Toeloop troubles

[silver.blades]

I've been working on the double to for about 2 years and it's giving me alot of problems. My technique is in and out and my 2F and 2Lz are more secure. Any advice is appreciated, I need to have it for my next test which I'm hoping to take in May.

 

[skatergirl45]

I just started landing mine so I hope that my advice helps.
Make sure your timing is correct. Also, try when you do your 3-turn to turn your hands so that your palms are facing the sky. You then get a better "swoop" and pull in w/ the arms.
Finally, make sure your weight is completely transfered to your picking toe.
Good Luck.
PS-My friend had a similar problem to you. She could land her 2L and 2F(kind of) before she got her double toe consitant. Don't worry though, she got hers consistant soon there after.\

I just thought of another thing. Have you tried it in combination? Sometimes adding a single toe after a jump can help with the landing. This helped with my double sal.

 

[silver.blades]

I can land it in combination (although 2 footed) but I have a really bad lean in the air and it comes down hard more often than not. But my timing's a mess when I do it on it's own, my coach says I tense up whenever I entre the jump, but I don't know why the toe freaks me out more than other jumps.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I can land it in combination (although 2 footed) but I have a really bad lean in the air and it comes down hard more often than not. But my timing's a mess when I do it on it's own, my coach says I tense up whenever I entre the jump, but I don't know why the toe freaks me out more than other jumps.

For me the toeloop is easier than the salchow, but not as easy as the flip, loop pr lutz. I can land it better in combonation than solo. If you have to do it solo for your test, i would recommend trying to cut down on the entrance edge. If you telegraph it too much that just gives you too much time to think and get scared of it.

I know this probably isn't much help, but when i don't think about it i land it.

 

[mskater93]

I can land it in combination (although 2 footed) but I have a really bad lean in the air and it comes down hard more often than not. But my timing's a mess when I do it on it's own, my coach says I tense up whenever I entre the jump, but I don't know why the toe freaks me out more than other jumps.

I had this problem for SO long over the last year. I finally started thinking conciously about counting in and out of the three turn (so that I don't pick in as soon as I turn) and then thinking about the bend and pick and Axel-like sweep of the free leg.

 

[2bcharlotte]

I'm a new coach...

Could you be a little more specific about what is going on? The problems usually begins with the 3 turn. Do you have a solid, well blocked 3 turn? Next, what does your single look like? When you put your toe in the ice are you then drawing your feet together? Usually if you can fix and get a consistent entrance, the rest will follow. Good luck!!!!

 

[silver.blades]

my biggest problem is that when my toe pick goes in the momentum stops, so going up is quite jarring. My free foot dosn't follow through. My biggest problem is I know exactly what I'm doing wrong, but I don't know how to fix it and I'm not getting any better. Any new prespectives are welcome.

 

[vlaurend]

It sounds like you might be mentally stopping yourself as you pick, out of fear or uncertainty. It also sounds like you are pitching forward as you pick instead of arching your back and keeping your weight on the heel of your skating foot. You are probably picking too hard because the forward lean is making it hard for you to pick effectively. So keep your weight on the heel of the skating foot, keep your back arched, and then start to straighten the skating knee just before you pick, rather than picking when you are still all the way down. When you do that, the pick is neater and it's easier to bring your legs together as you take off.
Another good trick is to think of grabbing a doorknob and opening the door toward you as you pick and pull back on takeoff. In other words, start with your left arm out in front of you (assuming you pick with your left toe), then pull your left elbow back as you take off. That will help you get the pull back with your feet as well.