Started Learning Axel Today

[rf3ray]

Well guess what Guys after 17 months of skating I'm learning the Axel!!!!, I think I have came to the conclusion. Doing axels off ice is totally different that off ice :-( oh well

Time to try some more tomorrow :-), just wondering when any of you started learning the axel?.. like when you could do them consistently on land with correct jumping technique, what did you think about when you went on the ice. I notice that everytime that I do it on land I dont really try to jump to get the height and rotation cause I can do it, should I be trying to keep this mind set???. I can feel the rotation when I do it off ice, but something is throwing me off, did any of you sort of get this feeling when you started learning it, like sorta throwing your body around??..

Today My coach made me do Waltz jumps into backspins, which I can do. Then he made me do Waltz - Loop - 1/2 Loop - Salchow and then a variety of combo jumps

Anyone help please

[luna_skater]

I've never done any off-ice jumping, even for the axel (currently working on it on-ice). Everything my coach has taught me in preparation for the axel has been on-ice, and I prefer it that way. Nothing is the same off-ice as it is on-ice. We work a lot on edge pressure, and getting energy out of the edge to initiate the jump and rotation, instead of "muscling" my way into the jump.

I learned waltz-loop, and spent a lot of time doing those while I improved my backspin. Now that I have a consistent backspin, I do a lot of waltz-backspins from a standstill, focusing on jumping "up" instead of across. At first, I would hold too much of an edge on the landing, before pulling into the backspin. Now I can land almos directly in the backspin. Next step will be getting me into the backspin position sooner, so eventually I am doing the backspin in the air instead of on the ice.

[WhisperSung]

The axel's a tough one. I tend to learn best by watching others. Have you watched any of the top skaters on tv with their double axels? That's what I'm currently doing in hopes of figuring out why double axel is so messy for me right now.

For single axel, I can do them on the floor, but the feeling is different from on the ice. On the ice, I really concentrate on bring my arms and free leg through at the same time. Jump out, not in, is a favorite quote from my old coach.

You don't want to curl it in because then you end up wrapping your leg too much. Try for a fairly big jump to give yourself rotation time and then remember your back spin position, because that's where you're going to want to be after the take-off.

Hope that made sense, and good luck!

[doubletoe]

How do you go into it when you do it on the floor? Do you do a side tap and then jump up, or do you do it from a standstill? If you do it from a standstill, do you start backwards and then turn forward to jump up off your takeoff leg, or do you start already facing forward, and then just step out and jump? Depending on what how you're getting into it, you may run into different problems in the air. Personally, I think it's best to do it on the floor from a standstill, without skipping into it. It is more like doing an axel on the ice because it forces you to really use your leg muscles to jump up instead of depending on momentum to get you up in the air.

Anyway, here are a few things to look out for, either on the floor or on the ice:

1. Make sure you don't turn your takeoff foot out just as you're about to jump. Keep it facing straight forward.

2. Keep your takeoff side shoulder forward and your free side shoulder a little bit back. Make sure your takeoff side shoulder is at least as high as your free side shoulder. If you let it drop, it will make you curl the takeoff edge and you'll stay over your takeoff hip in the air and get tilted (and often fall).

3. As you're about to take off, your chest needs to be over your takeoff knee, with your back a little arched and your free leg in a relaxed position, NOT extended far behind you like a landing position.

4. Once you are in the air in rotational position, make sure your free leg is lifted a little at the knee, not tightly crossed over at the ankle. Unless it's higher than the landing leg, you won't stay over your landing hip and you'll 2-foot the landing. It will also be really hard to unwrap and check out.

Also, try doing an axel-toeloop on the floor so that you get used to checking out quickly and forcefully. That's the hardest part once you're on the ice with heavy boots on.

[Mercedeslove]

Congrats, I can't wait until I learn my axel one day.

[rf3ray]

Hey thanks for the tip, Did some axels in my lesson today.. My coach says I can get the rotation but, not the correct position. Do you have any tips for this?....

Also.

on the preparation for the Jump, like when you step in do you glideo on your skating leg briefly before letting the free leg pass through with the arms also at the same time?.

I now know the feeling of the rotation for the axel, as I chickened out lots of times during the rotation. This is my 3rd day of learning it. Hopefully in my next lesson I will land one :lol: :lol: :lol:


How do you go into it when you do it on the floor? Do you do a side tap and then jump up, or do you do it from a standstill? If you do it from a standstill, do you start backwards and then turn forward to jump up off your takeoff leg, or do you start already facing forward, and then just step out and jump? Depending on what how you're getting into it, you may run into different problems in the air. Personally, I think it's best to do it on the floor from a standstill, without skipping into it. It is more like doing an axel on the ice because it forces you to really use your leg muscles to jump up instead of depending on momentum to get you up in the air.

Anyway, here are a few things to look out for, either on the floor or on the ice:

1. Make sure you don't turn your takeoff foot out just as you're about to jump. Keep it facing straight forward.

2. Keep your takeoff side shoulder forward and your free side shoulder a little bit back. Make sure your takeoff side shoulder is at least as high as your free side shoulder. If you let it drop, it will make you curl the takeoff edge and you'll stay over your takeoff hip in the air and get tilted (and often fall).

3. As you're about to take off, your chest needs to be over your takeoff knee, with your back a little arched and your free leg in a relaxed position, NOT extended far behind you like a landing position.

4. Once you are in the air in rotational position, make sure your free leg is lifted a little at the knee, not tightly crossed over at the ankle. Unless it's higher than the landing leg, you won't stay over your landing hip and you'll 2-foot the landing. It will also be really hard to unwrap and check out.

Also, try doing an axel-toeloop on the floor so that you get used to checking out quickly and forcefully. That's the hardest part once you're on the ice with heavy boots on.

[doubletoe]

Hey thanks for the tip, Did some axels in my lesson today.. My coach says I can get the rotation but, not the correct position. Do you have any tips for this?....

Also.

on the preparation for the Jump, like when you step in do you glideo on your skating leg briefly before letting the free leg pass through with the arms also at the same time?.

I now know the feeling of the rotation for the axel, as I chickened out lots of times during the rotation. This is my 3rd day of learning it. Hopefully in my next lesson I will land one :lol: :lol: :lol:

Is your position wrong on the takeoff edge or in the air?
On the takeoff edge, count to 2, then take off (NOT "One-one thousand, Two one thousand," but just, "One, Two, UP!"). The faster you're going and the rounder your edge is, the quicker you will need to take off, but if you are going into it with a fairly straight entrance edge and not too much speed, counting 1-2 should be about right. The most important thing is that you are on the takeoff edge long enough to make sure your shoulders are level and your weight is on the front of your takeoff foot (NOT the heel) before you try to take off. That requires that your chest be lined up over your knee, which should be lined up over your toe. You need to think of pushing out and sort of pushing your chest out, too, while keeping your shoulders back and your free leg relaxed. On takeoff, roll up to the toepick and spring straight up off the toe, bringing your arms through.