How Figure Skating Works: Triple Lutz-Triple Toe Tutorial
Every now and then I try to explain the physics of figure skating. Since I majored in Fine Arts, not Physics, my explanations usually break down into violent arm gestures and long-winded diatribes on why figure skating is impossibly difficult!
So, I was delighted to discover this articulate and beautifully rendered tutorial on the physics behind a triple lutz-triple toe jump. Who better to explain the technique than Brian Orser and who better to demonstrate it than World Champion Yu-Na Kim.
Though the video only covers the triple lutz-triple toe jump combination, the following attributes are relevant to almost all the jumps:
- Speed. Without a lot of speed in the approach, a skater won’t have the momentum required to rotate quickly for a triple, or quadruple rotation.
- Torque. Orser discusses the importance of torque in the video. To initiate the jump rotation, a skater must wind up in the opposite direction and then release that energy into the jump, with the exception of the Axel which relies on the flow of the entry to “turn” the jump.
- Rotation. Nu-Na Kim talks about keeping her shoulders and hips level and rotating them together. If the shoulders and hips get out of sync, then the jump begins to wobble in the air, the skater is no longer upright over her centre of balance and landing becomes very difficult.
So, when you’re watching Olympic figure skating on TV over the next two weeks, gauge the skater’s speed and preparation heading into a jump. Then see if you can tell whether or not her shoulders and hips are rotating together. Given these critical factors, I’ll bet you’ll be able to accurately predict the outcome of the jump.