World and Olympic coach Robert Tebby shares some simple but important concepts to help skaters and coaches address jump issues. He begins by explaining there are “3 big parts” which are pattern, position, and timing.
Pattern is related to where the jump is done on the ice and how much curve there is on the setup and entry. Robert makes the point that an entrance with more curve usually results in a jump with more rotational momentum or energy. But it can make the jump harder to control. He indicates the optimal pattern is different for every skater. He says to think about it in terms like, “What works? What gives me balance and alignment but I can also rotate? If I’ve got great balance and alignment but I’m stuck, then maybe we need to curve a bit more, and learn to control a little bit more curve.”
For position, Robert talks about alignment and the relationship between the hips and shoulders in a jump. He also mentions “head here, arm there, foot there.” Position is related to where our body is at all times.
And for timing he says, “And the last one and the most difficult is timing. When do I do all these things? How do I coordinate them all?” He continues, “The best way to coordinate them all is to rehearse them in exercises so your muscle memory can start to recognize the order that things happen in.” He uses the toe loop to illustrate his point. Robert says the jump timing can be corrected between 40% and 50% of the time simply by adjusting the pattern. He says, “So we don’t have to maybe work on the timing if we adjust the pattern. It will take care of the timing. So don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit.”
He finished the video with common sense advice. “If you feel stuck, curve more. If you’re out of control swingy, flatten it out.”
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