Why does my daughter's Salchow keep turning into a toe loop?

Great question — this is one of the most common transitions we see, and it usually points to a specific timing issue rather than a fundamental problem.

A Salchow should launch from the back inside edge of your daughter's skating foot, while a toe loop launches from the toe pick. What's likely happening is that she's either losing the edge early in her approach or instinctively reaching down with her toe pick as she prepares to jump. Both of these pull her into toe loop territory before she even realizes it.

The culprit is usually in the three-turn or mohawk that sets up the jump. If that transition isn't clean, she'll land on a less stable edge and compensate by using her toe pick. It's actually her body trying to help her succeed — but it's changing which jump she's doing.

The good news? This is totally fixable with focused entrance work. Have her practice the entry pattern in slow motion without jumping — just focusing on holding that back inside edge all the way through the turn and into the pre-jump position. Once that edge is solid and she trusts it, the Salchow should click into place naturally.

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