Private Lesson with a World and Olympic Coach: Double Salchow
I mentioned last week that I had the honor of working with World and Olympic coach, Nick Perna. Nick gave me (and Coach B) some great insights into my single jumps. What was reassuring was that almost everything he told me was nothing new. The tips he gave me to improve those jumps were the same ones that Coach B has been drilling into me. It’s wonderful to know that both of these coaches have consistent things to say about my technique.
I asked him to focus on my double salchow since I have been having some challenges landing a correct one. I’ve landed a few, but they have been slightly underrotated. My legs also tend to open up early, so it was something that I had been focusing on.
We started off with a single salchow. Nick liked the technique on that and moved onto a single salchow into a loop jump. Then he had me try a double salchow on its own.
He saw the issues that I talked to him about and he gave me several things to try:
- Double salchow walk-throughs and end in a traveling backspin
- Axel walk-through
- Back inside three turn into waltz jump
- Back power three into mohawk into salchow
- Pivot exercise: Do a forward inside pivot into backspin (focusing on staying in the same spot); then repeat but with a jump
I proved that I could do all of these exercises with little issue. He put me in the pole harness (my first time in one of these contraptions) and told me to focus on the pivot exercise. My goal was to takeoff in the “h” position and cross my legs into a backspin.
I fell many times and even pulled a muscle in my rear, but by golly, I did it. Nick said that my takeoff was “textbook” but he saw where I had issues committing to the rotation. He reminded me of the formula that I learned at a previous G2C seminar:
The
formula for a landed jump is: Time x Rotation + Axis + Desire
He said that I had ample air time for the double salchow. My axis was fine, and I certainly had the desire. What I was missing was the rotation. Once I can isolate that and commit to it, I will have a successful jump.
He told me to keep working on the pivot exercise and jump into an axel and land into a backspin. If I can translate this into the double salchow, then I will be golden.
I hope that I can continue to make improvements on this jump, as I would love to add it to my repertoire and use it in a program in the next year.
Thank you, Nick, for your valuable insights and exercises. But more importantly, thank you for believing in me and giving me the confidence that I can do this.
I will keep you all posted on my progress.
