My coach had an Evil Exercise for one of his skaters (not me, thankfully), which was (round a circle) double 3, 1/2 flip, double 3, flip, double 3, double flip.... I said "Sooner her than me!" which made my coach laugh. It might have been two double 3s between each jump, I don't know. I think, that like Mikawendy, 3-jump (waltz jump)/falling leaf will be my next project.... I seldom jump, and never more than 1/2 revolution jumps on the ice, but it's nice to have some small hops for an Interpretive programme.

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In a surprising development (to me anyway, my coach had me working on loops last night. I was lamenting the fact that I could do a falling leaf so well (and he agreed!) but it's so hard for me to do a loop jump. My coach said that the takeoff for the falling leaf is actually much flatter than the loop jump, and that's why I could do one well but not the other. I also think that doing the falling leaf after a waltz jump is easier than doing the falling leaf by itself because I'm already in the right position, but I was afraid to mention that for fear he'd have me trying waltz-loops! ) Anyway I ended up doing a few half-loops instead of loops. For me it's just easier to land on the wrong foot!

Pat

Mika - sk8pics-
Try a falling leaf from an inside 3. It's a good way to get them into footwork.
I like to do back crossovers ccw, then step forward and do a forward inside 3 (CCW), leaf and step right into a second FI3 and leaf. The second is usually higher than the first. It's a good way to change direction in a program.

Flo- That would be a good idea if only I could do a FI3, . I have a feeling I can do the falling leaf by itself now anyway, but I didn't get a chance to try it last night. I just love doing it after a waltz jump.

Pat

I do mine from a mohawk (RFI mohawk, step & jump). That's probably a similar feel to your waltz-falling leaf.

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Also useful b/c they are foundations (particularly the 1/2 flip) for splits and stags. These can be cool when done as a 1/2 lutz.

Kay

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Add me to the list of skaters who hate the half loop.

Yes, I can do a full loop (and a good one, at that). Yes, I am working on double loops (half turn cheat). Yes, I can do a falling leaf, and a mean split falling leaf.

But when it comes to my jump sequence in my program: split jump-flip jump-half loop-salchow, it is always that darn half loop that gets me every time.

I've been working on it for three years, with three different coaches. I have NO idea why this jump doesn't work for me, and really wish that it did, but oh well. Meanwhile, I work on it on every session and bargain with my coach to take it out of my program nearly every lesson. The problem is that coach seems to think I need a salchow somewhere in there.

(Secretly, pennybeagle has been working on Skater1964's axel-mazurka-salchow combination. One of these days, when she can finally do it, she will take it to her coach and hopefully the half loop will be GONE! She will get to do her split-flip-falling leaf-toe sequence that she likes so much better)

If there is a trick to getting that half loop to work, please, please tell me!!

The half flip and half lutz are much more useful if you learn to land them on your usual landing foot. This is how I was taught and I could never imagine why anyone would try to do it the other way, then I realized I was in the minority. I think the way I do it is considered the Canadian half flip/lutz.

So for CCW, you reach back and pick in with the right toe pick, rotate half turn and land forward on right toe pick with left leg crossed in front, then step to left forward outside edge. Doing it THIS way is great practice for the real thing.

As for the half loop, I also find it much harder than the loop. But I don't like any of the conversion jumps, so it's no surprise.

Tim

pennybeagle,

I got the half loop when I thought of it as a hop. Keep your weight over the right side like in the the loop and think hop around to the left foot. I found it helpful to think about where I wanted to hop to and what foot I needed to land on. Practice on the floor to get familiar with the feeling. It's a quick little jump feeling. I tried.... =-)

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I don't do much free skating, but thought I might try a sequence of 3-jump (a k a waltz jump), falling leaf, 3-jump. But in the pros' room my coach's wife (or my husband's coach) said it would be better, she thought to do 3-jump, falling leaf, 3-turn and then cherry flip (toe loop). So I tried that.... anybody ever done a half toe-loop..... carefully jumped round so landed it going forwards..... duh..... I don't even want to jump high, just little hops.

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Mrs. Redboots -- Try a half flip instead of the toe loop that you tried. So the sequence is waltz jump -- falling leaf --half flip. I do this sequence at times, usually with an extra push in between the falling leaf and half flip and I think it feels cool and is not too scary.

Pat

In my freeskate I do a fast FO spiral straight into RI mo split/toe loop/toe loop but in my interpretive freeskate I do a split/falling leaf into 3 power RFI 3's to fit the music and then RFI mo to LFO power 3's to fit the next section of music. If I don't get my falling leaf right on the take off, I mess up my RFI power 3's and then my program is off with the music. I think I have it down now though.

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Half flip isn't really taught here, but I can see how it would work. We were playing yesterday - well, my coach was showing some kids, and I joined in - with picking in as if to do a toe loop or flip or lutz, but not actually rotating, just jumping up and landing backwards. This was to teach the kids not to rotate on the ice, which both those particular young women have a habit of doing. It was fun, and I think would look quite good in an artistic programme, as long as the judges didn't think you'd meant to jump and fluffed it!

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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Is there even such a thing as a half toe loop? I mean if you glide the foot back correctly then you are already halfway around as you kick your leg up, so you wouldn't have anywhere to go...I agree that half flip would be a better idea. Or full toe loop, which is really (in my humble opinion) the easiest jump of them all once you grasp the drag action of the foot.

Conversion jumps? What is that? Is that what people mean when they say that some jumps change axis of rotation (salchow, waltz, axel, etc.) and others have same axis of rotation (loop, flip, etc.)? I saw jumps divided like this on a web page once, but couldn't find more details. If so, can you explain? I don't really understand this concept, because I would think that the axis of rotation is the same in all but jumps with a counterrotated entry (walley, lutz)

I guess it would really be a mazurka.

Kay

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Of course, I realised today that what I was actually doing was a half flip, not half toe-loop.... duh.... makes quite a fun little hoppy sequence, though.

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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Yes, it is kind of fun Mrs. Redboots! Except lately the half flip has been scaring me because I feel like I'm going too fast into it! But I'm sure it will stabilize and it will be fun again.

Pat

I think the half loop is more difficult than a loop because, for me, it's more difficult to "check" the landing. Beside it just feels weird because I've probably done a whole lot more loops in practice than I have half loops. I have not done one since I last competed ISI FS4.