AboutDr. Bruce Forciea Expertise I can handle most questions regarding sports injuries, conditioning, jumps, spins, and basic skating.
Experience Professional skating coach for 15 years. Former PSA Senior rated coach and ice show performer. Now a chiropractor and full-time college instructor in anatomy and physiology.
Organizations Human Anatomy and Physiology Society
Wisconsin Chiropractic Association
Publications Wisconsin Technical College System course in General and Advanced anatomy and physiology.
Author of Unlocking the Healing Code, a book on healing scheduled for release in December, 2007.
Education/Credentials Doctor of Chiropractic from Parker College.
B.A. Psychology Eckerd College
Awards and Honors Midwestern Novice and Junior Pairs Champion and National competitor.
Question In the past month or so I have been having alot of trouble with popping my jumps, mostly double lutz and flip. I have no idea why, but I either pop it, come out early, or even when I do actually fully rotate, I fall. Randomly though one day maybe every couple weeks though I get my jumps and they just feel right and they are perfect. This is so annoying and I do not know how to stop popping my jumps! Any help is GREATLY appreciated! Thank you!!!!!!!
Answer HI Lilly:
Popping can be a real problem. I used to think that popping was a technical problem like rushing the takeoff or dropping a shoulder. I attended a seminar many years ago where it was stated that popping happens in the skater's mind, it is not a technique problem. What happens is that the skater makes a last minute decision to abort the jump.
So to help correct the popping problem I would use a mental timing technique. This consisted of a simple count when performing a jump. The count goes something like this:
one-two-up-out
For example in a flip (or dbl flip) the "one" count would be the forward edge before the 3 turn. The "two" is the backward edge. "Up" is of course the tap and takeoff and "out" is the landing. The idea is that each jump has a count and the skater only thinks about the count when jumping--no technique. This works like a mental cue. I first used this technique on myself when I was in an ice show and had to perform every night with little or no warmup. I basically had to link my technique with the mental cue of the count. I then had to trust that I knew what I was doing and just counted through the jumps. My consistency improved dramatically. I then used this on my skaters. It doesn't happen overnight but if you get used to it your consistency should improve.
Give it a try and let me know if it works for you,
