Double Axel

[BelleOnIce]

Hi all,
Iv not been on here for a while- was busy finishing uni and starting my wedding plans!! Woohoo!! Anyway I was wondering if anybody could help me out here- I have just started attempting my double axel again after 6 years, even then I could not get it fully rotated. My problem is getting the extra rotation, I can do the jump almost fully rotated off ice but on the ice it doesnt seem to come much further than just a quarter over a single axel.
If anyone knows of or has heard from others any tips on getting the rotation it would be great!
Thanks in advance!!

Christy x

[doubletoe]

Hi all,
Iv not been on here for a while- was busy finishing uni and starting my wedding plans!! Woohoo!! Anyway I was wondering if anybody could help me out here- I have just started attempting my double axel again after 6 years, even then I could not get it fully rotated. My problem is getting the extra rotation, I can do the jump almost fully rotated off ice but on the ice it doesnt seem to come much further than just a quarter over a single axel.
If anyone knows of or has heard from others any tips on getting the rotation it would be great!
Thanks in advance!!

Christy x

What does your coach say the problem is?

[stardust skies]

Well after 6 years of not doing it, especially if you weren't landing it clean then, your body's not going to remember how. The only advantage you have over someone who's never done a double axel before is the memory of the directions your coach told you, and maybe a vague memory of how it should feel.

But you're basically starting over. I mean the fact that you can only land a slightly over-rotated single axel attests to this. Get all your doubles back first, and then get on the harness. If you wanna land it you're going to have to get back into hard training. The reason jumps come and go so rapidly is because so much is dependent on twitch, and muscle memory. After 6 years, there's no way you're retained either. So it's sort of starting back from scratch. It might not take as long, but I'd give it a good 6 months to a year of serious training before you can expect it back to where it was.

Not to be a downer, but it's also true that some people just don't have the right twitch reflex for triples, and will never be able to do them. If you have always had a problem with the rotation and never landed any other triple jumps, then there's a chance you never will. If this looks like it could be the case, you might want to try some time on the harness and see if it helps, or do some plyometrics. But you can't go beyond your body's natural limits, either. Everyone has them.

[BelleOnIce]

I think I was missunderstood by a bit there, I have all my doubles - I took some time out when I started university but have been training seriously again for over a year and can land everything up to double lutz and double double combos. Plus I can get the rotation of the double off the ice, it just seems to be on the ice I think it is fear that is stopping myself getting the extra rotation. I understand the advice you were giving me and thank you for it, just my mistake for leaving out that I was back in to full time training about two years ago (and I never stopped skating at all.) Unfortunetly I dont have access to a harness at my rink but I will maybe try and get in contact with others that do. Thanks again.
Christy

[Candlestick]

Most likely you aren't taking off square off ice but on ice you are.