Half Loop

[dani]

My dance coach, who is filling in for my vacationing freestyle coach has me working on a half-loop. So I can do a waltz/half loop/salchow combination.

I can make it around on my half loop, but I don't get any height at all. I see a little bit of a scratch, similar to a salchow, but much straighter.

Can anyone tell me a little more about what I should be expecting with this jump and maybe give me some advice? I am still scared of my flip and haven't seriously tried a loop yet.

Hugs!
Danielle

[lisabelle]

i have that combo in my program and i cant do a good half loop at all. i have a good loop and can do all the loops combos, but for whatever reason, my half loops are always cheated and awkward. i would appreciate any advice also :)

[figurebabe]

I have never learnt the half loop before? is it just a loop entrance except 1/2 a revolution?
I wouldn't mind any advice also either! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[dani]

The half loop is very weirdly names. It is a loop entrance (I guess) with a full revolution and then landing on a left inside back edge (presuming "normal" direction, I can't keep up with which direction is which)

Hugs!

ps) Might be fun to do a double half loop ;-)

[pink_flower77]

I actually think this is harder than the loop, because with the loop, u can pull in and cross your legs like you normally do, however, because the half-loop lands on the opposite foot, you can't cross your feet as well. I don't think they should call it a half-loop, lol.

[Schmeck]

I agree that it has a dumb name - it's not a half-rotation jump, (like a half-flip) it's more like a backwards salchow, isn't it? You take off on the right foot and land on the left?

Maria B did one in her sequence, right? I didn't think it looked good there either - maybe half-loops just are awkward, no matter how good of a skater you are?

Schmeck, realizing that all of her sentences end in ????? :roll:

[TashaKat]

Not helpful, I realise :oops: but my coach makes me do them BOTH WAYS!!! It's piggin hard the 'wrong' way and I'm very tentative about it! Mind you, haven't practised it for a while ;)

My half loop used to be really crap because I didn't totally understand it (the 'half' thing), I only did it as a connecting thing between jumps. HOWEVER .... Madame likes us to do them as a separate entity so much work was done on the things. Basically (sorry, hate that word, use it FAR too much) I think of doing a loop, bend the knees and really try and get the 'spring'. She gets us to do back 3's and then a half loop from back 3's, it kind of gets the rotation going.

These things look really good when someone 'good' does them so there is hope :)

One of the kids was doing a COOL jump today ..... it was only half a revolution because it's for her Free Dance but she takes off from a RBO edge and does half a revolution BUT brings the free leg out to the front and then around to the side while she has her arms stretched into the air ... REALLY nice .... only problem is that she has to land forwards (it looks equally as good when done as a full revolution jump) and tends to land flat at the moment :cry:

L x

[dani]

[quote:90e34cd326="TashaKat"]Basically (sorry, hate that word, use it FAR too much) I think of doing a loop, bend the knees and really try and get the 'spring'. She gets us to do back 3's and then a half loop from back 3's, it kind of gets the rotation going.[/quote:90e34cd326]

Can you describe this excersize with a little detail? What do I do after a right back 3?

Thanks!!

Danielle

[TashaKat]

[quote:b2c016ec3d="dani"]Can you describe this exercise with a little detail? What do I do after a right back 3?

Thanks!!

Danielle[/quote:b2c016ec3d]

hokay .... you do a RBO3, mohawk to backwards then repeat this so that you do 3x RBO3's and then on the fourth time (but I guess you could do at any point) go onto the RBO edge and jump up as if you're going to do a loop but really BEND your skating knee, keep your body straight, your tummy strong, pull your arms in and land ...... just like that ;) ..... if only eh? The back 3's just give you a bit of momentum to get it going :)

L x

[melanieuk]

I think they don't look too pretty either.
Maria Butyrskaya does them and I don't know if it's her longish legs being bended, but it looks messy.
Sometimes when I miss my loop-loop, I do a loop-halfloop-salchow instead.
I've also tried a very ugly loop, halfloop, flip.....you have to pick immediately after the half-loop and it s HARD!!!! :cry:

[icenut84]

Sarah Hughes does half loops too, on their own, and I think it looks really good. She did one right at the end of her LP this year (she did the triple toe, then a split jump, then the half loop, then the combo spin). She did it at the end of her Don Quioxte LP last year too. She kinda does it with her arms out and as soon as she lands on the inside edge she puts the other foot down too. It's not pulled in tightly like a normal jump would be. I think it looks really effective.

[kayskate]

I've seen Toller Cranston do them in nearly a split position. They are gorgeous when done as individual elements in effective positions.

Kay

[Anita18]

In the Hershey's Kisses comp, I recall Matt Savoie doing one and he just went UP! and floated! Wow! I want to do one like that! LOLOLOL!

Actually ,doing half-loops helped me a lot with getting the regular loop entrance, since I was scared to death of landing on the same leg I took off from. Still, I have skidding problems with the exit. LOL now that I can do the loop, I barely work on half-loops anymore. But it would be neat just to have one in a program. :D

[MissIndigo]

With the half-loop, you still have to make sure you get a good bend in your takeoff knee to get height, much like the loop jump entry. One of the keys to holding the half-loop landing is to sit back on your blade, away from the ball of your foot (or weight slightly behind the ball of the foot) in order to avoid scratching with the toe pick. Land also with a strong check, much like in the checked position before going airborne on your salchow.

My coach says I have a gorgeous half loop, but that came from so many chicken loop attempts that it's not funny! :lol: In midair, I would not feel I was properly over my right skate for the loop and would end up popping my left hip up, which killed the loop but made for a nice half loop. I guess done properly, even a half loop/salchow combination would look nice with good height on both jumps. (Floaty edge jumps are cool!)