Skating technique: Jumps and spins review

In my lesson this week I asked my coach to go over and correct all my jumps and spins. I was telling you that I'm gonna skate at a new rink (my home rink just opened) and as I expected to be crowded, I wanted to have something that I could work on spots of ice, not the whole ice. And I was right... on my first day at the new rink I wasn't able to work on the whole ice. I was wrong on the reason why... it wasn't that crowded, it's just that the ice was terrible, the second worst indoor ice I ever saw, worse then most outdoor ice. The ice was flooded and it didn't dry until the end of the session. And before the freestyle session there was a 4 hour long hockey camp, so the ice underneath the water was terrible, just terrible. It stopped every single edge I tried to put in... and the dances exercises. Luckily I was prepared to work on jumps and spins that I just reviews with my coach.

Forward scratch spin. This is still the one thing that hasn't fully come back after the break. But it's not a technique thing... it's the dizziness. Because I don't feel comfortable, I'm cautious, I don't go into it with enough speed. I've got no correction on the actual technique.
Back spin. This got better after the break...surprise! I think I'm holding the posture better and it is not fast enough to make me dizzy so I have no hesitations. But the last few sessions it got worse. I've got the correction that I have to hold the free leg back until I turn the 3-turn for the spin entrance, and that fixed it.
Waltz jump. I've showed my coach three tiny waltz jumps in a row. Nothing really bad, but he wanted them bigger. Well, I want them bigger too... The correction was to let my free foot really go in that h-position, and also really push from that foot that's on ice.
Salcow. It was again... tiny. I have the timing right, that's great news, as it took me a while to get it. The first correction was to bring the free leg around, not in a straight line. I was ending up with the knees together, but bringing the leg around, allows the free leg knee to go across, towards the left side of the body; this was the second correction. The third correction was to allow this free leg knee to go higher, I am stopping it. I couldn't do it for now, but that's what practice is for.
Loop. The time was running and my coach knew I wanted to get to the Loop and Half Lutz, so we've skipped the Toe Loop. So I was able to do the loop few years ago, but then, as I haven't practice Freestyle at all, I've lost it. The first correction was that after I've got into the air, I was letting my upper body to go to far to the left, basically taking me out of the circle, stopping the rotation. I have to quiet the upper body and keep it square (actually more to the right side of my body, but it feels square to me). I've had that problem with my back spin, so I understood immediately, and I was able to apply it. but I think I'll need some time for it to become body memory. And that it's OK, because the second correction was that I don't have the power in my leg to push properly into the jump, or at least I don't bring it out. So that will need some time to develop too. My coach said that I should try to jump up the stairs step on one foot.
Half Flip. I was asked to do this more as an introduction to the half lutz. But I've got the correction that I don't really let it go up. I was asked to mentally stay in the air, not think about coming back on ice. The physical tip was to feel my upper chest going up not forward.I also remember from the past the tip to bend the skating leg more before the picking action.
Half Lutz. I've learned this in group classes, a million years ago, probably I wasn't doing it correctly and anyhow I forgot everything I may have known about it. So, my coach asked my to start from back crossovers going clockwise and from that back outside edge do the half flip. OOps, nope. He showed me, yes, he is allowed on ice now. And yes, I could see he was doing something with the free leg. He hold it in front while maintaining the outside edge until the upper body was set in the opposite position than the crossovers, left hand forward, right hand back. Then the free leg went back (skating leg got straighter), and while the skating knee, the  right foot got to pick the ice (the foot goes right back and it is not turned out). I had few bad tried and few better tries. That was all we covered in the lesson, but then, on my own, I've realized that as I put the right arm back I looked towards right (so back), while I was trying to jump toward left. As I tried to look straight forward, I was able to jump. So I think I've understood the motion, I'll have to do it until it becomes body memory.
Update 7/ 21/20202
Toe Loop. I asked for this in my next lesson. My entrance into the jump is from a RF inside 3-turn. That should be quite straight and it should end with the right shoulder and hand back. That should be hold back until the actual jump. The pick should be straight back with the left foot, the right foot is gliding back, on an outside edge toward the right of the left foot. I will have to double check on this, because sometimes my coach gives me a correction that is an over correction so I can correct something... but as I understand now, you shouldn't feel you jump from the left toe pick but from the right leg... The right knee hits the h-position in the air and after straitening the knee, the foot does like an inside 3-turn in the air...I kind of visualize it...

