International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen offers insights and drills for combination jumps. He begins with a discussion of toe loop combinations and the all-important “reset” between the first jump and the toe loop. Jeremy defines the reset as “how you move from the first jump to the second jump.” He explains it usually happens on toe combinations with the free leg remaining straight and swinging “a little bit around” to the rear.
To learn and master the reset, Jeremy teaches an exercise which consists of a waltz jump, a loop jump, the reset, and a single toe loop. The skater should check out the waltz jump and perform the loop jump simply by flipping forward and keeping the straight free leg where it was.
For loop combinations, Jeremy begins by explaining the importance of the loop combination. He says, “In my opinion, people don’t work on loop combinations enough.” He shows an exercise that is similar to that used for the toe loop, and it’s essentially a waltz jump, loop jump, loop jump. This is a well-known exercise and it’s important because it teaches timing and proper alignment.
Jeremy spends a bit of time discussing where the free foot/free leg should be between the two jumps on a loop combination. The classic “h-position” or “4-position” has the free foot collected and across the axis (crossed feet). Buy Jeremy also shares another position which he prefers in general where the free leg is pressed well out in front after landing the first jump (straighter but not completely straight) and then “as the jump goes up it (free foot) sucks up to your other knee (skating knee)” in the classic “4-position.”
Next, Jeremy returns to the toe loop where he shows another exercise for mastering the “reset” and getting properly over the axis side. The exercise is back outside three turn, single twizzle turn to backward to simulated reset with full reach back, followed by a back outside three turn (with the free leg initially behind but moving in front on the turns) before repeating the sequence a time or two before then finishing with a single/double/triple toe loop. Jeremy demonstrates the exercise with 3 resets before the jump. The exercise “gives the skater an opportunity to feel how you can create momentum into the second jump with your free leg coming out.”
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