A beginner’s guide to the six jumping techniques in figure skating
Jumps are among the most exciting elements in figure skating, but their speed can make them difficult to understand at first. A skater may appear to spring into the air, rotate several times, and land in an instant. Underneath that brief movement is a precise combination of edge control, body position, timing, and musical phrasing.
The six recognized jump families are the toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, and axel. They share the same basic goal—take off, rotate, and land cleanly while moving across the ice—but each one begins in a different way. Learning to identify the takeoff is the key to telling them apart.
This knowledge also makes major competitions more rewarding to watch. At an event such as the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Turin, viewers can follow the technical content of Senior and Junior programs with a clearer understanding of what makes a jump difficult, successful, or potentially flawed.
The basic anatomy of a skating jump
Every jump has four main phases: preparation, takeoff, flight, and landing. During preparation, the skater builds speed and establishes the edge or toe-pick position needed for the element. The takeoff launches the body upward, while the arms and free leg help create or control rotation in the air.
A skater usually lands backward on the outside edge of one skate. The landing leg bends to absorb the impact, and the free leg extends behind the body. A clean landing should flow into the next movement rather than stopping abruptly. Judges consider this flow, along with height, distance, control, and overall quality.
The jumps are divided into two broad groups. Edge jumps leave the ice from a skating edge, while toe jumps use the toe pick of the free foot to assist the takeoff. This distinction is more useful than simply counting rotations, because two jumps with similar height may have completely different entries.
A jump’s name describes its takeoff, not its landing. The direction of rotation can vary between skaters, although most elite competitors rotate counterclockwise. For that reason, beginners should focus on the edge and foot used at takeoff rather than trying to judge rotation direction alone.
Toe loop and salchow
The toe loop is generally considered the simplest of the six jumps. The skater glides backward on the outside edge of one foot, places the opposite toe pick into the ice, and vaults into the air. The toe pick acts like a small pole, giving the skater a firm point from which to rise.
In a program, the toe loop often appears as part of a combination. A skater can land one jump and use that landing edge to launch directly into another toe loop. Its compact takeoff and efficient rotation make it especially useful for combinations, even when performed in a triple or quadruple version.
The salchow is an edge jump. It begins from a backward inside edge, with the free leg swinging around the skating leg to help generate momentum. Viewed from the side, the takeoff can look like a broad, sweeping motion rather than the sharp stabbing action of a toe jump.
To identify a salchow, watch for the free leg swinging through before the skater leaves the ice. The two feet may briefly appear close together, but no toe pick is planted for the actual launch. Because the entry relies on an inside edge and a strong swing, the salchow can look open and expressive when performed well.
Loop and flip
The loop is another edge jump, but its entry is more compact than the salchow. The skater travels backward on an outside edge and takes off from the same foot, without using the other skate’s toe pick. The free leg usually crosses over or draws close to the skating leg as the body springs upward.
A useful visual clue is that the loop takes off and lands on the same foot. That makes it particularly important in combinations: after landing the first jump, the skater can use the landing edge as the setup for the next loop. The element demands a stable axis because there is no toe pick to provide extra support at takeoff.
The flip is a toe-assisted jump. It normally begins with the skater gliding backward on an inside edge, then placing the opposite toe pick into the ice. The toe pick helps the skater vault upward while the skating edge controls the direction of the entry.
The difference between a flip and a toe loop lies in the edge used by the skating foot. A toe loop starts from a backward outside edge, whereas a flip starts from a backward inside edge. That distinction can be hard to see at full speed, especially when a skater uses a long entrance or disguises the preparation with choreography.
Lutz and axel
The lutz is also a toe-assisted jump, but it starts from a backward outside edge. The skater typically glides backward on a long, controlled edge, reaches back with the free leg, plants the opposite toe pick, and launches. The body must resist the natural tendency to turn into the jump too early.
That long outside edge is the lutz’s defining feature. When the skater changes the edge shortly before takeoff, the jump may receive an edge warning or an edge violation. In broadcasts and score sheets, this is often shown with an “e” or an “!,” depending on the severity and scoring system being used.
The axel is the only one of the six jumps that takes off while traveling forward. The skater launches from a forward outside edge, swings the free leg through, and lands backward. Since the takeoff begins with a forward position but the landing faces backward, the axel contains an extra half rotation.
This is why a single axel has one and a half rotations, a double axel has two and a half, and a triple axel has three and a half. The forward entry makes the jump easy to recognize once the eye becomes familiar with it. It also makes the axel a demanding test of timing, height, and confidence.
