Coach and jump specialist Trevor Laak continues a series of videos discussing jump landing mechanics, covering theoretical aspects of jump landings and practical exercises and movements. In Part 1 he introduced basic concepts and the need for a better understanding of this topic among coaches and skaters. In this video, he shares some demonstrations and drills to better understand how rotation is slowed on a jump landing.
He begins by having his demonstrator do an upright two foot spin and then drop into a squatted position with the arms straight out in front. The dramatic slowing of rotation illustrates how this idea is important for jump landings. As noted in Part 1, the rotation must be slowed before it can be stopped. Trevor explains that this is nothing more than moving mass away from the rotational center, and using the entire body is the most efficient way to do this. As an exercise, this two foot spin drill should continue spinning (no toe picks or inside edges) and the back should be flat and not rounded. Trevor says, “You can see the dramatic change in rotation rate. She’s going from a pretty high rotation rate to a rotation rate that’s almost nothing.”
Next Trevor progresses to a one-foot squatted position that has similar characteristics to the previously shown two-foot demonstration. He has the skater show the position skating backward on one foot while bending the skating ankle and knee, and hips while maintaining a flat back with the straight free leg in front. This is like an intermediate back sit spin position. The drill is done both in a straight line and on a circle, and the drill is performed while gliding backward to simulate a true jump landing and where the balance point is on the blade. Trevor emphasizes the need for a flat back in these exercises.