Skating technique: jumps - Half Flip

The Half Flip is part of ISI Freestyle 1 curriculum and was also part of my USFSA Pre-Bronze Freestyle Program. I don't think I'll have it in any other programs, so it won't get any attention from now on. I thought to better write the technique down, while I still remember it.

- Few strokes
- Forward Right Inside Mohawk (could be also entered with a Left Forward 3-turn) and check, so entering with the right hand forward, exiting with the left hand forward and the right arm and shoulder strongly kept back and riding on  a Back Left Inside edge
- Pick: bend the left knee and reach back with the right foot, don't bring the right foot high and don't hit the ice, but place the toe pick in the ace to anchor and draw yourself back, over the right foot
- Lift the left foot off the ice, ideally lifting the left knee (but I don't do it, I don't jump high enough to have time for this, or I don't jump high enough because I don't do this). This lifting of the left knee, would be necessary for the full rotation Flip. 
- Simultaneously with the pick you bring the right arm forward (meeting the left on the chest) so the upper body is square. My coach asked me at first to stop the jump here, without rotating, to get used to getting off ice, bringing the weight over the left foot, and getting some height. He was also asking to lift the rib cage, but not the shoulders. The rotations of the jumps is given by the entry edge, not by the upper body twist, but the upper body helps, and if not done right doesn't let the rotation happen. So it is important to be understood and I suspect in half jumps, it is the upper body that initiate the rotation as the beginners edges are not strong enough...
- Land forward on the Left toe pick and immediately push onto a right inside edge, checked with the left arm forward.

I don't remember much from when I learned the Half Flip in group classes. When I reviewed it recently I realized what a good tool it is to understand the things underlined, the check, reaching back and drawing your weight over the picking foot. I was struggling with these learning my full Flip Jump...

Here is the video of the Half Flip from November 2018

 

And here is the video from April 2019. I don't actually see much improvement. I do the check, it does seem I bend my knee a little more before I pick into the ice, but the draw back is not that strong, and I definitely don't bring the right hand forward. You can very well do the Half Flip without it, but that will be necessary for the full Flip. My coach didn't ask me to use the free leg (make that h-position in the air) to help the jump. Again, maybe it is not needed for a half jump. Now I'm eager to get to work on the full Flip, but I'll have to get Loop Jump first. I started to work on it again just for few weeks and for now is not coming around.

Training rhythm

I'm trying to get (back) into a training rhythm. I've put "back" in parenthesis because while I was always looking for a training rhythm, looking back, I see that I've rarely gotten it. I feel I'm doing better from both  progress and  motivation points of view when I have the same routine, so a rhythm.

And last week, I've got it. On both Monday and Wednesday I've warmed up with different exercises then the ones I have in my MITF test, then, when I've got to do those I spent more time, and actually work on them. Then I did spins (scratch and back and whatever I remembered from sit spin) and jumps (bunny hop, waltz jump, salcow and tried to recall the toe loop and loop). Then I did the exercises for the Ice Dancing and the Ten-Fox. Everything I did was calm and settled into ice. There was no rushing.