How the six jumps compare
The chart below summarizes the main takeoff features. It is a starting point rather than a substitute for watching slow-motion footage, because body position and camera angle can make a jump’s entry appear different.
| Jump | Takeoff type | Starting edge or action | Helpful viewing clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toe loop | Toe-assisted | Backward outside edge with opposite toe pick | Compact toe-pick vault; often used in combinations |
| Salchow | Edge jump | Backward inside edge with free-leg swing | Open, sweeping leg action before takeoff |
| Loop | Edge jump | Backward outside edge, same foot | No toe pick; takeoff and landing use the same foot |
| Flip | Toe-assisted | Backward inside edge with opposite toe pick | Toe pick enters after an inside-edge approach |
| Lutz | Toe-assisted | Backward outside edge with opposite toe pick | Long outside-edge glide and counter-rotated entry |
| Axel | Edge jump | Forward outside edge | Only jump that starts forward; extra half rotation |
When learning to identify jumps, begin with the axel because its forward takeoff is the clearest. Next, separate toe jumps from edge jumps. Once that distinction feels natural, compare the toe loop with the lutz, and the flip with the salchow by examining the skating edge.
The loop is often easier to spot in a combination than in isolation. Its same-foot takeoff and landing create a distinctive compact shape. Video replays, practice sessions, and a view from the side of the rink can help reveal details that disappear from a distant broadcast camera.
Rotation, landing, and judging details
A jump’s rotation count refers to the number of turns completed in the air. A triple jump has three rotations, while a quadruple has four, except that the axel includes its additional half rotation. The number alone, however, does not determine the element’s quality.
A skater can complete the required rotations but still receive a deduction for an unstable landing, a two-footed touchdown, or a fall. An under-rotated jump may also be reviewed by the technical panel. In competition scoring, symbols such as “<” and “q” can indicate that the jump did not meet the expected rotation standard fully.
The takeoff edge matters as well. A flip or lutz performed from the wrong edge may receive an edge call. Viewers may notice the skater’s free foot or blade twisting just before takeoff; that small change can affect the technical value even if the jump looks impressive in real time.
Judges also evaluate the quality of the whole element through the Grade of Execution, commonly called GOE. A high-quality jump shows strong height and length, a clear takeoff, quick rotation, a controlled landing, and seamless integration with the program. Speed into the jump and an exit that continues naturally can raise its value.
Watching jumps in a complete program
Jump identification becomes easier when the viewer watches the setup as carefully as the airborne phase. Look at which foot is traveling backward, whether the free toe pick touches the ice, and whether the skater is moving forward or backward. The moment of takeoff often tells more than the shape of the body in the air.
Program structure also provides clues. A skater may place a difficult jump early in the routine to perform it with fresh legs, while combinations can appear in planned sequences that take advantage of the landing edge. In a short program or free skate, jumps must meet specific composition requirements, so their placement is part of the strategy.
The atmosphere around a competition adds another layer to the experience. At a major event in Turin, spectators can explore the fan rink as part of the wider event setting, then return to the arena with a sharper eye for the technical details unfolding on the ice.
Practice sessions are especially valuable for beginners because skaters may repeat the same jump several times. A rehearsal view can show the entry, takeoff, and landing without the distraction of choreography. Comparing a successful attempt with a fall or under-rotated attempt makes the role of balance and edge control much easier to understand.
A simple way to learn the jumps
Trying to memorize all six names at once can make the sport seem more complicated than it is. Build recognition in stages, using one feature at a time and allowing the visual patterns to become familiar through repetition.
- Start with the axel, since it is the only jump that takes off while moving forward.
- Separate toe-assisted jumps from edge jumps by looking for the toe pick touching the ice.
- Compare the toe loop and lutz through their outside-edge entries, then distinguish them by the length and direction of the lutz preparation.
- Compare the salchow and flip through their inside-edge entries, watching for the flip’s toe-pick assist.
- Use slow-motion replays to check the takeoff foot, edge, rotation, and landing rather than judging the jump from its height alone.
With practice, the six jump families begin to look less alike. The toe loop becomes the compact outside-edge toe jump, the salchow the sweeping inside-edge jump, the loop the same-foot edge jump, the flip the inside-edge toe jump, the lutz the long outside-edge toe jump, and the axel the forward takeoff with an extra half turn.
That vocabulary turns a spectacular routine into a sequence of understandable choices. During the next figure-skating broadcast or live competition, follow one jump at a time: identify the entry, watch the takeoff, count the rotation, and observe the landing flow. The speed remains thrilling, but the technique becomes visible.