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Lutz Help Needed!
I've been doing a lutz fairly consistently now for some time. I set up fine, enter on the correct edge, get good rotation and have a good running edge out of it, but..... I have this problem with my picking toe slipping on the ice so that instead of there just being a pick mark on the ice, I have a pick mark with a line next to it where the toe slips. My coach says I'm slightly dropping in my ankle as I pick so she's having me work at turning the toe out to the side more as I go in to pick, but I'm still slipping. I know it's difficult without actually seeing it, but if anyone has any suggestions whatsoever I'd be really grateful. I'm too much of a perfectionist to carry on letting myself get away with doing it like this!
Nicki |
#2
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Have you tried bending your skating leg deeper and pulling your upper body back more as you reach back and pick? That should help you get more weight on the picking toe, which might be another reason it's slipping.
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Nicki |
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And if it's the case that you're not committing enough weight to the picking foot as you pick.... how's your posture as you pick? In another thread (I think it was about flips), a few people mentioned that it's important to not lean way forward away from the picking foot (because if you do, you're leaning away from the direction that you're traveling in as you pick in and do the jump).
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Nicki |
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I need help with my lutz too. I need help to keep the little kid skaters (ages 4 to 8) out of my path when getting read to do my lutz. So far, I was able to do 1 out of three attempts since getting coached last week. The last two had two different kids cheating death just because my coach yelled "Stop child behind." This is after I already looked to see that no little kids would be in my path. But they are so short when I look, I can't always see them. I'll have to practice my lutzes I guess during ticket ice with the kids are in school.
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Nicki |
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Rather than focusing on "not leaning forward" I would actually focus on "pulling back" with your shoulders, head and entire upper body, arching your lower back for strength as you do so. Simply trying to keep your upper body straight or not leaning forward is not enough with this jump.
Also, point your picking toe really hard and lock out the knee of your picking leg as you get ready to pick. Imagine someone is about to come up from behind you and hit the back of your leg behind your knee. If that would make you bend your picking leg, you aren't locking out your knee and pointing hard enough. Also, point your picking toe down at the ice but keep it a few inches above the ice as you reach way back to pick and pull back. Do not lift the picking foot up right before picking, as that will pitch you forward and/or make you bend your picking knee. |
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OK, so I've had another month of really concentrating on not slipping on my lutz and my coach is scratching her head! She can't see that I'm doing anything wrong, even when she stands right behind me as I go for the jump. So today she took a look at my blades and thought that I could do with a blade with a bigger toe pick. I'm currently on MK Pros but they are 6 years old and she pointed out that from all the sharpenings, the rocker is going, and so is the first toe-pick. She doesn't feel that I have enough grip and recommended I switch to John Watts Olympics. However I've looked these up and feel that they are a little advanced for me. I only have my singles up to lutz right now so I don't want to commit to a top blade that's designed for doubles and triples. I'm really not sure what to do now. I'm going to take my boots to the skate-fitter next week anyway as I'm aware that they are breaking down and I want him to check them out and see how much more life there is left in them. If I need new boots soon, I'm going to have to make a decision about which blade to go with.
Nicki |
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Nicki |
#13
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Nicki,
I thought Doubletoe's advice was excellent. It helped me, too, so thanks DT! I have much the same problem as you, and I don't think in my case it's the boot/blade (unfortunately!). I think my foot is inclined to be a little wobbly, so I have to think extra hard about keeping it solid and secure. Perfectly straight alignment into picking really, really helps. A new thing I've been trying that has been working for me is to squeeze my core muscles (in the abs area) just as I am going into the jump. Just holding very firm in that region - as I try to do when I spin, too - seems to keep my body position more erect. I don't know if it'll do anything for you, but maybe you can try it and see what you think. The other thing my coach keeps telling me is to pull straight back and to think about rotating only in the air. Same as the flip (which is a much more natural and comfortable jump for me) - but unlike with the flip, I have to think about it consciously with the lutz. I assume you're already doing this, but hey, it's possible you're rotating just a shade on the ice and that's pulling your toepick around just enough to make it twist or wobble. Please give an update on your progress - I need to hear about good lutz experiences, as mine are so very up and down! good luck, bv |
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Nicki |
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