Progression of the Double Toe Loop

As I had done with my Axel and double Salchow jumps, I had wanted to put together a video on the progression of my double toe loop. I also had wanted to do it after it is landed in competition. However, given that I'm not skating for the next many months, I figured I might as well do the video now...

Admittedly, the double toe has not taken as long as the Axel or double Sal. Nevertheless it is just as frustrating - starting from the very beginning when I found out that the toe loop isn't quite as easy to do "correctly"!! I had once billed the toe loop as my least favorite jump, and no, it hasn't become a fav overnight, but I have come to realise that it is actually an easy jump once the technique is mastered! :-)

What is an Axel?

The Axel is a jump first performed by Axel Paulsen in 1882. This is the only type of jump with a forward take-off. In figure skating all jumps land backwards (nobody wants to fall on their faces!), and the forward take-off means that a "single" Axel is really 1-1/2 revolutions in the air, a double Axel 2-1/2 revs, a triple Axel 3-1/2 revs, etc.

Here's my single Axel as of 2005:

The additional 1/2 revolution sounds more innocent that it really is! Not just that, the forward take-off can be tricky. Skaters often take longer to learn the single Axel than most other single jumps, some even claiming double jumps before "getting" the Axel. In an earlier post, I had put together a series of videos of my "Axel Progression"!

Various other interesting facts about the Axel jump are captured in Wikipedia!

Still working on the double loop

Two days ago, I found a bunch of "long-lost" video clips my DH had taken on his camera when he was at the rink. It was taken on a February night this year when I was working on the double loop:

The jump is still under-rotated, though the last one (in which I fell) was closer to those I described in a more recent post, Loop Philosophy, where I, uhh, "cheat" it. The day will come when I "cheat" it so well it would be landed!

Anyway, in case you are wondering (rather, since it has already been uploaded), this is what my single loop looks like:

Axel progression

Over the weekend, I made a montage of my Axel over the years...
Ok, the sad thing is, it doesn't look very different... but is it?
Well, it is - my free leg is getting crossed in front, rather than hanging at the side - this must be coming from a better "snap", which also makes the Axel more consistent.

Loop Philosophy

After coaching today, I skated a little even though i have a crick on my R shoulder and my scrunchie wasn't tight enough to hold my hair up. Yes, I had to stop every 20 seconds to tie my hair again! How annoying!

Double loop is still waaaaaay under-rotated, but I achieved one thing - landing on the R toe and pulling out of it quickly - cheating it, in other words.

My philosophy for the loop as of today:

1. "ZEN" the jump entry. Basically, just wait on the RBO edge and relax until almost facing forward, then snap out of zen mode & into the jump. This may sound (incomprehensible/ ridiculous/ vague/ absurd/ insert your favorite word) and I most certainly won't teach it this way, but this helps me get the snap... it is something I also do for the Axel.

2. The loop is not really an edge jump! NO, don't argue, this is something I need my brain to internalise... if I think of it as an "edge" jump, I will literally fall waaaaaay onto the outside edge and never jump up.

3. Even though it takes off from the right foot (for CCW skaters) and needs to stay on the right side in backspin position, the right shoulder still needs to initiate the rotation. Impossible, you say? No, it is necessary!

4. To rotate the double, I need to pull in tighter and quicker.

5. Philosophising is one thing - actually doing it is another!

Double Toe Analysis

This week, the double toe is feeling much better. I am convinced that the double toe is actually an easy jump once you get it - but getting it is another beast altogether!

Yesterday evening, my DH came to the rink and helped me take videos. I did lots of double toes (amongst other things) and realise that I hate my air position!

Of course my coach has been saying (many many times) that I'm not getting into the backspin position in the air... but hey, how am I supposed to know exactly which body-part isn't in the right position?

After watching all the videos, here's my analysis of what I must do

• stretch straighter out for the pick - my picking toe is still going around way too much!
• arms need to be tight in the air - my arms are so sloppy!
• straighten the R leg!!!
• lift the L hip, especially the split second before landing! Seriously, I think that's the main reason I 2-foot my jumps, or keel forward on the landing.
• keep my arms lower on landing - I don't like the arms-floating-above-the-head look

Here's the video of a bunch of double toes:

Double toe video

I did mention I was dredging up old videos, right? *grin* Here's the double toe, during practise ice at Oberstdorf (this was practise at the other rink, not the competition rink).





Gosh, why does Google Video use the most unflattering posture in the videos as the image? Is there a way I can change that!!??

Progression of the Double Salchow

Since the rink is closed and I can't go skating, I pulled out some old videos - and was shocked at how terribly used to skate! (Wonder if I'd say the same of my current videos 5 years down the road!)

Then I got an idea: it'd be interesting to trace the progression of my double Sal over the years... So, I picked a few videos, ranging from year 2000 to 2004, stuck in some titles and made a mini movie out of it. It is so amateur, its embarrassing, but here it is anyway...

