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What is a 'two-footed landing' and why is it a problem?
TL;DR
A two-footed landing, where both skates touch down simultaneously instead of one, breaks the required technique and kills the jump's momentum in figure skating.
A two-footed landing happens when your skater touches down on both skates at the same time after a jump, instead of landing cleanly on just one foot. Think of it like jumping off a diving board and splashing down flat instead of entering the water pointed and controlled.
In figure skating, every jump has a required landing foot—usually the opposite of your takeoff foot. When skaters land two-footed, they're essentially stopping the momentum and flow of the jump rather than continuing into the next move. It's not just a technical flaw; it breaks the entire sequence.
Why does it matter? Two-footed landings signal a few things: the skater may not have enough height or rotation to complete the jump cleanly, they're losing confidence mid-air, or they're compensating for a balance issue. At Pre-Preliminary and Preliminary levels, judges deduct points because it shows the skater didn't fully control the jump. More importantly for your child's progression, landing two-footed is often a stepping stone to fixing bigger issues—like poor takeoff position or weak ankle strength.
The good news? Two-footed landings are usually fixable with focused practice on that single-leg stability and stronger jump technique.
Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.