Chris Conte continues with Part 4 of his discussion of suggested improvements to basic skills instruction. You can see the previous parts of this series here (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). In this video, Chris offers a very theoretical yet practical discussion of how to create proper air position alignment. In particular, Chris promotes the use of the forward inside edge upright spin as a model for air position development rather than the traditional back outside edge upright backspin.
Very few coaches focus on these kinds of details when it comes to the theoretical aspects of creating good jumps. It’s great that we have coaches like Chris to challenge our understanding and offer insights and alternatives to push the sport forward.
In this video, Chris is arguing that we should encourage skaters at a young age and low level to get used to spinning on a forward inside edge on the landing foot as a means to create better jump air positions later on. The argument is simple. The forward inside edge upright spin has better alignment, particularly with respect to the hips. And Chris shows that thinking of rotation this way does not imply that a skater will land on a forward inside edge as the skater does a “virtual three-turn” just prior to touching down. In fact, this happens automatically and the skater doesn’t even have to think about it.
Nearly all skaters initially learning multi-rotation jumps have problems flopping outside the circle on the landing. Some of this is the result of simple lack or strength and awareness and rotational control, but Chris points out that some of it has to do with how we teach rotation. By focusing so much on the traditional backspin with the hip popped out slightly (as it must be to stay on a back outside edge), we’re putting these skaters in a position that promotes a collapse of the free hip and inability to check the rotation of the shoulders (as the hips collapse underneath) on landing.
This is a fantastic discussion and is intended to initiate further analysis by the viewer. Chris encourages the viewer to actually try it before discarding these ideas. The problem of course is that most coaches never had to do forward inside edge spins so they first must learn a new skill before they can honestly test this idea. On the other hand, if we encouraged skaters at a low level to develop competence with this spin skill, it becomes trivial to apply it to jump air position drills later on.
Whether you apply these ideas or not, it is discussions like this that promise to provide an edge to coaches and skaters looking for more efficient teaching methods. Only time will tell if this idea catches on among coaches. Give it a try and leave a comment below. If you have experience with this and are willing to share, others can benefit greatly from your efforts.
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