Opinion: Sato and Asada partnership is not working!

[antmanb]

It's the fact that she spends so much of the jump set up on an outside edge and then turns in at the last second. It feels like she doesn't have enough control of her edge. Basically, I would prefer it if she got to the inside edge then picked in instead of getting to the inside edge while she is picking in.

But she doesn't switch edge as she picks, she switches clearly to the inside and then picks in so I guess I don't have a problem with it. With any flip, the set up into it has to be straight which means the edges on the turns are necessairly flatter than if the skater was simply executing the turn on its own. If you do a three-turn into a flip then coaches often get you to do a rocker-like three turn meaning the exit edge is very flat/sometimes an outside edge to ensure that you are straight on the turn. The mohawk turn that Mao uses can be the same. The only slight issue with her is that she gets the inside edge exit to the mohawk, rocks to an outside edge (to assist in the check), gets back onto the inside edge, then picks and releases. I think it's fine as it is. I think it is comparable to the number of lutzses we see where the skater sets up backwards on the left foot rocks to an inside edge and then rocks to the outside as they reach back to pick to get a clean outside edge.

[kwanatic]

It simply is not true that Mao's speed has declined. It has increased significantly. The person who put up this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Oqd...ure=plpp_video

says that whereas Mao used to take 9~10 second from the other end of the rink to do her 3f-2l at the other end, she now takes 7 seconds, a reduction of 2-3 seconds. With the lutz, she still takes 9 seconds to go from end to end of the rink but she has changed her approach path so that the distance is longer. And with her double-axel-triple-toe, if you look at the jump width she achieves, she obviously has very good speed going into that jump.

And I have already mentioned that she is now getting level-4 on her step sequence, and that is due to that fact that she can now maintain her speed to the very end (which was something that Shizuka said on television). If you look at the step sequence of other skaters, their steps often don't travel as much distance as Mao's and there is a reduction of speed in the middle of it.

So Mao clearly has better speed. Mr. Sato has stated on several occasions that 'nothing is as attractive as speed' and it was the first thing that he started working on with Mao. (But Mao skates so effortlessly and floaty-like that when you watch her on TV, she actually seems to be skating slower than before.)

I agree, I think she's faster as well. Obviously not as fast as she was in 2005 where she just seemed to soar around the rink, into and out of jumps, but her speed has improved in the last two seasons.

And I agree with Snoopy about quality vs. difficulty in her spins. That's what I meant by saying her positions are cleaner which, in turn, makes her spins look better to me. One thing I don't like is that second sideways leaning position in her layback; the angle of the twist and the position of the leg are ugly (reminds me of Liza T's deplorable layback).

[skatesindreams]

Before we judge this season too harshly, let us remember that Mao has had to cope with the illness/death of her mother during these last months.
I'm sure that has had more to do with her "uneven" performances than "bad" coaching from Mr. Sato.

edited to reflect post, below.

[Spun Silver]

Yuka and Jason aren't her coaches. It's Mr. Sato, Yuka's father.

[aftertherain]

Actually she had a fairly consistent 3Sal under Tarasova and she didn't get a edge call on her lutz as far as I can remember, yes compared to last year she has improved but that is not really saying much she spent a whole year relearning her techniques only to come out with the same jump repertoire she had at the beginning... and I disagree that her spins are faster.

I'm pretty sure she was still flutzing, but CoP judges weren't as harsh back then because the system was still pretty new.

[l'etoile]

Mao was more than frequently getting edge calls during 2008-2009 season which made her insecure on the jump and led to a costly mistake in sp at 2009 Worlds. She, however, didn't get any edge calls during 2009-2010 because she never attempted lutz.

[mikeko666]

Sato and Asada partnership is not working not because of Mr. Sato but because of Asada herself. The task given to Sato, fixing jump technique of a 20 years old elite skater from almost basic is just too much. He couldn't fix Yukari Nakano's wrapped leg alone. Asada's problems are much bigger and much more complicated. It took her months to find a new coach in Japan after 2010 Worlds because no one wanted the job. I guess Sato was begged by JSF to become her coach.

The biggest obstacle is Asada's obsession with 3A and 3F+3Lo. She wants to be able to jump like when she was 15 while Sato wants her to learn new correct technique. She tried 3A about 60 times in practices since she arrived at Nice, but much less 3Lz or 3S. Her flutz is not going anywhere, and she will never master correct 3Lz.

No coach can save her if that's not what she wants.

[ayayukiituka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrPh-2q5zjw
I think their work is going well by seeing this FS run-through. To be honest,I thought she would win the title with error on 3A and hitting all the other elements.

[sky_fly20]

watching Mao fail everytime she attemps the 3A
I really wish she would stop this obsession with the axel.
she could rack bigger points with easier jumps even a combo with huge +GOE