How to Recognise a True Lutz Takeoff From an Inside Edge Mistake
Watching a figure skating event like the ISU Grand Prix Final in Torino, it is easy to be swept up by the speed and the music. The technical details of each jump, however, separate the great from the legendary. Among the six standard jumps, the Lutz carries a reputation for difficulty precisely because the takeoff edge is so rarely executed cleanly. A perfect Lutz leaves the ice from a deep back outside edge, while the most common flaw is a sneaky drift onto the inside edge. Coaches across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have drilled this point into young skaters for decades, and at the Palavela arena it will once again decide who climbs the podium.
For spectators watching at the venue or following live streams from Australia, the difference is worth learning. The edge choice determines whether a jump is correctly called a Lutz or whether judges downgrade it to a Flip. Understanding what to look for sharpens appreciation of the sport and explains why a fall on a triple Lutz can produce two different reactions on the judging panel.
Understanding the Outside Edge Foundation
The figure skating blade is not flat. It is curved along its length and slightly curved across its width, which is why a skater can carve circles, change direction and stop. The two basic edges are outside and inside. An outside edge runs along the outer side of the skating foot, away from the body centre, while an inside edge runs along the inner side, toward the body's midline. When a skater glides backwards on the right foot, the outside edge curves to the right of the direction of travel, and the inside edge curves to the left.
For a Lutz, the entry edge is a back outside edge on the skating foot. The skater travels backwards in a long curve, leans slightly into the circle, and prepares to launch the rotation. The free leg, which will swing through to generate momentum, starts behind and to the side. The pickup for a jump, where the free toe pick bites into the ice, happens at the very end of this outside arc. If body weight has migrated too far toward the inside of the curve, the blade silently slips onto the inside edge, and the jump is no longer a Lutz.
The outside edge gives the Lutz its character. It provides a stable platform for the powerful toe pick launch and creates the wide, arcing entry that audiences find so visually pleasing. Coaches in Australia, from junior programs at suburban rinks to the high-performance squads at the Melbourne Olympic Ice Centre, often spend entire sessions on this single edge before any jump is even attempted.
Visual Markers of a Clean Pick Into the Ice
Identifying a true Lutz takeoff in real time is a matter of training the eye to catch several signals at once. The clearest marker is the curve of the skating blade just before the toe pick strikes. On a real Lutz, the skating leg traces a noticeable arc away from the toe pick, almost as if the skater is wrapping around an invisible barrel. The free foot approaches the ice from behind and slightly outside the skating foot's line of travel.
A second marker is the shoulder and hip orientation. When the edge is truly outside, the shoulders sit roughly square to the line of travel with a slight inward lean, and the hip of the skating leg sits a little higher than the free hip. When the edge has slipped to the inside, the skater often appears to twist slightly, with the free shoulder drifting forward and the body opening up toward the centre of the circle.
The third marker is the sound of the takeoff. A clean Lutz produces a single, confident crunch of the toe pick into solid ice. An inside-edge takeoff often sounds softer, or the pick seems to skid rather than bite, because the blade has been gliding on the wrong curve right up until the moment of launch. Spectators at the Palavela arena with seats near the end boards will pick up this acoustic difference most clearly.
Why the Lutz and Flip Look So Similar
The reason so many viewers and even some coaches confuse the two jumps comes down to the body movements surrounding the takeoff. Both the Lutz and the Flip leave the ice from a backward edge with a toe pick assist, and in both cases the free leg swings forward and around. The rotation rate, the number of revolutions and the landing pattern can look almost identical. The only meaningful difference is which edge the skating blade is on at the instant of the pick.
