Michael Weiss teaches the six basic jumps in figure skating

I found a great site, monkeysee.com, for learning the six basic jumps in figure skating: salchow, loop, flip, toe loop, lutz and axel. They are demonstrated by three-time U.S. national champion Michael Weiss (see right) and I learned a lot watching him do all the single jumps. Michael also demonstrates doubles and triples of each jump, but for me, my goals are to do all the singles, so watching the slow-motion replays of the single jumps and focusing on the take-off, rotation, and checkout were extremely helpful. (link to Michael Weiss' video series)

Four parts to a jump

Jumping is one area where I believe private lessons are critical to achieving success. So much of jumping is about timing and rhythm that a one-on-one interaction with your instructor is most helpful to getting the nuances of each jump down.

There are always four parts that a jump can be broken down into and it's important to understand how each part works:

• Preparation - The preparation for a jump is just as important as the jump itself since it's the approaching footwork and body alignment that prepares you for the jump. So make sure you go over with your instructor what your body, arms and legs (and head) should be doing before the jump. The most common mistake I still find myself making is that I anticipate the jump way before it's supposed to happen. Oftentimes, my shoulders and hips will start rotating too soon.  Also, I remind myself to keep my back straight and not start hunching over.

• Takeoff - Whether the takeoff is from an edge or toe pick, the power of the jump is initiated from the knees, so make sure to do off ice exercises that strengthen the muscles surrounding the knee for maximum height. Timing also plays a key role during the takeoff and with practice, you eventually get the timing.

• Rotation in air - For an edge jump, the rotation is initiated when the curve on the takeoff edge deepens. For a toe jump, the toe pick tap initiates the rotation. In the air, the body must be straight (see right).

• Checked landing - Checking, or stopping the rotation, is important in order to land the jump with control (and also to exit a spin with control). When you check out of a jump (or spin), the hips are square, the free leg extended back, and the upper body strong. My coaches used to have me repeat the checked landing position regardless of whether I completed the jump or not. Many a times, I would fall out of a jump or fall on a jump, and still, get up from the ice and end with a checked landing position. This was repeated so many times to the point that I almost felt uncomfortable unless I ended with a checked landing position. A common mistake I still try and correct is that my exit edge is on too tight of a curve because my body is over-rotated.

Toe v. edge jumps

There are two types of jumps in figure skating -- toe jumps and edge jumps -- and they are named as such due to the takeoff. In toe jumps, the skater uses their toe pick to vault up into the air. In edge jumps, the skater takes off from a certain edge of one skate to vault up into the air.

There are seven basic jumps that we should recognize and be familiar with, whether we're watching skating on television or learning jumps. The following jumps can be done as doubles or triples, except for the waltz jump.

• Waltz jump - The waltz jump takes off from a forward outside edge of one skate, a half turn rotation is done in the air. and the skater lands on a back outside edge of the opposite skate. While learning the waltz jump, my coaches used to tell me to imagine that I was either kicking a football and/or trying to step over a large puddle. I saw Toller Cranston do the most amazing waltz jump at Rockefeller Center Rink several years ago. He made the ordinary look extraordinary.

                                               Demonstration of waltz jump

• Salchow - The Salchow (pronounced "sow-kow" and named after Swedish world champion Ulrich Salchow in 1909) is an edge jump where the takeoff begins from the back inside edge of one foot, one full revolution is done in the air, and the skater lands on the back outside edge of the other foot. Skaters get into the takeoff position by first doing a forward outside three turn. I've also seen the Salchow done preceded by a forward inside mohawk. Either way, the takeoff is from a back inside edge.

                                               Demonstration of Salchow
                                   6-3-9 Salchow tip from Nancy Kerrigan

• Toe loop - The toe loop is a toe jump where the takeoff is from a back outside edge assisted by a toe pick tap from the other foot. It makes one revolution in the air before landing on the same back outside edge. The entrance to a toe loop is from a forward inside three turn.

                                               Demonstration of toe loop jump

• Loop jump - The loop (invented by German skater Werner Rittberger) is an edge jump where the takeoff is from a back outside edge, the skater makes a full revolution in the air, and lands on the same back outside edge.

                                                Demonstration of loop jump

• Flip jump - The flip is a toe jump where the skater skates on a back inside edge of one foot and places the toe pick of the other skate into the ice to lift off and rotate one full revolution. The landing is on a back outside edge of the foot that tapped into the ice. Most skaters enter the flip jump from a forward outside three turn and then picks with the free skate. My coaches constantly emphasized the importance of keeping the forward outside three turn pretty straight, so imagine a veryyyyy large circle that you're doing the three turn on -- almost in a straight line, with the slightest of curvature. The flip can also be done from a forward inside mohawk. Either way, before the skater picks into the ice, they are on a back inside edge of the opposite foot.

                                                  Demonstration of flip jump

• Lutz jump - The Lutz (named after Austrian skater Alois Lutz in 1913) is a toe jump that is like the flip jump, except that the takeoff edge is a back outside edge (instead of a back inside edge like the flip). The skater skates on a back outside edge, places the opposite toe into the ice, lifts off, makes one full revolution, before landing on the back outside edge of the same skate that tapped the ice. It's difficult for skaters to remain on the back outside edge before picking with the other toe. Many times, the edge collapses slightly into the back inside edge before the toe tap, and this mistake has been nicknamed a "flutz" -- a combination of flip and Lutz because the takeoff for a flip jump is from a back inside edge. I remember when Tara Lipinski was competing in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan and was establishing herself as the frontrunner to win the gold (over heavy favorite Michelle Kwan), particularly because she would be performing a very difficult triple lutz/triple flip combination. Commentators and competitors were critical that she was not truly doing a Lutz because her back outside edge would turn into a back inside edge before she tapped on the ice with her other skate, so she was essentially doing two triple flips. Anyway, the rest is history, Tara won the gold. Michelle won the silver, and China's Chen Lu won the bronze.

Demonstration of Lutz

Demonstration of Flutz

• Axel jump - The Axel (named after Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen in 1882; interestingly, he performed the jump in speed skates) is an edge jump where the takeoff is from a forward outside edge, the skater makes one and a half revolutions in the air, and lands on the back outside edge of the other foot. The Axel is one of the very few jumps that take off on a forward edge.

                                                    Demonstration of Axel

Which direction do you spin and jump?

Which direction do you spin and jump?

After you’ve skated several times, you may be asking yourself if you should be spinning and jumping in a counterclockwise or clockwise direction. There is no right or wrong way. Although most people spin and jump in a counterclockwise direction, it is all about what feels comfortable and “normal” to you. I know plenty of skaters who jump and spin in a clockwise direction, and even skaters who jump in one direction but spin in the opposite direction! My best advice is to experiment and see which direction you are most comfortable with. Eventually, your body will tell you which way to go.

You may also be influenced by how your coach spins and jumps. Skating is very visual and being able to relate to your coach in his or her movements becomes important. If they spin and jump in one direction, it may be easier to imitate their moves if you are the same way. Keep in mind that a good coach can always work with a student who goes in the opposite direction, so don’t let that difference be too much of an influence in your decision to stick with a coach.

Six-time national champion Todd Eldredge spins and jumps in a clockwise direction as you will see in this high energy Big Band program:

Four-time national champion and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano spins and jumps in a counterclockwise direction as you will see in the following piece: