pressure	Deeper the knee bend
Watching the feet	Disrupts posture and path awareness	Pick a visual spot ahead or around the circle

Forward Crossover Progressions by Level

Beginning:

• March the crossover pattern while standing still
• Walk a small circle crossing one foot over the other
• One crossover followed by a two-foot glide
• Link two to three crossovers before completing a full circle

Developing:

• Consecutive crossovers on larger circles
• Both directions, not just the stronger one
• Stable arms and shoulders throughout
• Clear underpush after every single cross
• Gradually increase speed without shortening the edge

Advanced:

• Vary circle size and speed
• Maintain power while changing arm positions
• Use crossovers to enter footwork, spirals, and spins
• Equal-quality pushes on both sides
• Preserve edge depth even within choreography

How Do You Do Backward Crossovers?

Backward crossovers build speed the same way forward ones do — through edge control and a complete underpush — but they demand different spatial awareness since the skater can’t see the path directly ahead.

Why Backward Crossovers Feel Different

Without a clear view of what’s coming, spatial awareness has to come from head position, shoulder alignment, edge feel, and visual landmarks around the rink. This is exactly why backward work often exposes directional asymmetry that forward crossovers can hide — a skater might feel totally confident going one way and noticeably less sure the other way.

Common backward faults I see:

• Leaning too far forward instead of staying centered
• Scratching the toe pick instead of staying on a clean edge
• Leaning outside the circle rather than toward its center

Setup and Execution

The skater travels backward around a circle with a controlled lean toward the center. The setup:

• Bend the knees, keep shoulders stacked over the hips
• Weight over the ball of the foot — not on the toe pick
• Upper body turned gently toward the circle’s center
• Maintain the correct backward edge on the skating foot
• Place the crossing foot deliberately behind the skating foot
• Keep the weight transfer smooth — no hopping foot to foot

The same ‘push, cross, hold, together’ rhythm applies here, broken down specifically for backward work: the push creates movement, the cross transfers weight onto the new foot, the hold stabilizes that new edge, and together resets everything for the next rep.

Building Backward Crossover Power

Power here depends on loading the skating edge before crossing. The knee bend creates pressure, the push drives through the blade, and only then does the crossing foot come behind — without the shoulders twisting to compensate.

Quality backward crossovers show:

• A controlled lean into the circle
• A clear push from the outside foot
• Stable crossing action behind the body
• A brief, controlled glide on the new edge
• Consistent rhythm from rep to rep

One caution worth repeating often in lessons: the upper body should assist alignment, not replace the leg push. Too much shoulder rotation pulls the hips early and disrupts the curve — it’s a shortcut that costs control.

Drills to Fix Directional Imbalance

These are the drills I lean on most when one direction lags behind the other:

• Backward one-foot glides in both circle directions
• Backward one-foot swizzles for edge awareness and weight transfer
• One push, one cross, one hold — then repeat, isolating each piece on its own
• Start with five controlled crossovers; only add more once the edge stays stable
• Practice the weaker direction first, before fatigue sets in
• Use large circles first, then gradually shrink the circle while keeping edge quality
• Match clockwise and counterclockwise repetitions and counts exactly, so neither side gets shortchanged

What Does ‘Crossover Power’ Actually Mean — and How Do You Build It?

Crossover power means useful momentum generated from controlled edges, complete pushes, and stable posture — not simply skating fast. A quick, flashy-looking crossover built on toe-pick scratching or arm-swinging is actually less efficient than a slower, clean one.

Power Isn’t Just Speed

Efficient crossover power looks like:

• Speed generated by the blade, not the arms
• Consistent pressure through each push
• Edges long enough to actually hold the curve
• A quiet torso throughout
• Equal contribution from both sides
• A rhythm that repeats without breaking down

Building Symmetry Between Both Directions

One direction almost always feels more natural — and that comfort can mask weaker mechanics on the other side. I ask skaters to compare both directions honestly against this checklist:

• Comparable knee bend
• Similar edge depth
• Equal completion of the underpush
• Matching crossing-foot placement
• Stable head and shoulder position
• Consistent tempo

Edge quality is the foundation for all of this. Backward one-foot swizzles and slalom-type edge exercises are the building blocks I return to again and again when a skater’s crossover power is lopsided between directions.

