At the moment of the second three the skating knee should be bent rather strongly and the body turned, without perceptible jerk, into the right position for the finish of the figure, which is on the outside edge forward again. The balance foot is allowed to remain slightly behind as the second three is performed and, when the third portion of the curve of the completed figure is about one-half skated, should be brought forward into the usual position for the end of the outside forward circle.
The inside edge double threes forward are started as for the inside forward threes, but with more bending of the skating knee and with less inward turn of the body toward the circle. When the first three has been executed and the skater is then on the outside backward edge, the balance foot should be carried fairly close to the skating foot and the body should lean strongly backward. At the moment of the second three the balance foot should be brought close to the skating foot and directly over it.
When the second three has been executed, the balance foot may be allowed to linger a little behind the skating foot and be carried in that position to the finish of the third curve, or it may be brought forward into the customary position for the finish of the inside forward circle. Both positions are used by the best experts of Europe.
The second half of the double threes are skated backward. That is, both parts of the lesson of the day start backward. Double threes have the interesting peculiarity of finishing on the same edge and in the same direction as they are started. They are clover leaf in pattern, and should be skated with great care to have the leaves equal in size and accurately placed as to the axis of the two large circles of which they form a part. The placing of all school figures is most important and is the basis of the marking which obtains in European competitions.
Start the figure on the outside edge backward, with a fairly strong thrust from the foot on the ice. The general position is that which has been described for the outside backward circle of three, with a little less turn of the shoulders away from the centre of the circle. Gradually turn the body so that, as the first three is being made almost the right position for the second curve, on the inside edge forward, is obtained. As the first three is performed, the balance foot should be in front of the body, over the print and not far from the skating foot. A slight swing of the balance foot is customary as the first three is performed, but the balance foot must not be permitted to stray from the skating foot, or there will be a tendency to revolve the body from the right position for the second curve.