Double Axel Problems

[Cindy]

I had landed my double axel for about 2 weeks, and then I start losing my landing. I try some more, and I end up wiping out on the ice on my back.

The problem was my anxiety and self confidence was getting worse and worse and I started taking it around and not stepping over, and letting my right shoulder come in front, and screwing everything up, and I was hurting myself badly.

After trying it on the ground, things took a turn for the worse. I started doing the same mistakes on the ground.

I am going to pull my hair out from depression of this...Anyone help?

[beachbabe]

Well, I havn't gotten to my double axel, but with double toe, sal and loop my learning had a weird curve. First after initially learning it you start landing the jump, then you go through a frustrating phase where you jsut cant land it at all. Then it comes back...and better than ever. So jsut try to be patient, b/c nothing in skating just comes easy.

good luck:D

[luna_skater]

I'm no where close to landing a double axel, but here's what helps me when a jump isn't going right:

1. Not doing that jump for a while. On some sessions, I will keep going a jump over and over, trying to get it right. I finally accept that on that day, it's just not happening, and I need to move on to something else. I might not try that jump at all on the next session either. When I go back to it, instead of thinking through it too much, my muscle memory usually takes over and it's fine.

2. Being patient. Just when I think I have something down, my coach adds another aspect to try and get more height, a better entrance, etc. I feel like the jump I had before was total crap, and I can't get the timing right for anything. But experience has taught me that the timing will come. I just need to wait for it.

Specific to the axel...how is your single? Have you tried working on a lot of singles with loops and backspins attached on the end? I find going back to basics often helps, too. If my loop goes wonky, I work on back-outside-threes. If my flip is weird, I work on just the three-turn entrance, because that's usually where the trouble is starting from. Etc...

[tidesong]

I'm only on single axel, but even then I go through this every now and then, I start the session landing my axels, then after a while I get nervous and start doing them wrong and fall, and then the more I try the worse it gets because I start panicking. For me, sometimes I cant get over it in the same session and need some time off the ice to get back my confidence and convince myself that I do still have the jump. Sometimes, just working on waltz-loops and waltz-backspins are enough for me to get back the axel in the same session. So yeah its pretty psychological for me. No idea if its the same for you but hope you manage to find a way through it.

So basically I feel the same way as the other posters, time off from the jump and/or going back to basics (for you working from the axel I guess) would probably help some.

[techskater]

My coach's favorite expression on those kinds of days is "put it away".

Consider working on the axel-double loop. That could help.

[dooobedooo]

Can you get someone to video you? - I reckon you'll be able to pinpoint the problem yourself if you can watch yourself in action. Or do it in front of a mirror off-ice.

Are you by any chance dropping your right side (shoulder/arm/hip) prior to landing?

[Pro_Skater]

my advice...dont push your luck...i have just landed my double axel and i recommend maybe only doing about 5 attemps a day because then u keep working and then u make a goal oh the 5
so perhaps by the end of the week, u can say that for your goal that you want to land maybe 3/5 of the attemps then work from there...i dont know if that will work but it worked for me and not i can get 10 a session so anywayz good luck with that

[skatechat]

Cindy - no worries. I had the most bizarre experience with both my single and double axels. I learned my single axel really quickly and had it for about a week before I started popping it in a really scary way and just taking generally nasty falls for no reason it seemed. It took me probably 2 weeks to a month to build it back up. The exact same thing happened with my double - took me a little longer to get, had it for about a week or so and then started taking nasty, mind boggling falls for another month or two. I've been told that this pattern isn't as unusual as it seemed to me at the time.

For me, it was about getting back into the belt a few times and coming up with a mantra of sorts (knee up, pull in, check out) which I said everytime I went into the jump. It seemed to really help. Scaling back to the basics to sort of focus again was really helpful. I would do a pattern of Axel, axel loop, axel double loop, and double axel.

Last thing - always look at your entrance first when things don't seem right. Its usually the culprit... remember to reach out over your right side when your arms swing through - sounds weird, but helps you stay straight and comfortably on your circle throughout the jump... rather than getting all twisted which often happens when you are trying too hard and can cause the kinds of falls you are talking about (on your back, etc).

Good luck.. it will come back and be great!