The three-turn step by step: turn on one foot from forward to backward, change edge, draw a clean 3 on the ice. With milestones and mistakes.
The honest answer first: the three-turn is a turn on one foot in which you turn from forward to backward (or the reverse) and change edge in the process: from the outside edge to the inside edge or from the inside edge to the outside edge. The exit curve stays on the same lobe as the entry curve, and the trace on the ice looks like a "3" [1].
Why is it worth the effort? The three-turn is one of the first turns in which you do not change feet. The curriculum places the forward outside three-turn on level 5 of 6 and the forward inside three-turn on level 6 [2]. In practice it is a gateway to many edge elements, such as jumps with a turn entry (coaching experience, not a study).
A note on honesty: there is no measurement study on the three-turn that we could cite here. This guide relies on the Skate Canada definition [1], the curriculum placement [2] and practice standard.
Skate a big curve on the forward outside edge, right and left. Keep the upper body calm and the shoulders along the curve. Milestone: you manage a curve of about three body lengths on one edge without the trace wobbling (practice measure).
Practise the rotation slowly first and without much speed so you feel the idea: the body turns from forward to backward, head and shoulders lead. This is practice standard; the definition itself only names a turn with an edge change [1].
Bend the standing leg to build tension. Turn at the top of the curve, straighten up a little, and roll out backward [1]. The trace draws a "3": entry forward, exit backward. Important: a turn that is jumped does not count as performed under the ISU rules for step sequences [3]. So it is about turning on the blade, not about a hop.
After the turn you roll out on the backward inside edge (in the outside three-turn the edge changes from outside to inside [1]). Hold the curve without tipping the hip away. Milestone: after the turn you roll out cleanly for two counts.
Repeat right and left. The curriculum requires the forward outside three-turn right and left on level 5, the forward inside three-turn right and left on level 6 [2]. An external focus helps while learning: concentrate on the "3" in the ice and not on your joints. The meta-analysis with 566 participants puts external instructions ahead, but the studies were small [4].
The three-turn is a feel element: you need many repetitions at low speed until your body finds the rotation on the blade (experience, not a study). Expect several sessions before the trace looks clean, and practise each side equally long. A helpful trick is to look at the trace after every turn: can you read the "3"? If the exit runs out too flat, you lost the edge after the turn. If the tip of the "3" is frayed, you turned too late. With this feedback you do not have to guess what to change.
When turning on one foot you fall more easily. Fall sideways onto the hip, not backward (see the guide "Falling and Getting Up on the Ice"). Wear a helmet. Do not practise in the crowd; look briefly over your shoulder before the turn. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training.
Practise the trace first: skate the curve, do the turn, then look back at the ice. If the trace looks like a clean "3", the technique is good; if it shows a kink or a break, you have jumped or left the curve. The trace is your mirror. Take a phone photo of the trace, then compare from session to session whether the 3 gets cleaner.
A turn on one foot from outside to inside edge or from inside to outside edge, in which the exit curve continues on the same lobe [1]. You turn from forward to backward, and the trace on the ice looks like a "3".
In the Learn to Skate USA curriculum the forward outside three-turn is on level 5 of 6 and the forward inside three-turn on level 6 [2].
No. If a turn is jumped, it does not count as performed under ISU rules [3]. It is turned on the blade, with a bent standing leg and a calm upper body.
In practice yes, for jumps with a turn entry such as the Salchow, which is often approached from a three-turn (coaching experience). The turn itself is a separate element with its own edge work [1][2].
The Upright Spin: Spinning on One Foot