Now that my flip is pretty consistent I've been dabbling around with the lutz at the tail end the session - tonight I landed 5 out of 5, although they weren't necessarily "pretty" but when I looked at my tracings I noticed that my outside entry edge is pretty shallow - bordering on flat. I'm riding a pretty deep edge into the lutz, but I seem to be decreasing the depth of the edge right at take off. Even when I try to deepen even further before the entrance, I shift my weight somehow to an "almost" flat.I know this is a common problem, so any tips on stopping it before I really start to work on it?

Thanks!

I can't offer any help there, cause I haven't gotten to lutzes yet, but keep watch on this thread.

http://skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=18165

It's not that uncommon to flatten out, and some skaters even roll over to an inside edge before take off, thus we have the "flutz" a take off from the inside edge, as in a flip.
What I do is get on the nice back outside edge, then look behind me, rotating my right shoulder and arm back - (think of it as pointing to your landing spot or corner), then turn only my head to front keeping the shoulder and arm in place in back. Then you're ready to jump.

Do you look inside the circle or out when skating backwards? I'm guessing that this is what makes the lutz hard - maintaining that edge. I'm just stoked that the jump has come so easy so far.

The lutz is done more on a straight line, not on a circle (at least, I can't imagine it done on a circle)... I take a look behind me only to make sure I am not going to crash into anyone, then set up for the jump.

If you tend to take off from the flat of the blade (or the inside edge), try gently alternating between inside and outside edges as your approach, then you are really FORCED to take off from the outside edge. Sometimes lingering on the outside edge on a long approach cause you to switches edges (the the worng edge) at the last minute before take off. So if you force yourself to only be on the outside edge in the last moments, you are more likely to take off from the proper edge.

HTH!

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Natalie

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

I'm on a left back outside edge look back over my right shoulder. By leaving the shoulder and arm back, it keeps you on the edge. My coach told me after you look back leave everything in place but your head (which you turn to forward). Then you bend your left knee and lower your toe to the ice (not bring the leg up and wack the ice) and pop. For me it's resulted in really high jumps.

Thanks guys - these tips really make a ton of sense and I'm going to definitely try them next time on the ice (Saturday?).

Make sure your pick leg is not swinging high before you tap in..I call this the "Sarah Hughes free leg"..the high free leg right before you plant the pick foot can cause some people to roll to the flat or even flutz.. I think about my pick foot as I do my lutz, "open toe...reach back...float...pull in..open and land..."

I have been told my lutz is quite good...only a single but I get the most height on my lutz than any other jump.

When I first learned the lutz I spent a lot of time just doing the approach. Long glides on the BO edge, reaching back with free leg, not tapping in, then return to glide position.

also...make sure you are not leaning forward too much on skating foot...bend knee to get low before takeoff but dont pitch too far forward.

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Why are you skating so slowly? Get out of my way!

If you skate faster, it makes everything look better!

Do you remember the Nicole Bobek lutz? She really reached high with her free leg and wacked the ice. She was also a big flutzer.