#jump identification

Thanks for asking!

This is a really common problem for new skating fans (just wait until you start trying to figure out spin and footwork levels). I have a few handy tips and tricks to help you out in my big jump explainer post here.

The number one thing is to not try and learn everything at once. Start with identifying the type of jump. Over time, it will become easier to figure out the rotations (though some skaters have rather airy positions and triples that can look like doubles if you’re not paying close attention. ;) ).

Commentators can be hit and miss in their accuracy, too (though undoubtedly the worst was the Olympic Channel commentator at the AWG) so be careful about relying too hard on them for jump identification. When in doubt, protocols are your best friends!

Thanks for asking! (And don’t worry about your English, I understood you perfectly!)

There is no requirement to do a triple Axel in every program. In the short program, for Senior men and ladies a double OR triple Axel is required. In the free skate, one of the jumping passes must be an “Axel-type jump” (which means it can be a single, double, triple or quadruple Axel - not that anyone has ever done the latter). Obviously, a triple Axel is worth more points than a double, so if a skater can, they will usually do a triple Axel. It’s not strictly required to be a triple, but you’re not going to be competitive internationally unless it is.

Thanks for asking!

Um…I’m not really sure, to be honest. I suppose you could go to your local rink and watch the skaters practice their jumps. If you are taking lessons, you might ask your coach to walk you through the various takeoffs.

Thanks for asking!

I totally get that learning to identify jumps is tricky. The first trick is to learn to differentiate the six jumps, then slowly you’ll start being able to identify the number of rotations. Really, the only way you get good at it is to practice. Even some experienced watchers still mis-identify jumps occasionally, so if you make mistakes, don’t worry! (Unless you’re judging. Then worry.)

Here’s one of my tricks that I used when I was teaching myself how to identify a jump. Take a skater (preferably one you like to watch!) and find one of their performances from a big competition (preferably a Grand Prix, or other ISU event). Search for that competition on the ISU’s website, and you should find a page called “Entries/Results”. If you go to that page, it should offer you “Judges Scores” at the side, next to the divisions and the short and long programs. Choose the division that your skater is in and the performance they did (short/long) and click “Judges Scores”. This will load up the protocol for the event. The protocol displays the elements performed by the skater in the order they skated them. With the protocol handy, then watch the performance by the skater, matching the elements to the protocol as you go. If you keep doing this with multiple skaters, gradually you will begin to get a feel for what things look like. But to also help, here’s a handy key below:

Toe loop (abbreviation: T): also called a “toe” for short. For a counter clockwise skater (as most are) takeoff involves the right back outside edge, with a tap from the left toe.

Salchow (S): also called a “Sal” (sow) for short. Takeoff is from the left back inside edge. Right leg swings around and through to power the jump. Almost always entered from a three turn and often looks really “swingy”.

Loop (Lo): Takes off from the right back outside edge. The only jump that lands on the same foot as it takes off from. A lot of top skaters will do a series of turns into this jump.

Flip (F): Takes off from the left back inside edge, with a tap from the right toe. Usually done from a mohawk (step) or three turn.

Lutz (Lz): Takes off from the left back outside edge, with a tap from the right toe. Usually has a protracted entry with a longer glide in. Learning to tell the difference between the flip and the Lutz is one of the hardest parts of identification.

Axel (A): Takes off from a forward left outside edge, with the right leg kicking through. This is the hardest jump and is often a stumbling block for young learning skaters. This jump has an extra half rotation (so technically a triple Axel has three and a half rotations).

FYI, gif below shows a triple Axel (3A) - IMO, this was one of the most perfect ones done by any man.

Thanks for asking!

First, I just want to say: jump identification is REALLY hard. I’ve been watching skating for quite a number of years now and if I’m tired I can still be fooled by unusual takeoffs. So don’t feel down if it takes you a while to learn how to identify them. I’d also add learning to tell them apart from the anime is probably not a great idea because the anime tends to focus on the faces of the characters and don’t often show the feet clearly enough to identify properly.

Second: this’ll be a little bit of a long post, with videos! Please note: the explanations given below are for a counter-clockwise skater.

Let’s start with the Salchow. In some programs it is listed as the easiest jump (it was the first jump I learned), but in the IJS scale of values it is the second jump (after the toe loop). The Salchow takes off from a right backwards inside edge, with the free leg generally kicking around. The most common entry into the Salchow is from a left forward outside three-turn.

Allow me to introduce my first handsome assistant, Max Aaron:

I chose Max for this demo primarily because his (quadruple) Salchow is very pronounced (likely a result of attempting the quad). The three-turn entrance is very obvious and his Salchow has that rather swingy fashion typical of the jump. You can see him swing the free leg through and around.

Now, moving on to the flip. The flip and the Lutz are easy to confuse because they take off in a very similar fashion on the same foot and both are toe-assisted jumps. The difference lies in which edge they take off from. The flip is supposed to take off from a left back inside edge, with the right toe picking in to spring the skater into the air. The two most common entrances to the flip are a mohawk (which basically looks like a step from forward to backwards) and a three turn.

Introducing my second handsome assistant, Jason Brown:

Jason has a very nice (triple) flip, taking off from the correct edge, and getting good height and distance. You can see that he uses a mohawk entrance to his flip. It’s not a particularly pronounced one, but you can see that he is very much facing “inside the circle” at takeoff. Not all skaters can achieve an inside edge like this one; some wobble onto the “flat” (where no edge is held) or even wobble to the outside edge. This is called a “lip” in skating terms and is bad technique.

The Lutz is the most difficult jump of all save the Axel. The reason for this is because the takeoff edge is a left back outside edge, which means the curve of the edge is actually moving away from the direction you want to jump in. Lutz entries are normally distinguished by the obvious lead-in (also called telegraphing or tracking).

Returning to our friend Max:

You can see on this slow-mo replay of his triple Lutz that he is very deep on the outside edge on his left foot, then the right toe goes him to vault him up into the air. This is quite a deep outside edge. Some skaters won’t go that deep, and other skaters will wobble onto a flat. In skating parlance, this is called a “flutz” and like a “lip”, is bad technique.

I apologise for this extremely long post, but I hope it answered your question! If you need loop and toe loop help, feel free to ask!