Assuming CCW jump rotation.

Coaches always go on about the arms in the landing position; specifically the left arm should be forward to check rotation.

If you look at John Curry's 1976 Olympic programs you can see the left arm is back, almost inline with his free leg, creating in my opinion a much better line. What do you guys think?

__________________
Skate Free

I think John Curry was so damn talented, he can land with his arms whatever way he wants. The rest of us, however ...

This was actually my first thought, too, and then I went and looked at a bunch of skaters through the years - Robin Cousins, Gary Beacom, Toller Cranston, Jill Trenery, Brian Orser, Christopher Bowman - and MOST of these skaters land the jumps with their left arm back - but on closer inspection I notice that it is only their arm that is back - they are checking with their shouler and their hip - and also using the right sides of their bodies to hold and maintain the check. So sure, they could do anything they wanted with that left arm!

There was one jump that John Curry did in the LP - I think it was a double or triple loop, where he doesn't hold the check that well and the landing goes around a circle... so I guess he wasn't always so perfect but man, he was great.

Thanks for posting the video - and it was fun taking that little side-trip down memory lane...

__________________
Is Portland the only city with it's own ice-dance website? http://www.pdxicedance.net/

A coach once told me that once you can control the jump landing you don't have to have the arms in such a strong check position and we was working on opening them out on waltz jumps with me, whilst maintaining a strong check on my weaker jumps.
He thought it looked better to be open, but also recognised that you can only do it, if you've got a fighting chance of controlling the landing. Admittedly there's not much to check on a waltz jump compared with any double or triple jump but I think the principles the same.

For CCW skaters, I teach left arm in front for landings. This helps to control rotation upon landing and makes it easier for the skater to have correct body alignment for higher jumps, like a double salchow-double loop, for instance.

Sometimes when skaters land as shown in the example picture of Curry, the rotation is harder to stop and for double-double combinations, can lead to pre-rotation of the second jump and misalignment on take-off.

If you look at Plushenko's last olympic performance, he does something similar. However, any other than the normal landing position is harder to get a nice landing edge with.

I've always been taught left arm forward to stop rotation. However, an elite southern california coach has been teaching right arm forward. She has a degree in Physical Education and specialization in Figure Skating Science, so she must know what she's doing. Also, she has some of the top students at different levels in so cal.

Students include Victoria Hecht and Katarina Kulgeyko.

__________________
Youtube Videos

This is freaky timing for this conversation. While looking at my pics and videos from Peach a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I do the same thing with my left arm. I actually worked on "fixing" it this past week, but now that I know I'm in good company with the likes of John Curry, I may just leave it. I don't have any problem checking out on jump landings, because, as others have said, it's about the torso and shoulders, not the arms. They just extensions. But I don't like the way the line looks. I think the "straight line" looks best, so I'll keep working on correcting it.

She is also teaching elite or near elite skaters who almost certainly already have excellent checking. I think the real issue is control, so if you "let go" of that left arm/shoulder, you are not in control - but it is possible to land with the left arm back when you are in control and doing so deliberately. A similar example would be beginners attempting FXO's and allowing their shoulders to turn out of the circle, which makes it almost impossible for them. Once you have nailed those FXO's you can do them like that with ease, but when learning, you need to keep your shoulders turning into the circle.

__________________

She has her lower level skaters doing it too. She doesn't have any low low level skaters, but I know she has at least a few pre-juvs. It doesn't seem as if she does it for artistic purposes, but rather for controlled landings. I think the reason it may work for her students is because she teaches very STRONG landings. They all check out very quickly and intensely.

Personally, I like the look of left arm in front landings.

__________________
Youtube Videos

But right arm in front does not always equal left arm in back. Kulgenko's landings had her left arm to the side, which could be enough to check a jump. It also looks like her right shoulder - an equally important rotation-stopper that gets forgotten - is held to the side, though the arm is stretched forward.

I agree with Icedancer2 in that you don't really need the left arm in front; it's just that you need to keep the shoulders from rotating to the left (CCW) on landing. Keeping the left arm in front is just one way to do that.

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

for now my coach has me land (and take off) ALL jumps with my arms and shoulders square. Mostly becausse if I put one behind me I drop it almost down to my side (dunno why); she did say later we will do "something interesting" with my arms, which I am thinking that she will actually let me take off with my arms crossed.

I love watching all the old skating vids!!! Man I remember watching this, even my dad watched the skating (with one tv, we watched what he did).

__________________
Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I always have been taught to land with my left arm in front and my right arm to the side, but the right arm should be a little higher than the left.

__________________
2008-09 Goals:
flying camel
consistant clean program
pass intermediate moves
double toe loop