Recognizing jumps

Is it very hard for non-skaters to recognize jumps??

In a discussion with a fellow adult skater, we were talking about how the association is looking to train judges, and how, maybe parents should start getting involved. She pointed out that many non-skaters have difficulty recognizing jumps, citing as examples previous judges' training sessions where some of the mothers did indeed have

So, out of curiosity, I tried it out on my DH last night.

I think there are three stages to recognizing jumps.
First, to know the names/definition of each jump.
Next, to be able to recognize the edge a skater is on.
Lastly, to be able to recognize the jump while it is done.

The first stage is probably not too difficult - after all, its mostly a matter of remembering the definitions of each jump. My DH tried to visualize how each of those jumps would be, and was able to tell me, after some analysis, which seemed easier and which seemed like they would be harder.

The second stage was harder. Funny I always thought it was intuitive - I mean, if you are on the right foot and pressing on the outside edge, there's pretty much only one direction you can go, right?? Oh well, apparently it wasn't all that obvious. And after figuring out edges and direction, actually seeing what edge a skater is on is not all so straightforward!!!

The last stage is probably the worst. Partly because of the many different types of entries, partly because everything happens so fast, and also partly because the entry edge for the toe jumps are usually not very deep.

Overall, my DH did well. He picked up little tips like subsequent jumps in combination would be toe loop or loop, looking out for the Lutz, etc. Sure enough, there has to be a certain skill involved, but I believe there are many parents out there who are capable of doing it!

Ballet Jump and Toe Loop

For a while now, I have fancied the ballet jump as a pre-cursor to the toe loop. That is part of the reason I willingly teach it to my skaters, even putting it in combination with the Waltz jump.

Today, it become clear to me why it is.

I generally teach the ballet jump from back crossovers, to BO edge, pick and jump. What I stress is the check for the take-off. This includes the position at take-off, position of arms and position of toe pick. This same take-off is required for the toe loop to work well.

Position at take-off
The ballet jump must take off from a backwards glide. Turning forward before the ballet jump will make it over-rotate and impossible to control the landing. This habit, brought over to the toe loop, will avoid the toe waltz.

Position of arms
In the set up for a ballet jump, I advocate keeping the free arm in front and the skating arm at the side, slightly behind (sort of a 4 o'clock position). This is equivalent to the quick, strong check for the pick and release into the toe loop.

Position of toe pick
In the ballet jump, the toe pick is slightly turned out, and placed on the ice behind the free shoulder - never crossed behind the skating foot. This is the same for the toe loop.

Finally, in the take-off for the ballet jump, the turn in the air is executed with the free leg stretched back. The toe loop takes off similarly, but with the free leg quickly kicking through.

I am now convinced that there is a reason to learning the ballet jump. Now somebody tell me the reason to learn that bizarre half-toe-walley!

The Lutz Jump

In an earlier post "Lutz - the double?" I mentioned about not rushing to pull the legs together on the Lutz take-off. Now, I've received another tip - jump to the left! (for CCW rotation)

This was what we were doing in the seminar - just a subtle sideways movement, not large nor obvious, then pull in for the jump. Some exercises we did at the seminar (all described for CCW rotation):

Against the boards: Stand about one foot away, with the board on the left, pick in and pull the left foot sideways to hit the board.

On the ice, stand on both feet. Pick in with R toe and jump to the left.

LBO edge pulls: like power pulls on L foot, but concentrating on the pressure on the outside edge.

LB power pulls into lutz: change-edge pulls (LBI-LBO-LBI-LBO) toe in and jump.

toeless 1/2 lutz (or full lutz): lutz entry, but jump without using toe.

Mohawk-and-cross entry: LFI Mo RBI XF LBO and toe in to jump. I kinda like that now, and this morning decided to use it in my program ;-)

No wonder MP was saying that skaters either have a good flip and a flutz, or a good lutz and a ... what do you call a flip that takes off from the wrong edge??

Lutz - the double?

No not yet. Actually, not that I was thinking of the double Lutz to begin with, but I suppose my coach thought it'd be nice to give it a try. On seeing the single flutz, he had second thoughts!!

This is a really frustrating problem that I have been working to get rid of. Sometimes its ok, sometimes I feel constipated, sometimes its just a huge flutz. However, everything seemed to click today, when he said, "don't rush to pull your feet together".

Strange statement, but on the take-off, that was what made the flutz. Pulling the feet together just before the take-off would change the edge
  - unless I was picking waaay across...
  - but I wasn't supposed to pick so far across...
That was the dilemma I had! Why didn't I think of this earlier?

Still, its not easy to describe how it "should" be. He had me doing the Lutz backspin for a while, it was slow, but it was ok.

At the end of it, he said, "Work on the Lutz-backspin for now. There's no hurry to do the double."

I retorted, "It is not me in a hurry for the double. It is you."

Did I mention that he must have relished that lesson when I lost my voice and couldn't talk back?

