International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen discusses considerations for selecting the best lutz technique for a given skater. This is a continuation of his presentations on beginning lutz, 3 helpful lutz drills and different lutz entrances and reach details. Jeremy explains that whenever he starts working with a skater on the lutz, whether it’s a brand new lutz or just a new student with an existing lutz, he performs an assessment of that skater’s natural movements and technique. Because he has studied so much video, Jeremy tends to compare a student’s natural technique to the technique used by others (sometimes elite skaters, sometimes not), matching a student’s technique to a more successful skater with similar technique.
As an example, he says, “If I had a kid who jumped like Brian Boitano or Yuzuru (Hanyu) and has more of a split before they go up on the lutz, I’m not going to change their technique to more of a pivot with the [non-picking] foot staying more in front.” The idea is to use technique that is “natural” for the skater. On the other hand, if their “natural” technique isn’t working, it may be smart to make changes, trying different entrances, different timing, or different jump technique.
Jeremy says, “It’s very, very important [for coaches] to know all techniques and maybe why one technique wouldn’t work for one skater and why it would work for another skater. This is something you have to research yourself and pay attention to.” He thinks of it as a “mental checklist” for comparing technique and assessing pros and cons for each situation. He suggests initially using technique that is natural to the skater, and then trying something else if it doesn’t work.
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