Jump Technique & Theory
Coach Luke Kirchgessner
When we think jumps and the evolution of jump technique in the sport over the last 40 years, I don’t think anyone could predict how high the bar would be raised. How “casual” triple jumps would become. How quad jumps would be attainable by children.
What’s driving this change? We can see clues when we look back at all the greats who were the first to do these skills. What used to be a ‘just try it’ mentality with maybe a couple technical cues (“pull into the right side, tight feet, stay straight in the air”) has evolved into a series of very set progressions that position skaters for a higher likelihood of success when they attempt the big tricks.
Skating is evolving, and knowledge that used to only be accessible to a handful of coaches around the world has begun to circulate the skating community. A broad number of coaches are now taking the time to learn all the shapes of the body on takeoff, angles, timing adjustments, twitch mechanics, and progressions that are necessary to further advance their jump techniques. More coaches and schools of skating have begun adopting these changes, and through the evolution of social media, it’s rapidly becoming known that there are more things we can do to set our skaters up for success at even higher levels.
With this in mind, we’re here to focus on off-ice mechanics and the overall conditioning of the body – an often-overlooked but crucial component for jump technique. At Balanced Skaters we believe that having a solid base is essential, and that by incorporating off-ice training, you’ll boost the likelihood of success for ALL skills.
Why do we believe this?
Experience.
During my career as a jump specialist, I’ve paid close attention to some of the best jumpers in the world. While there are many obvious factors that influence skill level - like technical similarities, body types, age - I’ve also observed which techniques last through puberty and which athletes continue to compete at that level post-growth.
One thing I’ve consistently observed is that nearly all the motions done on takeoff are almost identical, aside from some variations on upper body and use of arms (e.g. a quad lutz done by Nathan Chen vs. Anna Sherbakova). Across the board, we see that it’s actually quickness that’s the key to better jumps. How quickly does the skater go from takeoff to a fully tight air position – a movement we call the ‘twitch’?
The twitch, in my opinion, isn’t something that you can only learn on the ice. In fact, it’s often better to develop in a more focused way off the ice, where skaters are able to break down the requisite components without the added complexities of being in a rink.
In the Balanced Skaters training programs, we poured years of research and knowledge into a series of off-ice jump progressions that cover these areas. Skaters must be taught a series of complex skills: how to move quickly, how to know their axis (angle of the body mid-air), and how to coordinate the timing of their legs and upper body in order to rotate faster. By teaching these skills off the ice, we can alleviate that unknown and sometimes scary feeling of adding rotation in a higher-risk on-ice setting.
Decreasing this feeling of uncertainty is even more important when you consider injury risk. It’s that unknown feeling within the jump that can boost the likelihood of freezing, landing incorrectly, or withholding critical momentum due to fear. Whether it be a single to a double, a double to a triple, or even a triple to a quad, skaters can use our off-ice programming to learn how much power to use, how quick to be, and ultimately how to trust their technique.
Jump high, rotate fast, know your shapes, know your body, and soar to new “heights” – pun intended.
— Luke Kirchgessner