National level coach Debbie Warne-Jacobsen continues a series of videos offering insights and exercises to improve toe loop technique for double and triple toe loop development. In Part 1 Debbie started with single toe drills with a guard in the axis hand. In this video, the focus shifts to the double toe.
After the first double attempt using the drill (double toe into pirouette), Debbie reminds the skater that she’s holding the guard in her axis hand to build awareness of the axis arm coming through during the take-off movements. For this specific drill, the skater should grab the guard with both hands as part of the take-off and keep holding on with both hands through out the pirouette. Debbie says, “I’m really trying to be quite a bit more narrow with the right (axis) arm coming closer to the body and just staying in, in front of her.”
Debbie then returns to the single toe to ensure the skater is grabbing the guard at the right moment and continuing to hold it. As is so common, with the skater focused on fixing the arms and upper body, the lower body had issues on the next attempt. After another walkthrough, the skater does another double toe into pirouette with a zippy hop exit, and this time the exercise is done well.
