International coach and jump specialist Chris Conte gives a lutz edge class at a seminar. After breaking the class up into smaller groups, he watches the class perform single lutz jumps. He then relates a story about a skater who was able to correct a long-standing (4 year) lutz edge issue in just 10 minutes, because the skater wanted to change and made every attempt a focused attempt. He says, “The only jump that ever matters is the next one, the one I’m about to do.” For new jumps the skater hasn’t yet landed, each attempt is a chance to make something about the jump better. For this situation Chris says, “I’m only one away from doing it better. I’m only one attempt [to/from] improving it.”
He then watches the class attempt double lutz jumps and observes quite a few edge change issues. When watching the attempts, Chris watches closely the edge and ankle position as the feet pass each other. He notes that IJS callers review edge change issues in full speed and do not use slow motion, but a good caller will see edge problems in real time (full speed video). He says, “You want to make sure the edge is bullet-proof” meaning it is so good that the caller will not question it at all.
To work on the edge and reach, Chris has the class skate backward on an outside edge, lightly touching the “drag tooth” or bottom toe pick during the reach back. He mentions using a hockey puck to perform this drill, but as he demonstrates it is not necessary and the drag tooth drill is great for building control. From this he allows the skaters to raise the picking foot just slightly and then simulate a lutz take-off by picking and engaging the active back outside edge as the feet pass. Chris calls the pigeon toe position that is so classic on good lutz jumps as “that ugly T-position.” When helping individual skaters he talks about “the duck” and he’s referring to the hips or where the hips are pointed.
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