Telegraphing Your Jumps | Golden Skate

Telegraphing Your Jumps

S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
OK, I realize that skaters must set up their jumps, and certain amount of preparation time is necessary to assure a successful takeoff and landing. And some skaters have their own, unique way of preparing to take off.

That being said, there seems to be a profusion of skaters who really, really telegraph their jumps. Their triple lutzes, for example, are proclaimed for about 10 seconds as they glide backwards to the corner of the rink where they plan to execute the jump. It's a choreographical dead zone, IMHO.

I'm not criticizing any of these wonderful skaters, but take a look at some of them - Dagmar Lurz, the 1980 Olympic bronze medalist, Gregorz Filipoliski, the 1989 World bronze medalist, even Elizabeth Manley, the 1988 Olympic silver medalist -- precious seconds of their programs were eaten up by gliding backwards in preparation for the triple lutz. I even have an old videotape of Dick Button competing in the 1952 Olympics. He glided backwards down 3/4 the way of the rink in preparation for his double lutz jump. No choreography there!

I'm not sure whether I would characterize Irina Slutsakaya's triple loop preparation as "telegraphing", but it comes very close to being that, IMHO.
 

merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
I don't think years & years ago it was considered such bad form as it is today. To me Surya Bonaly was the worst proponent of telegraphing her jumps. Among todays skaters Liashenko "jumps" into my mind!
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Paul Martini once said of Kurt Browning: "You can't accuse Kurt of ever telegraphing his jumps." Kurt's jumps come out of nowhere - even a triple.

It is very refreshing when a skater learns to use footwork masterfully - like Kurt - to incoporate set ups for jumps. I kind of think it's the fault of the skaters coach for letting bad habits continue as the skater develops.

Learning a jump is always a challenge at first and often a skater will hesitate before executing the jump especially if it is a double or a triple. Probably the most telegraphed jump is the Lutz because of the takeoff.

Jennifer Robinson used to drive me nuts because her takeoff for her triple Lutz was so delayed. In fact she almost everytime was too close to the boards for the jump. I always held my breath until she actually did the jump.

Telepgraphing jumps can actually detract from the program as well no matter how great the choreography is.

That is why it is so enjoyable to watch skaters like Kurt Browning, Jeff Buttle and Shawn Sawyer. Their footwork and connecting steps are so interesting. They make it look easy.

Good topic.
 

CDMM1991

Medalist
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Emanuel Sandhu spends the whole way down the ice leading up to his quad with absolutely NO choreography
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Ladskater, you're so right about Jennifer Robinson. She really, really telegraphs her triple lutzes - there's absolutely no doubt which jump she is setting up, that's for sure.

Actually, in viewing my videotape of the 1984 Olympics, it was obvious that Scott Hamilton also telegraphed his triple lutz. It wasn't a major "telegraph", but he certainly leaned down on the ice, stretched out his free leg, and there was no choreography going on for about 10 seconds or so before he launched into the jump.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
we complain because the CoP wants footwork into every jump, trying to discourage telegraphing by docking points for it

so now we have a thread complaining that there's telegraphing... no wonder the ISU can't win :laugh:

The "greats" of skating have all done it...

personally if the skater doesn't feel right to jump yet (for whatever reason, early in teh music, not getting the right feel, etc) I say let them glide... no it's not the best looking thing... but I'd rather they hit the jump than fall on their butt or some other part of their body and get injured.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
Tonichelle said:
we complain because the CoP wants footwork into every jump, trying to discourage telegraphing by docking points for it

so now we have a thread complaining that there's telegraphing... no wonder the ISU can't win :laugh:

The "greats" of skating have all done it...

personally if the skater doesn't feel right to jump yet (for whatever reason, early in teh music, not getting the right feel, etc) I say let them glide... no it's not the best looking thing... but I'd rather they hit the jump than fall on their butt or some other part of their body and get injured.

