why is it easier to jump off ice?

[peanutskates]

off ice, I can properly do the sal, loop and flip. ON ice, I can't get enough power to jump up high enough to rotate. I have no problem jumping up off ice... why can't I do it on ice?

[SkatingOnClouds]

I am on of those people who don't find it easier to jump off ice, not at all. Apart from a waltz jump, and occasionally on preparing for axels, I hate trying to jump off ice. I think it is more that I worry about hurting my landing knee if I under-rotate. I can't understand how people can practise toe-assist jumps like flips off ice.

[peanutskates]

just put the toe-picking foot behind you, on the ball of your foot, and jump! 8-)

ok, so it's not 100% proper technique, but it's as close as you're going to get...

[Sessy]

off ice, I can properly do the sal, loop and flip. ON ice, I can't get enough power to jump up high enough to rotate. I have no problem jumping up off ice... why can't I do it on ice?


I find it easier to jump on ice, at least as far as the edge jumps are concerned.

Anyway on ice, you have heavy skates on your feet (makes it harder to jump up), you can't bend your ankle as much (means more power needs to come from your thighs and you can't use the spring power in your ankles as well) and the heavy skates also inhibit you from rotating as fast as off-ice (because, basically, your legs are probably not in your rotational axis, and the heavyer something is and the further it's sticking outside of this rotational axis, the slower you will rotate). If you rotate slower, you need more time in the air to complete a revolution.

Part of it is probably incorrect technique though. You've gotta jump off the toepick, not the middle of the blade and you've gotta use the edge.

Try, when you're jumping off-ice, to take-off, rotate and land while holding your elbows. As in, the left hand holds the right elbow, the right hand the left elbow. The setup is otherwise identical (i.e. where the shoulders and hips and legs go). This makes you jump from the lower part of your body, building better strength and technique, making it easier to jump on ice.

[Sessy]

just put the toe-picking foot behind you, on the ball of your foot, and jump! 8-)

ok, so it's not 100% proper technique, but it's as close as you're going to get...

I think it does more harm than good this way, you bend the picking knee and you take of from the non-picking leg, which is both extremely bad on ice! Just practice the loop, the flip is almost identical anyway. And the toeloop is a lot like the salchow.

If you're worried about your knee at under-rotation and you're only doing singles, jump on socks on laminat or linoleum or tile floors. If you under-rotate, you just finish the rotation on the floor, but unlike in sneakers (which kinda stick to the floor), the socks just slip on the floor. I can get 2 revolutions on my backspin on socks on the floor, I've gotten like 3 on a forward 1-foot spin lol. It really slips very well.