When a skater accidentally takes off from the inside edge during what was intended as a Lutz, the judges call it a Flip, or in technical jargon a toe loop with a different entry. A triple Lutz performed on the wrong edge receives no Lutz credit and is marked as a triple Flip. This is why the technical panel watches the takeoff so carefully, often in slow motion replays, and why broadcasters sometimes overlay a graphic tracing the edge before the pick.
| Feature | True Lutz Takeoff | Inside Edge Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Skating edge | Back outside edge | Back inside edge |
| Curve of entry | Wide arc, body leans outward | Tighter arc, body drifts inward |
| Free foot position | Approaches from outside of skating foot | Approaches from inside or directly behind |
| Shoulder line | Roughly square to direction of travel | Rotated slightly toward the circle |
| Sound at takeoff | Crisp toe pick bite | Softer pick, possible skid |
| Jump called by judges | Lutz | Flip (edge error) |
| Difficulty value | Higher base value | Lower base value |
This comparison captures why edge identification is not a technicality. The base value gap between a triple Lutz and a triple Flip at senior level can exceed ten points, and the difference widens further when combinations and sequences are added to a programme.
Reading the Body Line and Free Leg Position
Once the basic markers are recognised, the next step is to follow the body's full line from the moment the entry curve begins. The Lutz's signature look is a deep, almost lunging posture, with the free leg extended back and the skating knee well bent. The skater looks like a coiled spring. The hips are level, or very slightly dropped on the skating side, and the head is upright with eyes forward.
An inside edge error often shows up as a flatter body position. Because the skater is no longer supported by the curve of the outside edge, the free leg cannot reach as far back, and the skating leg does not need to bend as deeply to maintain balance. The result is a takeoff that looks rushed, with the arms already preparing for rotation a fraction earlier than they should.
Coaches who work with skaters at the Sydney Ice Skating Club or those who travel north to the Brisbane Ice Skating World have long used video review to drill this distinction. Slow motion footage of the four steps before the pick can be paused on every frame, and the curve of the blade becomes unmistakable. Watching an Australian champion such as Kailani Craine, or international stars at the Torino 2019 event, on a small screen makes it far easier to see these subtle body cues than relying on memory from a live performance.
Practical Eye Training at Australian Rinks
Australian skating culture has grown steadily since the early 2000s, and rinks from Perth in the west to Hobart in the south now run edge and jump clinics alongside learn-to-skate sessions. Spectators who want to develop their eye for the Lutz-versus-inside-edge distinction can use these local resources to practise. Standing at the side boards during a freestyle session is the easiest way to see the blade work, because skaters repeat the same entry again and again.
Watching from different vantage points helps as well. Standing at the end of the rink, level with the jumps, gives a clear view of the curve direction, while standing at the side, in line with the skater's direction of travel, makes it easier to see the edge from underneath. Pairing these two perspectives builds a quick mental library. Australian audiences tuning in to the Torino 2019 broadcasts at odd hours due to the time difference can also benefit from pausing live streams and rewinding replays, treating each Lutz attempt as a small puzzle.
Key Visual Cues at the Moment of Takeoff
- A deep curve on the skating foot, with the body visibly leaning away from the circle
- The free toe pick approaching from outside the skating foot's line of travel
- Shoulders staying roughly square, with a slight inward lean rather than an open rotation
- A crisp, single sound as the pick enters the ice
- The skating knee deeply bent, building visible spring before launch
Common Habits That Distort the Edge Reading
- Tilting the head forward to spot the landing too early, which pulls weight onto the inside edge
- Pulling the free leg in too quickly, shortening the arc and forcing the body upright
- Crossing the shoulders over the skating foot to generate extra rotation, which rotates the edge inward
- Rushing the entry curve because the skater has run out of speed on the approach
- Watching the free foot instead of the skating blade, missing the actual edge choice entirely
Understanding a clean Lutz takeoff versus an inside edge error adds an entirely new layer of enjoyment to a competition like the ISU Grand Prix Final at Torino. Visit the official Torino 2019 website to explore the full event schedule, find ticketing information for the Palavela arena, and review the practice sessions and exhibition gala details. Subscribing to the site's updates from Australia gives early notice of broadcast times adjusted to local schedules, and the volunteer section welcomes anyone keen to experience figure skating from behind the scenes.