Well, we are entitled to express our opinions, aren't we? IMHO, telegraphing, when done to the max, really detracts from a program. It is a "dead zone", choregraphically speaking. I'm not suggesting that absolutely every second of a program should consist of connecting steps, etc., between jumps, but when you have, say, a ten-second delay of entrance into a triple lutz, well, that's a huge chunk of time wasted. IMHO, of course.
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
SkateFan4Life said:
Well, we are entitled to express our opinions, aren't we? IMHO, telegraphing, when done to the max, really detracts from a program. It is a "dead zone", choregraphically speaking. I'm not suggesting that absolutely every second of a program should consist of connecting steps, etc., between jumps, but when you have, say, a ten-second delay of entrance into a triple lutz, well, that's a huge chunk of time wasted. IMHO, of course.

ITA that NOT telegraphing much gives a better overall impression than massive telegraphing. I think that spells opportunity for skaters looking to gain advantage. As a recent example, I watched Shiz's SP from Japan Nationals (video download). While she did the 2A right out of her spiral at TEB, she's changed her spiral in a way that IMO is more impressive, which made the 2A even more impressive for me as a viewer. That's an example (IMO) of an UN telegraphed jump that was rewarded. She got a full +1 factored GOE at TEB, and 1.2 factored GOE at Japan Nats.

I hope as more time passes, more skaters find ways to amaze us with NON telegraphed jumps. If they keep getting rewarded, I think they will find ways.

DG
 
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JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Dagmar Lurz was the all-time worst I have ever seen in this category; if Telegraphing had been an Olympic event, she would have won about 3 gold medals. Back in those days, tho, it didn't seem to be as much of a big deal because choreography wasn't as important overall as it is now. But I will always remember watching the Ladies Long Program in Lake Placid with my mother (who was taking skating lessons at that time) and her commentary on Ms. Lurz:
"Good Lord, girl, jump already!! What is this?? 'Should I jump here? No.... Wait... Here.... no, this might be better.... No, wait.... Here?' JUST JUMP!!!" :laugh:

Actually, I saw some great telegraphing (if one could refer to it like that) from Julia Sebestyen a few seasons ago... She apparently had "choregraphed" it into her program -- she was telegraphing her jumps, but the telegraphing fit the music PERFECTLY; as soon as the "telegraphing portion" of the music gave way to a musical highlight, she'd do the jump. This is something that Liashenko could stand to look into.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
JonnyCoop said:
Dagmar Lurz was the all-time worst I have ever seen in this category; if Telegraphing had been an Olympic event, she would have won about 3 gold medals. Back in those days, tho, it didn't seem to be as much of a big deal because choreography wasn't as important overall as it is now. But I will always remember watching the Ladies Long Program in Lake Placid with my mother (who was taking skating lessons at that time) and her commentary on Ms. Lurz:
"Good Lord, girl, jump already!! What is this?? 'Should I jump here? No.... Wait... Here.... no, this might be better.... No, wait.... Here?' JUST JUMP!!!" :laugh:

I remember the 1980 Olympics. Dagmar Lurz won the bronze medal with a freeskate that was loaded with "telegraphs". It was dreadful, IMHO. And the girl who finished right behind her, Denise Beillman, won the freeskate with a dynamic program that included the introduction to the world of her now-famous Beillman spin.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
There have been times where I've felt that Irina S and Oksana B telegraph. It's something about the way they hold their arms and body in such a deliberate manner. It is hard to avoid on the harder jumps. I saw it more with Oksana than with Irina. Like I said, everyone does if you've watched them skate enough, but I call out Irina and Oksana because they can be 'stiffer' than some other current skaters.
 

zilam98

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
G&G/Katia

I couldn't remember G&G nor Katia herself telegraphing jumps that long, if ever they did.
 
S

SkateFan4Life

Guest
heyang said:
There have been times where I've felt that Irina S and Oksana B telegraph. It's something about the way they hold their arms and body in such a deliberate manner. It is hard to avoid on the harder jumps. I saw it more with Oksana than with Irina. Like I said, everyone does if you've watched them skate enough, but I call out Irina and Oksana because they can be 'stiffer' than some other current skaters.

I agree with you. Both Irina and Oksana "telegraph" their jumps to a certain extent with their pose as they prepare to launch into some of their jumps. However, I really don't think this is a major habit of theirs, and it isn't distracting as it is with some other skaters. IMHO, of course.
 
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