Figure Skating Jump Landings (Michelle Leigh)

Olympic coach Michelle Leigh explains the details of a good landing. At initial impact with the ice, Michelle wants the skater’s shoulders in line with the skating foot and landing edge. This requires the skater to twist the shoulders to the landing side in the air prior to impact. This shoulder position allows the skater to decelerate the shoulder rotation in a controlled manner after impact. One of the biggest myths in figure skating is that at landing impact the shoulders are square to the landing foot and to the direction of flow. Video proves that it is not. It would be impossible to land a triple with such a position because the shoulder deceleration forces would have to be extreme. Michelle’s desired positioning is supported by video analysis.

After impact, Michelle wants the left arm to move forward with the free leg before being pressed back. The free leg initially moves forward to help slow rotation and then moves back and around the skater. Note that Michelle does not want the skater to lift the free knee on landing but prefers to have the skater learn to push the free foot and leg forward. She begins teaching this landing method on the single loop jump.

As a final landing position, Michelle wants the skater to lift the free hip, head to the landing side, the landing arm level and into the landing circle, and the free arm to “show off as much as possible.” Michelle wants “a really big position to enhance your Grade of Execution (GOE).”