Jumps

Index to jumps, in order of difficulty: Waltz | Salchow | Toe Loop | Loop | Half Loop | Flip | Lutz | Axel

If you didn't read the Find Your Direction page, be sure to read it first.

Important: this guide is intended to give you an idea of how these jumps are done. These jumps are extremely difficult, and if done incorrectly, can be extremely dangerous. Do not attempt these without professional supervision when you start.

Waltz

This is the easiest jump, and the first one you'll learn. Starting from a left forward outside edge, swing your right leg and both arms through (past your left leg) and lift off. You'll land on a right backward outside edge after completing a half turn in the air. This jump is never performed in high-level competition (except as a mistake), but it's a great start to the other jumps. This is a third of an axel, and the two jumps (the waltz and the axel) are the only ones with forward takeoffs.

Salchow

The salchow starts on a left forward outside edge, although most skaters lead into this with backward crossovers. Do a 3-turn, check, and swing your right leg through in the direction of your travel. That is, if you're headed toward the end of the rink when you start, you should swing your leg toward the same end of the rink. You'll end up on a right backward outside edge.

Toe Loop

The toe loop is one of three jumps that require the toepick (the flip and the lutz are the others). Starting on a right inside edge (typically, skaters prepare for this with a long glide on their left foot, with little or no edge), you do a right inside 3-turn, check, and pick ("pick" is used as a verb here) with your left foot behind you. Bring your legs together with both still on the ice, but let the right foot slide past the left one (which is still planted in the ice). Your right foot should kick through in your direction of travel. You will land the jump on a right backward outside edge, as with all other jumps (except the half loop!).

Loop

Historically, the loop jump came from a figure called the "loop." In the loop figure, the skater started on a right backward outside edge, and quickly went into a very deep edge, making a figure that looks like a loop on the ice (a little like a loop-the-loop on a roller coaster, but narrower). If you try to do this figure too fast, you'll find that you lift off the ice. Hence, the loop jump. Start with a right backward outside edge, and turn on a very deep outside edge. This is done by slightly turning your ankle; don't try to lean over! Lift with your left leg, and land after completing one full turn in the air.

Half Loop

This counterintuitively named jump is not half a loop at all. Instead, it is the same as a regular loop jump, except for the fact that you land on a left backward inside edge. It's one full rotation, just like the regular loop.

Flip

The flip jump isn't a flip at all. Start on a left forward flat edge. Most skaters pick slightly with their right toepick by picking in front and then letting themselves pass the toepick. This isn't really a push; it's more for stabilization. The left arm should be in front and the right arm behind before the pick; as you pick, you should switch your arms. Do a left outside 3-turn (which will switch your arms again). Be sure to check the 3-turn. You should now be skating backward on your left foot on a pretty much flat edge. Your left arm should be in front, and your right arm should be in back. Reach back with your right foot, and pick straight behind you with your leg straight (your knee shouldn't be bent). Pull your feet together, and jump! You should land on a right backward outside edge after having completed one revolution in the air.

Lutz

The lutz is similar to the flip, so many people have difficulty telling the difference. However, look at the approach. The lutz starts on a left backward glide, on a slight outside edge. This outside edge should be maintained until the left foot leaves the ice. The skater then jumps, and lands as usual, after completing one complete turn in the air. If the skater changes to an inside edge before takeoff, it's called a "flutz" and is a mistake. The flip takes off from an inside edge; the lutz takes off from an outside edge. This is the technical difference between a flip and a lutz, but since the jumps are approached differently, you can usually tell which is which by looking at the approach.

Axel

The axel is probably the easiest to recognize, but definitely the hardest to do. This is the only jump that has a forward takeoff, which makes it much harder. A single axel actually has 1.5 revolutions; a double axel has 2.5 revolutions, not 3. An axel with only half a revolution is a waltz jump.

You begin the axel with a forward left outside edge. Starting with your arms and free leg behind you, swing them through, bending your knee so your right leg goes up and not just in front of you. You should take off just as your leg and arms pass your body. After completing a half turn in the air, pull your arms and leg in. Complete one more turn, and land on a right backward outside edge.

Key Differences Between Jumps
(or how to recognize them on TV!)

The axel has a forward takeoff; all the others have backward takeoffs, so that will tell you if it's an axel. The salchow and loop have no pick; the toe loop, flip, and lutz do. With the salchow, the free leg swings through in a scissor motion; the free leg doesn't swing like that in the loop jump. In the loop jump, the skater lifts straight up; there's no scissoring or swinging motion.

The toe loop starts on a right inside edge; the flip starts on a left edge (which is more like a flat). But if you see that the skater jumps clockwise, be sure to reverse this logic. The flip jump usually has a preliminary pick with the right foot while the skater is still going forward; none of the other jumps have this. The lutz must start on an outside edge; look for the long backward outside glide. There's usually a pause before takeoff. The flip must start on an inside edge; look for the long forward flat glide with a left inside takeoff. Remember that the takeoff is very quick, and requires only a fraction of a second; the glide will usually require several seconds. The toe loop has a similar-looking glide, but the 3-turn is a right 3-turn (the flip has a left 3-turn, and the lutz has no 3-turn at all). Look for the change in foot right before the 3-turn.

Dangerous Mistakes

There are lots of ways to seriously injure yourself in ice skating, but one of the easiest ways is to do these jumps while making the any of the following serious mistakes: Notice that the emphasis is on hitting your head. You can injure yourself in a lot of ways, but hitting your head is not to be taken lightly. It's very rare that this happens, but it can happen. The point is that you can seriously hurt yourself if you don't get professional help. No web site can tell you what you're doing wrong, correct your mistakes, and show your the right way to do jumps. Monkey see, monkey do; skater see, skater do, skater gets hurt because skater doesn't know how to do it the right way.