Sending a "Telegraph" for your jumps

[MoonlightSkater]

To me, telegraphing is a sign of poor technique just as traveling across the ice is to a spin.

I don't think it's poor technique, but rather a lack of comfort with the jump. It's kind of comparable to a gymnast taking a long pause before throwing a skill on beam. Their technique can be impeccable, but it's obvious they're not certain they'll nail the skill, or still need to think through a lot going into it. The hope would be that with further practice their comfort level could be improved to the point where they could, if they chose, eliminate the longer entrance.

 

[MoonlightSkater]

I thought you all might find it interesting that this thread inspired me to work on reducing the lead-up to my jumps last week. I'd never intended to telegraph, but I just had kept much of the same technique I used when learning them. I'd been working on making my flip entrance a bit more consistent, anyways, so it seemed a good time to try this.

Interestingly enough, my flip entrance became more consistent when I eliminated the long telegraph. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind this- perhaps changing one habit (telegraphing) made it easier to change the other habit (occaisional slight skid on the three-turn) because I didn't have quite the same muscle memory. Or perhaps I was giving myself less time to think, and that was a good thing. I do tend to overanalyze things I'm working on if I give myself a chance to do so, and it can bog down my mental cues. Or perhaps the fact that the shorter lead-up allowed me to carry more speed ironed out the technique on it's own. Or perhaps the shortened preparatory glide into the three-turn allowed for a better rhythm, knee-bend wise, when entering the jump. Or perhaps it was a combination of all four!

Anyways, I thought some of you might find this to be of some interest.

Next up- working transitions into a Lutz, no long glide needed!

 

[Olympia]

That's wonderful! Interesting to see that one can make improvements when one becomes aware of the problem.

 

[silverpond]

Terrific, Moonlightskater! All the best with your training and improvements with your technique.

 

[lcd]

I agree. I also thought Jeremy had more problems with consistency when he did longer set ups into his "big" jumps. In particular, his triple axel. When he entered coming around a circle on a back outside edge, it was like he was begging to lean or jump outside the circle and screw up his axis. When he began entering the jump from a straight-line diagonal entry line with the turn into the take-off edge, counter to the direction of the jump, it was as if the entry gave him a "cheque" which helps him maintain the proper axis, which then translated to consistency.

Of course, as a skater overall, one would look to Jeremy to be more inventive into and out of jumps and "grow out of" his more telegraphed entries. Eliminating the "telegraph" and incorporating more connections and choreography have clearly helped both his consistency and his overall presentation IMO.