On Thursday, I've had my weekly lesson with my main coach. My plan is to push the moves for testing but I was very hungry for some jumps and spins help. I was hoping to do both but we've got stuck on the Freestyle. On the scratch spin I'm on the right track. All I need at this point is more confidence and that will translate into more power into it. As I didn't work last month on the back spin, I want to get it back were it was first (consistent confident entrance from the inside 3-turn, crossed feet but no proper exit, and not holding the left leg out while centering, I sneak it in quickly) and then ask for more help from the coach. The sit spin got ripped apart. I was taught to enter a little lower in it and then do a C shape with my upper body. My coach wants a normal entrance and then a diagonal (like "chopping wood") movement of the free leg and he wants the back straight! I've barely gotten the sit spin when I stopped doing Freestyle few years ago. And I didn't do it since... How can I have muscle memory of it? I wouldn't have minded if it would have been the correct version. It's gonna take me a while to undo that. The good news is that I figured how to put 2 pads on the left hip and it covered every single bit of what touches the ice when I let myself fall from a sit spin. I don't won't to re injure the left hip... I felt I was doing some progress on the Salchow while working on my program but I was afraid to push it to much and make it unstable for the test. Now, that that passed, I want to continue on it. I still have to make myself wait after the 3-turn but I do it. What I learn now is to bring the free foot around not with the knees together but, as the coach put it, like I would hit a soccer ball. I'm starting to get it... And surprise! that is used in the Toe Loop. I'm used to pick a little laterally for the toe loop, a little cheated :( and that actually hurts my ankle. I don't hurt if I do pick straight back, as I should. For now I've done just the 3-turn, check and pick. My coach taught me to "draw back" on the Half Flip. I probably could very well do it on the Toe Loop but I'll wait for his supervision. The Loop used to be my favorite jump. I couldn't really get it completely rotated lately. My coach said the I'm not staying on the right side after I jump. I think this instruction gonna be enough help to keep my Freestyle time occupied for the next few weeks. I need on the next lessons to get hard into the moves and dance...

And on Friday, my beautiful rhythm started to disintegrate. My legs were tired and as much excited as I was to jump after the new instruction from a day before, I couldn't. Same for the sit spin... I started with the moves, but I didn't really got into them as I was looking ahead to jump and spin. I worked on the Scratch Spin and Back spin, a little on jumps. Then I started the Ice Dancing exercise, but the legs really didn't listen.

Then, during the weekend, I sharpen my blades. I love my sharpener, he is very consistent. I also had the first class of ballet after 2 weeks break. I expected to be tired but I was almost as tired as I was after the very first ballet class.

And here I was on ice again, on Monday. The soreness from ballet was not a problem. The blades were. My sharpener used to smooth the edges after he sharpened them. Not this time... So I spent all day just scrapping around the ice to blunt them a little. The jumps were the best thing. Spins were non existent. Edges for moves and dance were very slow and I had to be cautious to turn really at the correct points. That's what I should do anyhow, but now I was doing this while stressed not to fall... The blades are gonna be fine probably by the next session, but will my rhythm come back as soon as that?

I was saying this before. Progress in figure skating is very slow and the work very hard. It is also hard to keep motivated to keep going. That's why I test, I did the program, I do the ice show. And that's why I look for this training rhythm... to "just do it" as Nike add goes.

Test: Adult Pre-Bronze Freestyle program (video)

I passed my Pre-Bronza Freestyle test!

Firstly, let me tell you how the last week of preparation went. Not terrible but not well either. I skated Monday, Wednesday and Friday and each session was crowded. I did what my coach advised me (and I wrote about in in the previous post) and that was to warm up 5 minutes and do the program. On Monday I didn't jump the Salchow and the program felt shy. So I worked a lot on the elements and did few more run throughs... Wednesday the elements were all in but the Salchow was cautious and the program still shy. So I allowed myself to go a little bit bigger. On Friday the run through felt nice. The Salchow felt stable enough so I decided to work on it to make it better. When I'm not confident in an element I rather don't mess with it before a test. I let it be... The two foot spin ( from the inside 3-turn entrance) didn't center the whole session, but the regular one did. And I've got the back pivot working consistently. So I felt pretty good for the test.

