Nick Perna discusses the flip jump.  This is the first part of a multi-part video series on the flip jump by Nick.  The flip is probably the most overlooked of the 6 primary jumps in figure skating, largely because low level skaters tend to do them correctly off a back inside edge.  However, flip jump issues and problems tend to really show up when skaters are progressing to double flips and triple flips.

Nick references his earlier video about the standstill beginner flip jump, but he notes that because of the flow into the jump, it doesn’t actually stop and draw back and together.  Nick notes that a “real flip” has an “active” inside edge.  In some cases the edge is deep but for most skaters it’s relatively shallow.  Nick also takes a few moments to discuss edge changes associated with the flip (switching to an outside edge prior to take-off and sometimes called a “lip”) and how it relates to a “flutz.”  Today skaters are expected to have both clean flips and clean lutzes off correct edges.  But as Nick notes, “What I’ve found with most skaters, especially in the old days, skaters either did all flips or all lutzes.  And there were very few that could do one of each successfully, especially with triples.”

Next, Nick explains how he uses the loop jump as a tool for developing the proper feeling for the flip.  Listen carefully to his explanation and demonstration, as the fine details here are often lost.  Notice that Nick emphasizes that the feet start to draw together BEFORE the toe pick enters the ice.  This concept was covered previously at iCoachSkating.com by Audrey Weisiger (Ice Skating Jumps: Flip Jump Reach And Pick Placement) and Trevor Laak (Figure Skating Flip Jump Reach And Toe Placement).  But it’s so important that it bears repeating constantly as so many get this detail wrong.

In terms of the strength of the inside edge, Nick says “I don’t focus on it too much with my skaters as long as it’s a real inside edge.  If it starts to get flat or if it starts to get, worse, to an outside edge, I really go back and I focus on them getting that inside curve.”  Next, Nick shows a simple toe step drill that he uses for flip development.  The drill is important for a number of reasons including the feeling of the inside edge and the movement of the feet coming together before the toe pick hits the ice.  In the demonstration, also notice that Nick is drawing the feet together and starting to move upward all well before the picking foot touches the ice.  Nick also explains how the flip is related to the salchow.  (The flip used to be called a “toe salchow.”)

Those skaters that have ingrained the movements that create an outside edge take-off (lutz, or lip) often have an extremely difficult time correcting this edge, especially once they have a double and are working on the triple.  Nick explains that he uses a similar approach in reverse, to the process he uses to fix a flutz (lutz from incorrect edge).  For a flip with an edge problem, Nick often teaches an outside blurb before an inside cut (see Nick’s backward inside bread drill to better understand the blurb).  Next, he draws on the ice to illustrate what a typical double or triple flip entry edge tracing looks like.  These important details are worth understanding and they show just how much misunderstanding exists on the flip entry.  Nick also mentions that the straight three turn and blurb used by most top skaters resembles a shallow rocker in many cases.  [Editor’s note: IJS technical specialists who give the edge call to flips coming off a blurb to a true inside edge take-off should be ashamed of themselves for not understanding the mechanics of this jump.]

This is a great video!

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