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Figure skating jumps are not difficult to understand. Any fan with a quick eye, who knows forwards from backwards left from right can learn to identify common jumps. The flip is one jump which is not hard to identify. A flip in figure skating is not like a flip in gymnastics where the body turns head over heels. Instead it is structured just like all the other jumps. It goes up in the air and rotates on a straight axis that runs through the top of the head, down the back, through the legs and out the bottom of the feet. Like all other figure skating jumps , the flip has three parts: take-off, rotation and landing.
For most skaters, the flip is one of the harder jumps, very few skaters identify the flip as their favorite jump. It is often performed as a solo jump, that is, by itself, not as part of a series or combination. A combination is when several, usually two, jumps are performed one after another with no steps or turns between them. When seen in a combination, the flip is almost always the first jump. Typical combinations are triple flip-triple toeloop or triple flip-double toeloop. It is possible to perform the flip as the third jump in a three jump combination by executing triple toeloop-half loop-triple flip. This is almost never seen in elite competition, though it may be seen at lower levels with single or double jumps instead of triple jumps.
For a counter-clockwise jumper, the flip takes off on the left foot with an assist from the right toe pick. The jump rotates in the counterclockwise direction, an even number of times, and lands on the left foot. For a clockwise jumper, the flip takes off on the right foot. The left toepick is used as an assist. The jump rotates clockwise and lands on the right foot.
This sounds very much like the toeloop, but it’s not. The toeloop takes off from a back outside edge. The skater is skating backwards on one foot and leaning to the outside of the skate. This takeoff edge can often look like a flat. In the flip, the skater is taking off from a back inside edge. There is a firm “hook” on the edge just before a flip leaves the ice which looks a great deal like a backwards J.
The skater will "pick" or "toe-off" the jump, using the toepick to stop the momentum and the bent knee so she can vault into the air. The picking foot should remain low should hit the ice firmly. Lifting the leg high before picking or jamming the pick into the ice are common “bad” technique which are often seen in skaters who are not yet comfortable with their ability to consistently perform the flip jump. A good take off is very important in achieving a good landing. A knowledgeable spectator can predict whether a jump will succeed or fail based on the take off, without ever seeing the landing.
The flip rotates an even number of times: once for a single, twice for a double, three times for a triple and four times for a quadruple or "quad." The quad flip has not been performed in competition as of the beginning of the 2000/2001 skating season. All the rotation should take place in the air, with none of it happening on the ice before take off. If the jump rotates before it leaves the ice, that is called “cheating” the jump.
For both clockwise and counterclockwise skaters, the flip lands on a back outside edge; however, just landing the jump is not an indication of quality. A good quality jump has good speed going and coming out. The skater is supposed to flow out of the jump smoothly, with no wobbling, no touching the ice with her hands and no hopping. Moreover, the skater should have a strong, upright carriage, a gracefully held leg and turned out toes.
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