caseyedwards
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 24,153
What’s the deal? What’s the theories? Why do some of the best not know how?
Learning of lutz: why so hard for even the BEST?!?
- Thread starter caseyedwards
- Start date
kittysk8ts
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,820
It’s mostly a strength/power issue because it’s counter-rotational. The habit of flipping over to the inside edge to gain more power is what is difficult to “unlearn”. This is the most common reason. It’s a tough jump and I’m sure there are several other reasons why it’s challenging.
SleepyShawn
Active Member
- Messages
- 109
Why do I start to feel like 4Lz is the easiest of them all? It used to be among a selected few but almost everyone has one now 
AxelAnnie
Like a small boat on the ocean...
- Messages
- 14,463
I think it is not learned because you can "get away with" a flutz. It is silly, really. Skaters are incredible athletes. A lutz cannot be that overwhelming.
screech
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 7,454
A lot of it depends on the body too. Women tend to struggle more with maintaining the outside edge because of the hips.
But it is possible to relearn it. Joannie Rochette is probably the biggest success story there.
But it is possible to relearn it. Joannie Rochette is probably the biggest success story there.
Scrufflet
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,207
Lovely moment in my doctor's office last year:
Doctor: "Did I ever tell you about the time Donald Jackson tried to teach me how to do a lutz? I just could not do it."
Doctor: "Did I ever tell you about the time Donald Jackson tried to teach me how to do a lutz? I just could not do it."
bardtoob
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 14,684
Not every skater can be Gracie Gold, who recently changed her Lutz from a "lot of distance" Lutz to a "lot of height" Lutz.
www.instagram.com
Viny on Instagram: “@graciegold95 ✨👸🏼✨ .... ✅ ....? #usfs #figureskating #thequeen #motivation #determination #inspiration #loveit #letsdoit #vpaacademy #gg…”
1,849 Likes, 57 Comments - Viny (@itscoachvincent) on Instagram: “@graciegold95 ✨👸🏼✨ .... ✅ ....? #usfs #figureskating #thequeen #motivation #determination…”
www.instagram.com
IMO lutzes, even learning singles, need two things, more than other (toe) jumps:
1) Speed and commitment into it. Going into jumps too slow never works well, but with a lutz it's especially important to go blazing into it, or you can't get enough power to convert and fully do the counter rotation. This is scary when you first start to learn even the single. I would imagine that it's at least 3x as scary when going for the triple.
2) Getting the toe pick in exactly the right spot, relative to the skating foot on the back outside edge. This needs to be emphasized when learning the single and then again learning the double. Too many coaches let students get away with placing the toe to the outside of the skating foot arc, which pulls you over to the inside edge = flutz. Flips and toe loops are slightly more forgiving, in that if you're a couple of inches off with toe placement, you can still manage a decent jump.
1) Speed and commitment into it. Going into jumps too slow never works well, but with a lutz it's especially important to go blazing into it, or you can't get enough power to convert and fully do the counter rotation. This is scary when you first start to learn even the single. I would imagine that it's at least 3x as scary when going for the triple.
2) Getting the toe pick in exactly the right spot, relative to the skating foot on the back outside edge. This needs to be emphasized when learning the single and then again learning the double. Too many coaches let students get away with placing the toe to the outside of the skating foot arc, which pulls you over to the inside edge = flutz. Flips and toe loops are slightly more forgiving, in that if you're a couple of inches off with toe placement, you can still manage a decent jump.