I was scheduled to test at 12 on Saturday. My morning was quiet. Maybe I should have skipped the second coffee, but I usually have 2 each morning... I went to the rink at 11, fully dressed. At 11.15 my coach said to warm up my muscles, I did some light running and some stretches. Went to the restroom. At 11.45 I put on my skates and at 12 I had my warm up on ice. Everything went well. I even centered the two foot spin. I was the last one skating but it went very quickly. I was on ice before I know it. And here is the video.

I felt happy afterwards. Here is how it went:
- on the first move, the arms opening, I felt stretched out and in control.
- I didn't get in a big pivot, I finished it a little earlier then usually, so I felt I had to wait a little for the music and I kind of dropped into the next step, I didn't push from underneath me
- so the inside edges were wimpier the usually
- I don't remember the inside spread eagle, I suspect I was telling myself to get it together. In the test's video it seems again, smaller then in practice
- the toe pick turns and the stop were ok
- on the moment I pointed to the judges I gave them a big smile and eye contact.
- the steps towards the Salchow I don't remember
- I did remember to think "wait" before the Salchow. And I felt I've got a good landing.
- from the video I'm surprised I hold that power edge  after the Salchow so little.
- the next steps were slower then usually because I realized I'm ahead of the music. I think that relaxed me as I've been afraid I'll be behind...
- I remember I wasn't totally happy with the Waltz Jump but looks good enough in the video.
- the two foot spin felt ok, but in the video you can see it travels
- I think I relaxed, in the sense of getting mentally tired, here, on the steps towards the spiral
- the spiral I could do better, but as the coach said, I'll do it in the performance just as I practice. And again, I fell I was thinking that the end is close, so I was slowly giving up my concentration...
- I don't remember the Half Flip...
- I gathered all my energy to tell myself to wait and center the spin. And I did :)
- and then I totally gave up on the inside pivot. The funny thing that I didn't even realized it until I saw the video. I finished early too, don't be fulled by the video, I edited it and faded the music at the end...  Honestly this is my only disappointment in this performance.
- and then, I felt exhausted...

I mentioned few times during the posts describing the preparation of the program that I was purposely holding back on the frills (edges, speed and expression) to be sure I give the best chance for the jumps and spins to happen, as they are the elements judged for this test. I have proof now, that there is enough time to hold my extensions and posses in few places, so I should remember and try on my next showing of this program and the next programs. It seems it's a known fact that the adrenaline is making you move quicker. So I'll concentrate now in getting the underlined elements bigger and better. And the plan is to show this at my local rink competition in June. It's gonna be under the "artistic program" ISI requirements as I want to improve my expression, extensions and musicality on ice.

Working at my first Freestyle program part 7

Here I am talking again about my program. And that's because there is a new development. My choreographer/ freestyle coach won't be able to be with me at the test. I went by myself to one of the MITF tests and I felt kind of lost. So I asked my main coach, with whom I do dance and moves if he's gonna be at that test session with another student already, if he'll "put me on ice". That's what it's called... What that means is that he follows the schedule, tells me when to warm up, when to put on the skates, gives me exercises to do, tries to not let me get nervous, checks the costume, has back up for music... basically baby sits and that's great especially if I'm nervous.

This week I'll have a lesson with my choreographer on Wednesday to polish the program, and one with my main coach on Thursday for him to see the program. The thing is that my main coach is very exact, plus everything I do with him is standard testing (as kids learn) quality, not adult quality. For the freestyle I've chosen the adult testing because I just don't think my jumping will ever go high enough to be considered standard. So, now I'm curious how he will react to my program. Will it be good enough for him? I kind of feel more nervous about showing it to him that the test... Will he give me corrections? In past, I didn't like new corrections so close with the test. I'm a little afraid that if he's not gonna have a positive reaction it will affect my confidence.

My plan for this week was to work hard on the jumps and spins separately, and for the program to still try to make it better, like better hand movements, smile (that's tough for me), look up, be on music. Then next week I wanted to pull back and find the speed and performance involvement that would allow me to present the jumps and spins at their best. I think I'll have no lessons. Choreography should be done and my main coach lessons slot is Thursday and I don't won't to skate too much before Saturday morning when I have the test. I would rather skate on Friday then on Thursday.

