Advanced Salchow Concepts – Part 1 (Kori Ade)

World and Olympic coach Kori Ade teaches advanced salchow concepts to a class of high level skaters during a seminar/workshop. Kori begins by discussing the concept of using a “guiding foot into salchow.” This is when the skater sets the free skate (axis skate) on the ice during the prep/entry/pivot for salchow. This concept is somewhat controversial for some reason, although a huge number of skaters do salchows with a guiding foot, and more interestingly, a huge number of skaters historically have used a guiding foot as well. Many of the best elite jumpers of all-time placed the free foot on the ice during the salchow entry, and a very large percentage of skaters doing quad salchows today use a guide foot. (The controversy seems to stem from the idea that using a guide foot means that you jump off two feet, but you clearly don’t.)

The idea is simple, although Kori does not discuss it very much in this video. A skater who places the free foot down on the ice always knows where it is, and this tends to improve jump consistency. Another advantage is it helps many skaters “sit” down into the entry edge better, to create more edge pressure and get “behind” the jump with the hips. This helps many skaters get a better “power angle” into the jump, which is the backward lean at the moment of take-off with the hips pressing forward. As seen when Kori asks the class, many skaters simply have no idea if they guide or not. Yet many elite coaches like Kori actually teach it, either as a drill concept or as a permanent part of their skater’s jump technique.

To work on this, Kori has the class glide backward on two feet into a salchow. Additionally, she has the skaters think of kicking the heel of the free foot through first, while trying to keep the free heel down on the ice as long as possible. This is similar in concept to a toe loop take-off, especially if the skater straightens the free leg through the explosive jumping movements. There is even some discussion among elite coaches and elite jumpers about whether skaters can generate more rotational and vertical forces by not just using a guide foot, but pressing on both feet like a toe loop.

Unfortunately, we can’t see Jordan Mueller demonastrate the triple salchow in the video. So below the video we’ve included a couple YouTube videos of elite jumpers doing a quad salchow this way, both in real time and slow motion.

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