What is the difference between a Flip and a Lutz?

Great question—this is one of the most common mix-ups in figure skating, and honestly, even experienced parents mix them up!

Both flips and lutzes are toe-pick jumps, meaning your skater uses the toe pick of one foot to launch into the air. Here's what sets them apart: a flip takes off from the inside edge of the skating foot, while a lutz takes off from the outside edge. This edge difference completely changes the mechanics of how your skater approaches the jump.

Think of it this way—when your skater does a flip, they're skating forward on an inside edge and tapping the opposite toe pick to launch. With a lutz, they're actually gliding backward on an outside edge before that tap. The lutz is trickier because it requires that backward momentum and demands better edge control.

At Pre-Preliminary and Preliminary levels, many skaters find the flip more intuitive since the inside edge feels more natural when moving forward. Lutzes typically come later as skaters develop stronger edges and body awareness.

The easiest way to spot the difference? Watch which direction your skater is traveling when they tap that toe pick into the ice.

Want to see this in your child's skating? SkateMarks analyzes every jump with per-second AI coaching notes.