Every Figure Skating Jump Explained: How to Tell a Lutz from a Salchow
The only guide you need to finally understand what is happening in the air
You're watching the Olympics. A skater launches into the air, spins what looks like a million times, and lands on one foot. The commentator yells "TRIPLE LUTZ!" and the crowd goes wild. Meanwhile, you're thinking: "How is that different from the last one?"
You're not alone. Figure skating jumps all look pretty similar when a skater is spinning at 300+ RPM in the air. The differences are subtle; once you know what to look for, you'll never watch skating the same way again.
The Two Categories: Edge Jumps vs. Toe Jumps
Every figure skating jump falls into one of two categories based on how the skater gets into the air:
Edge jumps: The skater takes off using only the curve of their blade edge. No toe pick involved. Think of it like springing off a bent knee. The three edge jumps are the axel, the loop, and the salchow.
Toe jumps: The skater plants the jagged toe pick at the front of their blade into the ice to vault into the air, kind of like a pole vault. The three toe jumps are the toe loop, the flip, and the lutz.
The easiest way to spot the difference in real time: look at the free leg right before takeoff. If it swings up and forward, it's likely an edge jump. If it reaches back and stabs the ice, it's a toe jump.
The Six Jumps, Ranked by Difficulty
The ISU (International Skating Union) officially ranks the six jumps from easiest to hardest. This ranking determines their base value in the scoring system; harder jumps are worth more points.
From easiest to hardest:
1. Toe Loop (Easiest)
Type: Toe Jump
Takeoff: Backward, outside edge with toe pick assist
Landing: Same foot you took off from
How to spot it: The skater glides backward, reaches back with their free foot to tap the ice, and takes off. They land on the same foot they started on. It's usually the "add-on" jump at the end of a combination.
Fun fact: The toe loop is the most common second jump in combinations because it's the easiest to tack onto another jump's landing.
Base Values: Double: 1.30 | Triple: 4.20 | Quad: 9.50
2. Salchow
Type: Edge Jump
Takeoff: Backward, inside edge
Landing: Opposite foot, backward outside edge
How to spot it: The skater turns from forward to backward (usually with a three-turn), then swings their free leg forward in a scooping "D" shape to launch into the air. There's no toe pick involved; it's all edge and momentum.
Named after: Ulrich Salchow (Sweden), who first performed it in 1909. He was a 10-time world champion. Yes, it's pronounced "SAL-kow," not "sal-CHOW."
Base Values: Double: 1.30 | Triple: 4.30 | Quad: 9.70
3. Loop
Type: Edge Jump
Takeoff: Backward, outside edge
Landing: Same foot, backward outside edge
How to spot it: The skater is gliding backward on one foot in a curve. Without using a toe pick, they spring off the edge; almost like they're sitting into a chair and then launching out of it. They land on the same foot they took off from.
Also known as: The "Rittberger" in Germany and most of continental Europe, after German skater Werner Rittberger who first performed it in 1910.
Base Values: Double: 1.70 | Triple: 4.90 | Quad: 10.50
4. Flip
Type: Toe Jump
Takeoff: Backward, inside edge with toe pick assist
Landing: Opposite foot, backward outside edge
How to spot it: The skater glides backward with a deep knee bend on an inside edge, reaches back with their free leg, stabs the toe pick into the ice, and vaults up.
Fun fact: The flip was originally called the "tulip jump" because the skater's body in midair supposedly resembles a tulip. This is the jump most commonly confused with the Lutz; the difference is the edge at takeoff (inside for flip, outside for Lutz).
Base Values: Double: 1.80 | Triple: 5.30 | Quad: 11.00
5. Lutz
Type: Toe Jump
Takeoff: Backward, outside edge with toe pick assist (counter-rotation!)
Landing: Opposite foot, backward outside edge
How to spot it: Look for a long, gliding entry (often from one corner of the rink). The skater is on a backward outside edge, reaches back to tap their toe pick, and then rotates in the opposite direction from the curve of their entry. That counter-rotation is what makes this jump so difficult.
Named after: Traditionally credited to Alois Lutz (Austria), who is said to have first performed it in 1913.
The "Flutz": If a skater is supposed to be on an outside edge but cheats to an inside edge at takeoff, commentators and fans call it a "flutz" (flip + Lutz). Judges can and do deduct points for wrong-edge takeoffs.
Base Values: Double: 2.10 | Triple: 5.90 | Quad: 11.50
6. Axel (Hardest)
Type: Edge Jump (The King of Jumps)
Takeoff: FORWARD, outside edge (the only forward-facing takeoff)
Landing: Opposite foot, backward outside edge
How to spot it: This is the easiest jump to identify because it's the only jump where the skater takes off going forward. You'll see them skating forward, bending their knee, and kicking their free leg up and forward to launch. Because they land backward but take off forward, every axel has an extra half-rotation built in. A "triple axel" is actually 3.5 rotations. A "quad axel" is 4.5.
Named after: Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed it in 1882 at an international competition in Vienna while wearing speed skates. He was both a speed skater and figure skater.
