Technical Corner: The Loop Jump
Technique, Timing & Common Mistakes
The Loop is one of the most distinctive jumps in figure skating—and one of the best examples of how much can happen without a toe pick ever touching the ice.
It is also one of the most important combination jumps in a skater's toolkit, because its same-foot landing creates a natural connection into the next jump.
Unlike toe-assisted jumps such as the Toe Loop, Flip, or Lutz, the Loop takes off directly from the skating edge. Even more interestingly, the skater takes off and lands on the same foot.
That makes the Loop a fascinating study in edge control, timing, rotation, and body position.
Whether you're learning your first Single Loop, working toward a Double, or training Triple Loops and advanced combinations, understanding why the jump works is just as important as practicing it.
Welcome to Technical Corner.
What Is a Loop Jump?
The Loop is an edge jump that takes off from a backward outside edge and lands backward on the same foot and edge.
For a counterclockwise-rotating skater, that means:
Takeoff: left back outside edge
No toe-pick assist
Rotation in the air
Landing: left back outside edge
The same-foot takeoff and landing are what make the Loop so recognizable.
For a clockwise-rotating skater, the directions are reversed.
Because there is no toe pick helping to initiate the jump, the Loop depends heavily on the skater's ability to create and control rotation from the skating edge.
Why Is the Loop Different From Other Jumps?
Figure skating jumps are generally divided into two broad categories:
Toe-Assisted Jumps
The Toe Loop, Flip, and Lutz use the toe pick to assist the takeoff.
Edge Jumps
The Waltz Jump, Salchow, Loop, and Axel take off from an edge without a toe-pick assist.
But the Loop has another distinction:
It takes off and lands on the same foot.
That means the skater doesn't have to transfer to a different landing foot during the jump. Instead, the same leg that creates the takeoff must ultimately absorb the landing.
This creates a very particular relationship between the skating knee, hip, torso, free leg, and rotational position.
And that is where the timing of the Loop becomes so important.
Breaking Down the Loop Takeoff
A good Loop doesn't begin with simply trying to jump upward.
It begins with the edge.
For a counterclockwise skater, the skater establishes the left back outside edge while the right leg is free.
From there, several things happen in a very short amount of time:
The skating knee bends to load the edge.
The body organizes over the skating side.
The free leg helps create the appropriate rotational setup.
The skating leg extends through the takeoff.
The skater leaves the ice while maintaining control of the rotational axis.
The goal is not to throw the upper body around and hope the rotation follows.
Instead, the skater needs to create a controlled takeoff that allows the body to rotate efficiently once airborne.
The Knee Matters
A common mistake is trying to make the Loop happen primarily with the upper body.
But the skating knee is doing important work.
Too little knee action can make the jump feel small, stiff, or rushed. Too much collapse can cause the skater to lose the edge or timing of the takeoff.
The goal is controlled compression followed by a strong, coordinated extension.
The Loop Is All About Timing
If there is one word we would emphasize when teaching the Loop, it would be:
Timing.
The skater has to coordinate:
Edge
Knee
Free leg
Arms
Upper-body position
Takeoff
Rotation
Landing
…and they all have to happen in the right sequence.
That's why a Loop can sometimes feel almost mysterious to a developing skater.
You can have the right edge but poor timing.
You can have enough strength but an inefficient takeoff.
You can rotate quickly but lose the axis.
You can get all the way around but still have difficulty controlling the landing.
The jump isn't just about how much rotation a skater can produce. It's about when and how that rotation is created.
What Happens in the Air?
Once the skater leaves the ice, the goal becomes maintaining a strong rotational position.
The body needs to organize around a relatively stable axis while the legs and arms come together appropriately for the intended jump.
For a developing skater, this is where the Loop starts connecting to skills they may already know from off-ice training:
Core control
Balance
Body awareness
Rotational awareness
Tight air position
The tighter and more organized the rotational position, the more efficiently the skater can rotate.
But "tight" doesn't mean tense.
A skater who is gripping every muscle and throwing their shoulders around can actually make rotation more difficult.
Good jump technique is about efficient tension and control—not maximum tension.
The Landing: Same Foot, Same Edge
Here's where the Loop gets particularly interesting.
The skater needs to return to the same backward outside edge and same foot from which they took off.
For a counterclockwise skater, that's the left back outside edge.
The landing requires:
A controlled rotational axis
A bent landing knee
Strong ankle and edge control
Appropriate upper-body alignment
The ability to continue the landing edge rather than immediately stepping out
A beautiful Loop doesn't simply finish the rotation in the air.
It flows out of the rotation and onto the landing edge.
That landing is part of the jump—not an afterthought.
