ok my problem is how to get more "air" on my jumps they are very close to the ground and short I wind up finishing them on the ice please need help! lots!

I've found that really bending my entrance knee has made a huge difference to my 3-jump - sorry, what you'd call a waltz jump. I actually leave the ice, and I even left the ice when doing it in competition recently!

Don't know how that translates to jumps with a backwards entrance, though - I only do the cherry-flip (toe loop), and an occasional rather cheated salchow.

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Mrs Redboots
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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Good knee bend in the take-off leg is what's needed for height on jumps. You really need to feel like you are springing up! Also I find the faster I enter into a jump the bigger the jump, so there's a corallation between speed and height in my opinion.

Nicki

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And ofcourse strong legs... how old are you kidskater101? Maybe your muscles are just not strong enough yet.

Your leg strength and body weight both have a huge impact on jump height. I am NOT saying you should be a waif, but you should exercise to make your legs stronger and keep your weight at a healthy level.

Timing is also very important. When you pull in with your arms and legs, rotation takes over, slowing down the height progression. Try to hold off on the pull-ins until you've reached the highest point of your jump.

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Which jumps specifically are you having the most trouble with? Since the takeoffs are all different, there might be specific advice that would apply to some jumps more than others.

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Rule no. 1: "Jump from down, not from up"
This means you need to get down low to the ice before you take off. On a waltz jump or salchow, that means bending your takeoff leg very deeply right before jumping up off of it. For a toe jump, it means bending the skating leg very deeply and reaching way back with a straight, pointed picking leg, then digging the pick in and pulling yourself back and up with it. The more speed you have, the more the speed will translate to jump height with this picking technique.

Rule no. 2: Point your toes as you take off.
This will make you roll up onto your toepick and leave the ice from the toepick. That makes you go straight up, and it lets you use your calf muscles for that extra spring.

Jump height is almost all about timing. You need to have some leg strength, but in all honesty, there are very few people who lack the leg strength needed to get any decent height; and unless you are overweight, weight isn't so much an issue with height as it is with rotation. Jump height comes from the proper spring, which comes from the proper timing. If you take too long taking off, you'll lose the momentum meeded to get up; if you rush the takeoff, you'll never gain it. If you're working on doubles, do lots of singles to practice. If you're working on singles, walk through the takeoff until you find the timing that feels the most right to you. Once you're able to transfer that timing (you'll know when it's right) to the jump, you'll find you get a lot more height.

from my expirience the key to getting more air is bending your knee.as your friend i've seen you skate and it seems like your afraid to bend your knee. Also try gathering some speed. more speed can help you stay balenced so that when you jump you always land head high.( dont forget backwards crossovers try it it may turn out to be a lot easier.) most of all stay confident!!!

No duh!
I go to the rink with you all of the time!!!
I am not affraid to bend my knee ok mabe a little..... I feel very unballanced right before the take off i don't know if I am not getting enough speed or to much. when do you know the right timing to spring off of the ice?
for example waltz jump?

i found my waltz jump greatly improved when i worked more on my back leg swinging through from having it really stretched out behind me going into it, and then bending those knees, plus bringing arms through. (not sure if i explained it as well as i could have

I will defenatly try that! Once I get my skates in!
(read my other tread about that one!)

If you are feeling "unbalanced" before you jump, then you need to work on holding the take-off edge a bit longer. You may be rushing the jump in anticipation. You should practice holding it for 2-3 beats, jump then hold the landing 2-3 beats. Get into the habit of holding before you take-off, it will help you later on for other jumps. Take a nice deep breath also. That helps relax you if you are anticipating and excited.

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Skate@Delaware
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