The quad axel: Ilia Malinin is the first and only person to land a quad axel in competition, first achieving it in September 2022 and repeating the feat multiple times since. It requires 4.5 rotations in approximately 0.79 seconds of airtime at an average of 340 RPM, with peaks exceeding 400 RPM.
Base Values: Double: 3.30 | Triple: 8.00 | Quad: 12.50
Quick Reference: Base Values at a Glance
| Jump | Type | Double | Triple | Quad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toe Loop | Toe | 1.30 | 4.20 | 9.50 |
| Salchow | Edge | 1.30 | 4.30 | 9.70 |
| Loop | Edge | 1.70 | 4.90 | 10.50 |
| Flip | Toe | 1.80 | 5.30 | 11.00 |
| Lutz | Toe | 2.10 | 5.90 | 11.50 |
| Axel | Edge | 3.30 | 8.00 | 12.50 |
Note: These are base values only. The actual score for each jump is adjusted up or down by the Grade of Execution (GOE). Jumps performed in the second half of a program can earn a 10% bonus; since 2018, this bonus applies only to the last jump pass in the short program's second half and the last three jump passes in the free skate's second half (not every second-half jump).
How to Tell Jumps Apart in Real Time
Even seasoned fans sometimes struggle to tell jumps apart at full speed. Here's a cheat sheet for what to watch for:
- Is the skater facing forward at takeoff? It's an axel. This is the only one you can reliably identify every time.
- Does the skater tap their toe into the ice before jumping? It's a toe jump (toe loop, flip, or Lutz).
- Is it an edge jump? Watch the free leg. If it swings forward in a scooping motion, it's likely a Salchow. If the skater appears to be gliding on one foot with minimal leg movement, it's a Loop.
- Flip vs. Lutz confusion? Both use the toe pick on a backward edge. The difference is the edge: Flip uses an inside edge (curved like your body is leaning inward), while Lutz uses an outside edge (curved like your body is leaning outward). Flip is easier to confuse with other jumps.
Why the Axel is So Hard
If you've watched figure skating at all, you've heard commentators gush about the axel like it's the holy grail of figure skating. And it kind of is. Here's why:
The extra half-rotation: Every other jump is fundamentally symmetrical. The skater skates backward, takes off backward, rotates, and lands backward. The axel breaks that symmetry. The skater takes off going forward but has to land backward. That direction change forces an extra half-rotation into every axel.
So when commentators say "triple axel," that skater is actually completing 3.5 rotations in the air, not 3. A quad axel is 4.5 rotations. A single axel alone is actually 1.5 rotations.
The physics problem: Landing a jump requires matching the direction of your takeoff, but the axel's forward entry and backward landing require a skater to essentially "undo" their momentum and change direction mid-air. It's one of the most difficult technical aspects of figure skating.
The mental barrier: Launching forward into the air when your brain is screaming to land on the backward edge is psychologically demanding. Adult skaters often report that the mental block is harder than the physical technique.
The Second Half Bonus Explained
You might notice that skaters often place their hardest jumps later in their program. That's because of the second half bonus.
In the current scoring system (since 2018), jumps that are performed in the second half of a program earn a 10% bonus on their base value. However, this bonus doesn't apply to every second-half jump:
- Short Program: Only the last jump pass (combination or solo) gets the bonus.
- Free Skate: Only the last three jump passes get the bonus.
This explains why you'll see skaters saving their quad jumps for the end of their routine. A quad Lutz is worth 11.50 points at base value, but with the 10% bonus it becomes 12.65 points. That extra 1.15 points can make a huge difference in competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
A quad jump completes four full rotations before landing, except for the quad axel which completes 4.5 rotations due to its forward takeoff and backward landing.
The quad axel requires 4.5 rotations in approximately 0.79 seconds while maintaining perfect edge control and landing on a backward outside edge. The technical difficulty combined with the extreme rotational speed makes it one of the hardest jumps in sports.
Not quite. Jump combinations must follow specific rules. The second jump in a combination cannot be a Lutz, and most commonly toe loop is used as the second jump because it's the easiest landing to achieve after another jump.
Both jumps use the toe pick on a backward takeoff, but the flip uses an inside edge while the Lutz uses an outside edge. The Lutz requires that counter-rotation which makes it harder. A "flutz" is when a skater cheats and uses an inside edge (flip) instead of the required outside edge (Lutz).
A quad jump completes four full rotations in the air, except for the quad axel, which requires 4.5 rotations because the axel always includes that extra half turn at takeoff.
Yes, adult skaters can absolutely learn to jump. Most adult learners start with small hops and half-revolution jumps like the waltz jump before tackling the named six jumps.
The first quad jump landed in competition was a quad toe loop, achieved by Kurt Browning at the 1988 World Championships. Since then, all six jumps have been performed as quads, with the quad axel being the last and most recent addition by Ilia Malinin.
Before working on jumps, you need properly fitted figure skates with boots that support your ankle and blades with a toe pick designed for jump takeoffs and landings.
Ilia Malinin is the first and only person to land a quad axel in competition. He achieved this historic feat in September 2022 and has repeated it multiple times since.
Skaters place jumps strategically in their routine based on difficulty, the 10% bonus for second-half placements, and their stamina. Harder jumps placed in the second half of a program earn bonus points.