Using Crossover Power in Real Skating

Crossover power shows up constantly once you start looking for it: spiral entries, spin entries, footwork sequences, direction changes, choreographic transitions, connecting passages between elements. The goal is never ‘do more crossovers’ — it’s preserving edge quality and timing while gaining speed that actually serves the program.

How Should Skaters Practice Crossovers for Best Results?

The best crossover practice is structured, direction-balanced, and focused on quality before speed — not just repetition for its own sake.

Structuring a Practice Session

Here’s the session structure I come back to most:

1. Warm up with basic forward and backward edges
2. Isolate one or two crossovers on each circle
3. Link consecutive crossovers in the stronger direction
4. Repeat the same pattern in the weaker direction
5. Add underpush emphasis and longer edges
6. Apply the skill into entries, transitions, or footwork
7. End with quality-focused reps, not max-speed reps

If the edge gets lost, toe scratching starts, or the torso begins twisting, that’s the signal to slow down or shrink the circle and rebuild the pattern — not to push through and reinforce the error.

Feedback Cues That Actually Help

Short, specific cues work far better than long explanations mid-session. A few I use constantly:

• ‘Stay over the edge’
• ‘Quiet shoulders’
• ‘Finish the push’
• ‘Cross, then hold’
• ‘Keep the hips level’
• ‘Look around the circle’
• ‘Push away from the center’
• ‘Keep the toe pick off the ice’
• ‘Match the other direction’

Give one correction at a time. Stacking three or four cues at once blurs the main goal and leaves the skater guessing what to fix first.

What Good Crossovers Look Like at Each Level

Beginner: Stable posture on the circle, crossing foot placed without stepping out of the curve, isolated crossovers in both directions, head up throughout.

Intermediate: Links several crossovers with consistent rhythm, visible underpush on every rep, maintains edge quality while speeding up, reasonable symmetry between directions.

Advanced: Produces speed with minimal visible upper-body effort, holds edge depth at varying speeds, uses crossovers seamlessly inside transitions and entries, controls circle size, timing, arms, and direction while keeping quality through full choreography.

I’ve coached skaters from their very first steps on the ice through junior and competitive-level training — including Alysa Liu in her early developmental years — and I can tell you crossovers are one of those skills that quietly separate skaters who look rushed from skaters who look in control. You can learn more about my coaching background and how I approach building these fundamentals from the ground up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to learn figure skating crossovers?
It varies by skater, but most beginners start linking a few crossovers together within several weeks of consistent practice, once basic edges and balance are solid. Full confidence in both directions, with a real underpush, usually takes longer and comes with regular repetition.

Why are my backward crossovers so much harder than my forward crossovers?
Backward crossovers ask for spatial awareness without a direct view of the path, which is a different skill than forward crossovers rely on. This gap is extremely common and usually closes with targeted drills like backward one-foot glides and swizzles, practiced consistently in the weaker direction.

Should crossovers be practiced on both sides equally, even if one feels much stronger?
Yes. Matching repetitions and counts in both directions is one of the fastest ways to correct asymmetry before it becomes a habit that’s harder to undo later.

What’s the biggest mistake skaters make when trying to build crossover speed?
Relying on arm swing or toe-pick scratching instead of a complete underpush. It can look fast in the moment, but it’s inefficient and tends to fall apart as programs get more demanding.

At what level do crossovers stop being important?
They don’t. Crossovers stay relevant through every level of figure skating — they just get folded into more complex entries, transitions, and footwork instead of standing alone as a basic power skill.