Double salchows!!!!

[cutiesk8r43]

hey everyone

does anyone have any tips on double salchows? I have been working on them for a few months and can't seem to get the height and rotation. my coach says I'm not kicking my leg all the way through, so i was wondering if anyone had any tips on kicking all the way through and getting the hieght and rotation.
thanx in advanced

~Cutie ;)

P.S> i searched for other threads about double salchows but couldn't find any ,so if you know any please put a link here, thank you! :)

[sitspin89]

make sure to take you time adn really let your free leg come through before you acutally take off. Maybe try a Mowhawk entry i find that way easier adn gives you more flow during the jump. Hope this helps!

[flo]

It's my favorite jump. I think the above is correct in that you really need to take your time and feel the 'swoop' timing of the jump. One of my problems is that I kick through too far. Then you have to shift over on that side and rotate.

[vesperholly]

The free leg should come forward and then up, like you are drawing an upright CCW circle in the air with your free foot (like pedaling a bike backwards). Keep your left arm strongly checked in front even before you step onto the LFO-3, and keep it in front during and after the turn. You should bring your right knee up to meet your left hand in front of your torso.

The right knee driving upwards is the key to getting good height. The strong left arm check will, when released, give you a good snap for rotation. Double sals are my best double and if I forget to drive the knee up, they never work. Be careful about throwing it too far around - it can start your rotation too early. You want this jump to go UP and then IN.

[b-al]

I agree with the up and in of the previous post. I was tought to bring my free leg in time with my skating leg, therefore never letting the free-leg go in front of my hips. This is a technique not used by all, it worked very well for me, as it did on the triple. Something that really helped me on the sal was also the thought of an axel. As cliche' as it sounds, a sal cow is practically the same as an axel. Some may disagree, so I'll clarify, to me it's similar. I liked the mohawk entrance best, it gives you the most consistant set up (rhythm wise, expect running one footed 3's, more for triples).
I would think of the mohwak and the axel seperatley, but consecutively, meaning I would focus on the mohawk then the axel.
My guess is you have heard this before, but perhaps it can be of some help. An excerise I did was a three-turn, turn forward (staying on same foot) axel then, after time, I would take the turn forward out.

[MQSeries]

Whee, 2 Sal is my favorite jumps too. It's the only double that I can claim to be 90% consistent on.

For the 2 Sal, I always try to get that hanging-in-the-air feeling at the top of the jump before beginning my rotations. I swing my leg around, through, and up, get up into the air and only when I reach the highest point of the jump will I then pull in my arms and cross my legs for the rotations. It's the only jump that I can do a delay action on. I wish I can do the same for the 2toe and 2loop also, but I need to work more on them.

The lack of height on most jumps is usually do to skaters worrying about the rotations too much. Before the jump even lift off, they're already pulling in their arms. You need to relax, jump then rotate; not rotate then jump.

[flo]

b-al,
I've often thought of the axel and the salchow that way. I've been trying to do it in reverse, as I've landed double sals, but not axels. I'd like to do a running three into one.

[MichTheSkater]

The free leg should come forward and then up, like you are drawing an upright CCW circle in the air with your free foot (like pedaling a bike backwards). Keep your left arm strongly checked in front even before you step onto the LFO-3, and keep it in front during and after the turn. You should bring your right knee up to meet your left hand in front of your torso.

The right knee driving upwards is the key to getting good height. The strong left arm check will, when released, give you a good snap for rotation. Double sals are my best double and if I forget to drive the knee up, they never work. Be careful about throwing it too far around - it can start your rotation too early. You want this jump to go UP and then IN.

Like pedaling a bike backwards.. :?? hmm when i do my double sows.. it feels nothing like pedaling a bike backwards.. maybe i should try it :) When i do my sows i always do it off of a back outside three turn, moehock then i keep my freeleg backuntill my body turns forward again and i hit my toepick.. bring your arms up with your freeleg and when you jump look over your right shoulder.. its kind of hard to explain.. hope it helps? ;)
sorry for my bad spelling:P

[mikawendy]

The strong left arm check will, when released, give you a good snap for rotation. Double sals are my best double and if I forget to drive the knee up, they never work. Be careful about throwing it too far around - it can start your rotation too early. You want this jump to go UP and then IN.

Vesperholly, does the strong arm check make you feel like you are folding into that checked arm? I'm only working on my single sal (and I skate CW), but sometimes when I begin to go up and rotate, I feel almost like my arm is staying where it was and I'm rolling up into it, like curling paper around a pencil. It's a hard feeling to describe. I wonder if this is right or if what I'm actually describing is me getting my upper torso ahead of my hips. I've tried to demonstrate the arm thing to my coach, but usually when in lesson, it doesn't happen (coach effect!) :D

[vesperholly]

Like pedaling a bike backwards.. :?? hmm when i do my double sows.. it feels nothing like pedaling a bike backwards.. maybe i should try it :) When i do my sows i always do it off of a back outside three turn, moehock then i keep my freeleg backuntill my body turns forward again and i hit my toepick.. bring your arms up with your freeleg and when you jump look over your right shoulder.. its kind of hard to explain.. hope it helps? ;)
sorry for my bad spelling:P

What I really mean is more like your free foot should go a little forward, and then up, kind of like tracing a backwards J in the air. Sorry the explanation was a little odd. :)

Vesperholly, does the strong arm check make you feel like you are folding into that checked arm? I'm only working on my single sal (and I skate CW), but sometimes when I begin to go up and rotate, I feel almost like my arm is staying where it was and I'm rolling up into it, like curling paper around a pencil. It's a hard feeling to describe. I wonder if this is right or if what I'm actually describing is me getting my upper torso ahead of my hips. I've tried to demonstrate the arm thing to my coach, but usually when in lesson, it doesn't happen (coach effect!) :D

Yes, that makes sense although I don't think of it specifically like that. I mostly think about folding in my right arm to work on getting my weight over that side. But I also tend to let the check in my left arm go, which destroys the pop and makes a mess out of the jump.

If it will help, here's a video of my double sal (http://users.adelphia.net/~jdelmar/video/doublesal3.wmv). This is cheated but one foot. I've landed a few clean ones recently but haven't gotten them on tape. Good height, needs more rotation.

[MichTheSkater]

oooo I get it:) sorry i just had to try it out on the ice first:P