World and Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek continues working with a seminar class to help skaters improve their double lutz jumps. He begins with a discussion of head anchoring and upper body posture which he describes as head up and “eyes on the horizon” with “one eye” in the back of the head and the “thoracic spine is engaged.” He continues, “If you’re having trouble executing the reach-back-tap-under moment, go back to the setup, go back to the eyes and the head, because that is step one.”
Tom then has a demonstrator show the same progression of 3 lutzes down the ice as shown in Part 1, using a mohawk-cross for the transition. On the cross step this skater steps down onto an inside edge and rips strongly to the active outside take-off edge. By contrast, some skaters step down on the mohawk-cross directly to an outside edge, and they would then remain on that edge for the lutz take-off.
As the class practices this drill with single and double lutzes, Tom offers some tips to individual skaters, again focusing on head placement and anchoring. He also says, “Remember we don’t need a lot of speed, we just need the right alignment and the right action-reaction.”
Finally, Tom offers a slight variation on the exercise that may make it easier for some skaters. After landing on the back outside edge the skater steps forward into an outside three turn and then performs a weight shift to the back inside edge of the axis foot. The skater then steps forward to the mohawk-cross prior to the jump.
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