Slow entry into jumps

I used to pooh-pooh the notion of slow entry into jumps. Waltz jump from standstill was perhaps manageable, Axel from standstill, NO, NO, NO! Double toe going slow? EEW, NO WAY!

I loved to enter the loop with speed, to get a nice, high, big jump. A nice, high, big single loop I did get... BUT what I did not get was the control and the air position to turn it into a double.

It was only today that I realised the logic.

I realised why my coach wanted me to enter the doubles slow - that is when I have to concentrate on control and getting into the right position for the jump.

I also realised why I never liked to enter jumps slow - I did not yet have the right position to land; I was scared.

And this is having the most impact on my flip. Not that my flip is bad, but it wasn't the prettiest, and I knew I wasn't moving my weight over to the right for the rotation. I didn't really think I would do a double - at least not yet.

For my latest program, I had not much power pushes before the flip, and so have been forcing myself to land a slow (single) flip, however tired I was. That forced me to consciously pull up into position.

In lesson last week, my coach asked me to do a double flip. I stared at him like he was crazy. He said, just try.

This evening, I thought I'd try the double flip. I wasn't falling left, right and center like I did when I first tried the other doubles. I'm sure it was under-rotated, but it felt straight, it felt landed, it felt right, AND the take-off felt just like when I made myself do the slow flip!

So, to those headstrong, power-skaters out there, if your coach wants you to slow down to work on a jump, do it!

Toe loop - now you see it, now you don't!

The double toe is driving me insane. Yes, really!

I first landed a clean one the second day of Chinese New Year last year. That was before my previous freestyle coach, CC, left. In fact, I landed two in lesson that day.

Then a dry spell. Actually I hurt my back soon after, pulling out of the Nationals here, and just barely deciding to go to Mountain Cup last year. And of course, I would have to sprain my ankle while sightseeing in Prague - at least it was such a beautiful, interesting place the sightseeing was worth it!

This year, I was back on the ice for lesson on the second day of Chinese New Year. No double toe in sight.

My new boots arrived in March. By the time I got the blades mounted, it was the day before I flew off to New Jersey. My new skates came with me, and I skated at Ice House for a week. It must have been either the larger rink, or the ice, or my new boots... I gained new confidence in my double Sal - but the double toe was still elusive as ever.

After a week in New Jersey, MM and I went to San Francisco another week. I skated at the Yerba Buerna rink, and it was there that the double toe started making its comeback.

Back in Singapore, uh, its all gone again! Another trip to Europe didn't quite bring it back either, but in lesson last week, I actually managed to land a few more.

So, what is this week going to bring? I better get it consistent - this roller coaster ride is making me sick!

When is a jump "consistent"?

Our ultimate goal is to have our jumps be "consistent". BUT, what does "consistent" mean?
Landed >50% of the time? Landed >80% of the time?
Landed >80% of the time in program?

Actually, what does "landed" mean? OMG, this is another topic for another time. For now assume we each have a definition of "landed" that we are comfortable with!

When I started working on the Axel, I was happy to land one in a skating session.
Now, I worry when I don't land one of them in a skating session.

It has been a long road from then to now, and, honestly, my definition of consistent has changed. I used to think my Axel is "consistent" if I could land it more than half the time in my program. That is certainly an honorable achievement!

Now, I want jumps consistent so that even if I don't feel like doing the jump, even if my blade slips in take-off, even if there is a rut I end up in, the jump will be landed (i.e. no falls, no touchdowns, etc). It may not be the nicest jump, but it should happen!

I probably am being a little too stringent... But that is what I have achieved on the Axel. During the Nationals 2 weeks ago, I actually amazed myself by going into a half-hearted Axel, and still being able to pull off the Axel-loop-toe loop combination (which, unfortunately, felt very ugly!)

Waltz jumps and Axels

Learning the Axel is the first real big hurdle all figure skaters (freestylers) face. The transition from half jumps to one-revolution jumps usually comes rather easily. Multiple revolution jumps are infinitely harder. It is like, on the ground, just about anyone can jump and turn around... but to jump and turn 2 rounds is a totally different story!

The Axel is also intimidating because of its forward take-off. It is sometimes said that the Axel is merely a Waltz jump with one more rotation. However, over the years of learning the Axel and teaching it, I find that it is not just an upgraded Waltz.

A good (beautiful) Waltz jump will have extension in the air. This extension causes a delayed shift of weight on the landing foot. Being just a half-revolution jump, this is not too difficult to achieve. Such extension in an Axel will give a delayed Axel. While a well executed delayed Axel is beautiful, it is (trust me) so much harder to do, and is not what skaters beginning on the Axel should focus on!

So, what does the Axel, need? A quick knee action on the jump, and a quick snap onto the landing side while straightening the landing foot. One of my former coaches said, think of stepping up a stair. Though this is not the only thing I think of in an Axel, I dare say it is one of the most important!