It drives me crazy when I see skaters putting their free foot down just before they jump on a salchow jump. There is no need for it. Can someone who does this explain why they do it?

I don't think this belongs in the Canada Section

The same reason why skaters keep their foot on the ice until just before taking off for a loop jump. It helps with balance and force generation.

We don't touch the ice with our free foot doing the salchow. It passes very closely to the ice on take off but it doesn't touch. If it did touch the ice, then we skaters would kill ourselves because the free blade passes by perpendicular the skating blade. It would majorly make us trip and we'd go down hard.

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Actually i know many skaters to take off on both feet.. and they have the weight evenly destributed on both legs, it just keeps them balanced

Some coaches I know (Europeans) teach the take off on both feet for the salchow... on purpose...

Sounds something like what we in the UK call a toe salchow?

my coach had me do that as an excersize to keep my leg from swinging out so much...but thats not how anyone is supposed to do a proper salchow, it is only supposed to come close to the ice but not touch.

Or a flip here in the States!!!

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Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I was putting my toe down on my landing....just for "security" and it drove my coach nuts!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Actually, no, because it's the right forward inside edge that comes down on the ice, not the toe. Technically, a toe salchow is a flip jump, and the toe goes in when the free leg is extended behind you. This right foot touch-down is when the free leg has already started coming around for the salchow takeoff.

I bow to your better judgement as I cant say I have ever seen it done, sounds curious.

Here's a video of a triple salchow where the skater doesn't actually touch the ice with her free foot as she brings it around for takeoff, but it gets very close. Others actually touch the ice with the right blade as they bring the free leg around.
http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_recog/recog_j_salchow.htm

If you want to see the two-footed salchow takeoff, find any video of Timothy Goebel.

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I need a detachable left foot!

Sorry what I meant was that I havent seen it done with the toe going in, I have messed up on salchows and see others do so but I have never seen anyone do so in such a curious way, sounds like not enough check on the turn, so they are forced to toe it to steady things, but thanks for the video. very useful.

Oh yeah, a toe going in would be certain death, LOL!

I know Tara L. is the only skater I think who takes off clearly with one foot,

I do admit that I graze my free foot when take off the jump. It helps me square myself off

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when i do my 3 salchow...my foot hits the ice when its passing just before i jump...its just been a bad habbit since im young...and dont think ill ever get rid of it!!!