Today I was tired, I didn't sleep enough. I warmed up, did few jumps and spins and decided to run the program before the ice got crowded, as I saw few skaters getting the skates on. I ran it twice and everything was ok. On the first run I've got a little early on music at the beginning and I liked the comfort it gave me because I didn't rush the Waltz jump and the 2 foot spin (which I want to hit on a music accent). I want to see if I can get to do this each time. Then I've got to "work" on jumps and spins. The spins were ok. Not as centered as Friday, maybe because I was tired? And I'm getting comfortable with the inside 3-turn entrance before the 2 foot spin, and being comfortable I'm not rushing anymore. For the jumps, I never had much instructions besides the group classes, so I don't even know what to correct. I think, meaning, I felt, I was successful in getting the waltz jump and the half flip a little higher. The Salchow, for some reason I think was better a month ago... I had few better then others, but not something I could grab onto and be confident I'll do it better consistently. It may be just that I do it better when my legs are rested and now I jumps each time I'm on ice. Things to remember next time on ice:
-straight 3 turn (3 counts), check and wait on 1 count (I don't think I do this consistently),
-jump up from the hip not just foot (think hip and hip)
-allow upper body o rotate (it seams I'm blocking the rotation holding the left shoulder forward). A correction I've got was to not drop the right shoulder.
- work at them in this succession

I ran the program few more times mostly trying to smile. It was more smiling than last week but that is gonna be a long long process...

After writing all these I'm realizing the only issue I have is the Salchow. That's not too bad. And I have 5 more ice sessions before the test.

My jumps

I started working on jumps again, after a 2 years break, as I'll need them in my Freestyle program. Long story short, I initially didn't remember the entrances and edges, and I thought I lost them. But they are coming back quickly enough. They are not much, as I learned them in group classes, and the requirement to pass the level was to "get them" not master them.

I wanted to see how they looked, so one day I filmed them all. Firstly, I was very surprised and  happy that my jumps are higher then they were 2 years ago just from working on Ice Dancing and MITF.  It seems that working on basic skills and edges really pays off. On the negative side, I see that on all of them I have a weak landing. I think the problem is the checking... I can see my left hand being in front of my body a lot, as I remember, it should be at 10 o'clock. I also see that the free leg is bent, the back it's not arched, probably the landing leg should have more knee bent. I'm sure as I'll start working on them with my coach he'll find a million things to correct.

The Bunny Hop:

I worked on this with my private coach and I described it here. Analyzing the video I think it looks rushed, let's say I was excited when I filmed. From a technique point of view, I should jump more up then forward.

The Waltz Jump:

 

Technique corrections from my private coach were
- before jumping to bring the free leg at the heel of the skating leg (it took me like a month to fix this, meaning for it to became body memory, to do it without thinking... but I do it now)
- to jump tangent to the circle I was riding, before, I was jumping around
- to jump up not forward, actually he says 45 degrees
- when landing, to look forward, looking back was ruining my checking of the landing.
As I watch I don't like that the free leg is bent while swinging up. Maybe the free leg knee could go more up, to that h-position (my coach didn't mention that yet but I red about it)

The Half Flip:

I totally forgot this one, I asked some friends that are at that level to teach it to me :) I don't know what to say about it, it seems very small...

The Salchow:

This was my least favorite jump in group classes. I absolutely knew I didn't get it... I started working on this with my private coach but all we covered until now  is the entrance. The 3-turn shouldn't be too round, wait after the 3 turn, bend that knee, check, don't release the free arm before jumping. I think again, I'm jumping around not tangent to the circle.

The Toe Loop:

When my left ankle was hurt I was afraid of working on the Toe Loop (on the Salchow too actually). I know you have to transfer the weight on the foot you vault yourself from. I can see at least on my first try I'm not doing it. I also know you shouldn't rotate on your toe pick and jump forward. 

