Edge Quality of Flip Jump – Jump Drills for Flip (Page Lipe)

Page Lipe discusses the challenge associated with getting flip jumps to come off a back inside edge. Teaching the correct edge early on in jump development saves tremendous time and frustration later on.

In this video, Page starts with a process for improving the edge quality of the flip take-off. She starts with a forward outside to back inside edge choctaw to help the skater better feel the inside edge. (Note that the “choctaw” is demonstrated by the skater as a change of edge and then a mohawk, but Page finds this acceptable for the purpose of fixing the flip.) After this stage, Page adds a hop without any rotation or change of position from the inside edge and returning to the inside edge to show control of the position. Next Page has the skater use a large exercise ball to accentuate the feeling of remaining on an inside edge. After mastering these drills, she has the skater do a flip jump with the exercise ball.

Page says, “I think that kids are either flippers or lutzers.” She discusses this briefly, noting that certain body types probably affect skaters’ natural tendencies. Next she talks about yet another drill for strengthening the inside edge for the flip. She has the skater skate on a hockey circle and pick in wide (well into the circle). Notice that Page even advocates turning the toe-in foot inward on the picking motion for those skaters that have edge problems on the flip. Many skaters need to exaggerate this wide picking motion to fix this problem. Page also offers another drill based on a forward inside pivot.

As Page notes, “There really isn’t an immediate fix for fixing a flip or lutz. It takes about six months.” It takes even longer if they need to compete with the jump. “It’s a long process.”