Why the Loop Is Such a Valuable Combination Jump
One of the Loop's most important roles in competitive skating is as a combination jump.
The Loop is particularly useful in combinations because the skater lands the first jump on the same foot that is used to take off for the Loop.
That creates a natural connection between jumps.
For example, in an Axel–Loop combination, a counterclockwise skater lands the Axel on the right back outside edge. That is also the takeoff edge for the Loop.
Instead of having to change feet between the two jumps, the skater can use the landing of the first jump to immediately set up the second.
This is what makes combinations such as:
Axel + Loop
Toe Loop + Loop
Salchow + Loop
Loop + Loop
technically interesting.
The exact combinations a skater performs—and which combinations are permitted or strategically useful—depend on their level and the competition rules in effect. But the underlying principle remains the same:
The landing of one jump becomes the takeoff for the next.
Why This Is Harder Than It Looks
A combination isn't simply two jumps performed one after another.
The skater has to successfully complete the first jump and maintain enough control on the landing to immediately initiate the second.
That means the landing of the first jump has to be:
On the correct foot
On the appropriate edge
Controlled enough to continue
Properly aligned for the next takeoff
There is very little time to reset.
For a skater learning combinations, this is one reason the Loop can be such a valuable technical tool. It teaches the skater to think of the landing as an active part of the next skill rather than the end of the previous one.
Axel + Loop: A Classic Example
The Axel–Loop combination is particularly interesting because the two jumps connect naturally through the landing foot and edge.
For a counterclockwise skater:
Axel landing → right back outside edge → Loop takeoff
That means there is no intervening step or change of foot.
At higher levels, this becomes a powerful demonstration of jump-to-jump control. The skater has to maintain their axis, landing knee, edge, and body alignment from the first jump while immediately organizing the second jump.
And as the rotations increase, that timing becomes even more demanding.
A 2A+2Lo and a 3A+2Lo, for example, aren't simply larger versions of the same combination. The amount of rotation, height, landing speed, and control required from the first jump changes dramatically.
That's part of what makes the Loop so valuable throughout a skater's development: the same fundamental mechanics continue to matter as the difficulty increases.
Common Loop Jump Mistakes
1. Losing the Takeoff Edge
Because the Loop is an edge jump, maintaining the correct edge through the takeoff is critical.
A skater who flattens the edge or changes it too early can lose the foundation of the jump.
2. Throwing the Upper Body
Trying to manufacture rotation by aggressively throwing the shoulders can disrupt the axis.
The rotation should come from a coordinated takeoff—not simply from spinning the upper body.
3. Dropping the Free Side
If the free leg or hip collapses at takeoff, the skater can lose alignment and make the jump feel much less stable.
4. Jumping Too Early
A rushed takeoff can prevent the skater from properly loading the skating knee and edge.
The Loop needs enough patience to allow the takeoff mechanics to develop.
5. Under-Rotating the Jump
A skater may have enough height to complete the jump but not enough rotational commitment.
This is especially common when progressing from a Single Loop toward a Double or Triple.
6. Landing Stiff
A locked landing knee makes it much harder to absorb the landing and maintain the exit edge.
The landing should be controlled and athletic—not simply "survived."
7. Treating the Combination as Two Separate Jumps
When the Loop is being used as the second jump in a combination, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining the landing from the first jump well enough to immediately initiate the Loop.
If the first landing becomes a scramble, the second jump has very little chance to be clean.
From Single Loop to Double Loop to Triple Loop
The Loop doesn't stop being technically interesting once a skater learns the Single.
In fact, the jump becomes an increasingly demanding test of efficiency as the rotations increase.
Single Loop
At the Single Loop level, the focus is on establishing the fundamental mechanics:
Correct takeoff edge
Controlled knee action
Efficient takeoff
Stable rotational axis
Organized air position
Controlled same-foot landing
The goal isn't simply to get around.
It's to create a jump that is repeatable, efficient, and technically sound.
Double Loop
Moving to the Double Loop requires the skater to generate significantly more rotation while maintaining the same basic technical foundation.
This means developing:
More efficient rotational initiation
Greater height and/or time in the air
A faster and more organized air position
Stronger axis control
Greater landing stability
One of the most common mistakes is trying to manufacture the additional rotation by throwing the upper body harder.
That may create more movement, but it doesn't necessarily create more useful rotation.
A technically strong Double Loop comes from improving the efficiency of the entire jump.
Triple Loop
The Triple Loop takes those same principles even further.
At this level, small technical inefficiencies become much more significant.
The skater needs to coordinate the takeoff, rotational position, and landing with enough precision to complete three rotations while still returning to the same-foot landing edge.