The Loop:

 

I think the entrance is good. I don't think I push enough from the right foot, the arms are wild and I know I'm pulling out too soon.

The Flip:

I've got the idea 2 years ago, but it wasn't consistent, so I don't think it's worth it to try it now without a coach supervision.

Now a tiny bit of bad news. My hip muscles got sore after that jumping day, enough to get me cautious. It's the left hip, the one that was hurt... I don't know if it's from pushing from it, or from lifting the right thigh and knee up. So I cannot get too excited, I cannot have jumping days... for now.

Skating technique: jumps - the Bunny Hop

jumps part 1.

The first jump taught is the Bunny Hop. It is a jump that goes forward, with no rotation. It is a requirement in Gamma (beginner) group classes level under ISI curriculum. I think I did this level in a summer, when there weren't adult only group classes, but all ages classes. The kids got this jump quickly so it wasn't done over and over again. I thought I kind off got it, even if I was terrified of doing it every single time. Now I know I didn't. Also, everybody I asked that learned it as an adult, was terrified of it, so it seams it is an awkward jump for adults. Anyhow, come test day, I crossed my fingers and up I went, and I passed...

I thought I'll never do it again, until I started private lessons, mostly Ice Dancing, but I asked my coach to review mu jumps. He was: "Show me your Bunny Hop". Me: "Mmmm, I don't know it. But I know the rest of them up to the flip!" Actually that wasn't even true, I also didn't remember Any of the half jumps.So he explained to me tat the Bunny Hop is the foundation of all the jumps. It teaches hoe to push yourself in the air safely, from the toe pick, rolling on the blade. If you push yourself up from a flat blade you'll slide. Also it teaches you to use the free leg hip, to help you come up...

Prep exercises:
- off ice skipping because the bunny hop is a skip... Pay attention what muscles you use to bring the knee up (hip and core for me) and how the arms goes forward and backward in opposition.
-  holding the boards roll on your blade until the toe pick. It was more foreword then I have thought. You'll have to jump from the toe pick.
-  holding the boards and if it's comfortable from a two foot glide, bend both knees and hop in the air (it's not so much from the toe pick but it's still a little roll on a blade). You land on the flat on both feet.
- this didn't work for me, but here it is: bunny hop from a two foot glide. Swing the right leg back, then at the same time swing it forward (with the knee bent, think knee up) and jump up from the left foot. Land for a sec on the right toe pick, from which you push on a left foot glide. The reason it wasn't working for me is that when I swang the right leg back I was shifting the weight too forward on my left blade so I didn't have what to roll onto, and I was leaning my upper body forward so I was feeling that I will surely trip over the toe pick.

The bunny hop can be done on both legs, I'll describe just the right leg up:
- from standing (or couple of strokes if you can handle some speed) stroke and bend that knee, put pressure onto the left foot (feels like stepping onto that foot), the weight is on the left foot, right foot extended back  the right arm forward and left arm and shoulder back(!important)  to balance both on the blade (be on back of the middle of the blade)  and feeling the upper body square with the hips.
- immediately push up from the left toe pick rolling the blade (up not forward!) while lifting (swinging) the right knee (from the hip) and switching the arms so the left goes forward, and the right back to balance. Some coaches teach to swing the leg forward straight. 
- land on the right toe pick and push forward on a left foot glide

My first problem with the bunny hop was that I just didn't know how to start, that became evident when I started to do it on both legs. I think at the beginning I was thinking of which knee goes up. But the jumps starts before that, you push from the other leg. It helps me to think of it as "step and push up". And it is UP. At first, second mistake, I was trying to go long, it doesn't work... My other mistake was that I didn't use the hip and core to push that free knee up, I was just let it come for the ride. The swinging of the free leg from back to knee up is helping the whole body come up. Also don't forget to use the arms.

Here is me jumping the Bunny Hop on both legs

My coach also asks me to alternate them. That took me awhile...