Figure skating jump specialist Charlie Tickner continues his discussion of the toe loop. To view Part 1 of Charlie’s presentation, please click here. In this video, Charlie talks about turning the single into a double. He begins by briefly discussion when a skater is ready to start working on the double. Charlie asks, “What’s the difference on the take-off between the single toe loop and the double toe loop? There’s no difference. No difference at all. And that’s the problem (that’s why it’s hard!). You have to get through the take-off just like you would on a single. The right foot and the right arm HAVE to get through.”
Charlie gives a good description of what happens when the right foot doesn’t come through properly on the take-off. He says, “If the right side doesn’t really come through, your body get’s way out in front of your feet.” This what makes a double toe look like it’s tipping over backwards in the air (very scary!). Charlie recommends straight walk-throughs with stepping into a backspin. Initially keeping the movement slow because, “the jump really is slow like that.” He talks about air position. And he notes, “If you can get a student, or get yourself, to do the same thing on your double toe as your single and just let the positions happen… don’t worry about the rotation. It’ll take care of itself.”
In this video, Charlie also mentions the triple toe loop. Again he notes the take-off should be the same. And he offers this important insight. “The faster you go into a jump, you’ve got to slow things down.” Almost every advanced skater learns what Charlie means by this. The tendency with more entry speed is to speed up the rhythm or timing of the jump take-off too much.
Next, Charlie takes a few minutes to discuss the toe loop in terms of adult skaters. Adult skaters tend to do a lot of toe waltz jumps. But Charlie doesn’t do anything different with adult skaters than the kids. He teaches the same technique and expects proper execution. For adult skaters he says, “I give them a little more time. Let them go a little slower. Let them feel the exercises.” He has them do lots of the exercises and drills from Part 1.
At the end of this video, Charlie offers an important insight for the walk-through drill in Part 1. The picking leg cannot remain completely straight and needs some “softness” for the jump to pivot through and take-off properly (forward). A very stiff picking leg often results in a jump that does not pivot through but rather lifts off the ice with very little rotation. Charlie also talks about the take-off as an h-position at the moment of take-off. He has had more success getting jump height with the h-position as opposed to a straight leg (which is what really happens on all triple and quad toe loops and is taught here by Michelle Leigh). Charlie also likes the idea of an h-position because it helps skaters at lower levels feel the “weight transfer” by stepping to a straight leg from the bent leg.
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