I think it is easiest to tell the difference when working on stab notes. I set up for what I think is the correct shape then raise the tongue arch to the top of the mouth. Then I use the abdominal muscles to pressurize the tank. That is the Air Support. If all goes well I just release the tongue and out comes the correct note at the correct volume. I played a stab note with no Air Kick.

If I am working on the top of my range my psychology is one of “I really want to play that note”. So what often happens instead is at the moment I release the tongue I also give a little kick from the abdomen to help the note along its way. This can be super subtle. To detect this is happening I must close my eyes and really focus on the process. The kick often does the trick but think about what is going on here. That extra kick of air forced the aperture into the correct shape for the target note. So this means that my preset shape was quite possibly not the correct shape. If I am relying on the Air Kick to get the correct note then my brain’s Trumpet Playing Machine that I am actively trying to program did not experience the correct shape. To teach it the correct shape I must avoid that Air Kick.