This is where concepts such as takeoff timing, rotational efficiency, axis control, and landing preparation become especially important.
A Triple Loop isn't a completely different jump from a Single Loop.
It is the same fundamental movement performed with substantially greater demands on the skater's ability to generate and control rotation.
And that is an important distinction.
Adding rotations should not mean abandoning the fundamentals.
The best advanced jumps are often built on the same simple principles coaches teach at the Single-jump level—just executed with greater speed, strength, precision, and consistency.
Why the Loop Matters Beyond the Loop
Learning a Loop isn't just about adding another jump to a skater's repertoire.
It teaches important concepts that carry into other parts of skating.
Edge Control
The skater learns to generate a jump from an edge rather than relying on a toe-pick assist.
Rotational Awareness
The skater develops a better understanding of how their body rotates through the air.
Axis Control
Maintaining a stable axis becomes increasingly important as jumps get more difficult.
Landing Technique
Because the Loop returns to the same foot, it provides valuable experience controlling the landing leg and exit edge.
Combination Skills
The Loop teaches skaters to treat a landing as the beginning of the next movement rather than simply the end of a jump.
These concepts become increasingly important as skaters progress toward Double and Triple jumps—and toward more complex jump combinations.
The Loop Is Not About Jumping Harder
One of the biggest lessons the Loop can teach is that more effort does not necessarily create a better jump.
Figure skating rewards efficiency.
The goal is to take the energy already being created by the edge, knee, body position, and rotational setup and use it effectively.
That's why two skaters can have very different-looking Loops while both are technically successful.
Some skaters naturally generate more height.
Others generate rotation very efficiently.
Some need to work on their edge.
Others need to improve their air position or landing.
There isn't one magic formula that works identically for every skater.
That's where individualized coaching matters.
Want Help Learning Your Loop?
The Loop is one of those jumps that can look deceptively simple from the boards.
But learning it well requires a coach who can see the small details:
Is the edge correct? Is the knee loading properly? Is the takeoff rushed? Where is the free leg? Is the axis stable? Is the skater creating rotation—or fighting for it?
At Skate VIDA, our coaches work with skaters at different stages of development, from foundational jump preparation through advanced competitive technique.
Whether you're working on your first Loop, trying to make your Single Loop consistent, developing Double and Triple Loops, or refining jump combinations, our team can help break the skill down into manageable pieces and build it back up with purpose.
Want help learning your Loop? Come skate with us at Skate VIDA.
The Takeaway
The Loop may not have the dramatic reputation of an Axel or the visual complexity of a difficult spin, but technically, it is a fascinating jump.
It asks the skater to coordinate an edge, knee, body position, rotation, and landing—all while taking off and landing on the same foot.
And because that same-foot landing can become the takeoff for the next jump, the Loop plays an important role in combination skating as well.
From the first Single Loop to advanced Triple Loop combinations, the fundamentals remain remarkably consistent.
Don't just jump. Understand the jump.
That's what Technical Corner is all about.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Loop Jump:
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The Loop is an edge jump that takes off from a backward outside edge and lands on the same foot and edge after completing the required rotation.
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The Loop is an edge jump. It does not use a toe-pick assist during takeoff.
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Both jumps can connect naturally to the same landing foot in combinations, but they take off differently. The Loop takes off directly from the backward outside edge, while the Toe Loop uses the toe pick to assist the takeoff.
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The Loop is especially useful as a second jump because its takeoff uses the same foot and edge on which a skater lands certain preceding jumps. This can allow the skater to move directly from one jump into the next without an intervening step or change of foot.
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An Axel–Loop combination connects the landing of an Axel directly into a Loop. For a counterclockwise skater, the Axel lands on the right back outside edge, which is also the takeoff edge for the Loop.
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The Loop requires precise edge control, timing, rotational alignment, and a controlled same-foot landing. Because there is no toe pick to assist the takeoff, the skater must generate the jump from the skating edge.
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A skater generally develops a consistent and technically sound Single Loop before adding additional rotation. Progression involves improving takeoff efficiency, rotational speed, air position, axis control, height and/or time in the air, and landing technique.
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The Loop is generally introduced after a skater has developed sufficient skating skills, edge control, balance, and foundational jump technique. A coach can determine when a skater is ready to begin learning it.
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Under-rotation can have many causes, including insufficient height, inefficient takeoff mechanics, a disrupted axis, or difficulty maintaining the air position. A coach can help identify which part of the jump is limiting rotation.
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The fundamental mechanics remain the same, but the demands increase significantly. As rotation increases, the skater needs greater efficiency, rotational speed, height and/or time in the air, axis control, and landing stability.