Please help me on my double axel!!

[mandy_j07]

Does anyone have any tips for a double axel??? I can do them off ice.. but I always seem to come out too soon ON the ice...I always land on one foot with my pick in, so I guess that's a plus.. even though it results in falling on my knee :cry: I just recently started working on them for the last week of skating.. and my coach said i could have landed some of them!!! I would appreciate any tips, experiences and ideas about double axels!!

[Skatingsarah]

First of all if you have been only working on them for a week be glad you only have bruises on your knees I recently got mine the way I want it but it took like year and sometimes it take vacations still. The most important piece of advice I can give you is 'preparation.' Anything that happens wrong at the ending of your jump like to far forward on you blade is a result of the take off or your preparation to the jump. Just make sure you are on a curve and your hips are sqaure on top of your shoulders on the take off.
I find something that helps me alot is picking my leg up right away once I step onto the edge for the axel. Sometimes if your lazy picking up your leg it getting in behind you body and when you take off it doesnt go straight through it goes around (not good, lol)

1.But by the sounds of it (landing on your knees) I think you are not taking off from the front of the blade. Think of it as a rocking chair when you step onto the edge you have to be in the middle of the blade as you get ready to jump and press you knee down the wieght should excelerate to the toe and hit the take off.

2. Another reason is your hips are gettin behind you on the take off or in the jump, that would cause you upper body to plummet forwards. Once you transfer make sure you body doesnt move around. Just remember if there is something wrong with your landing always look further back because that is where it developed

** Oh yes and DONT GIVE UP if you are this far in a week do not discourage yourself! It takes a LONG time to get it perfect and sometimes longer to get it consistant...Many bruises also..hehe! Keep up the good work I hope that helped, infact I myself a few months back started a thread like this I know EXACTLY how you feel!! SMILE!!

-Sarah

[sk8er1964]

Sarah - that was excellent advice.

I'm not doing double axels (and doubt I ever will), but I've just started landing consistent big axels (again after 20+ years off ice) and some of what you said applies very well to my single axel experiences. Thanks!

[mandy_j07]

Thanks for the advice... I'm not skating right now, but I'm working on them off ice. Do you have any tips for practicing them on the floor?? Also, does anyone have any exercises that can help me get more height on the take off?

[Skatingsarah]

Hey I do my jumps all the time outside off ice, I think they are actaully better outside. A really good warm up is kinda like a bunny hop, you take big steps while hopping and thrust your knee up like you were taking off for an axel. If you work hard on lil positions like and stuff like pulling in and getting out it becomes like second nature on the ice.

For height I would say make you sure take off on a CLEAN edge no turning or switching onto an inside edge. Always jump when your leg is through that is the most important. Your foot should come off the ice when you leg has already come through it helps you get that 'extra' height right from the beginning.
-Sarah

[mskater]

Sounds like great advice, however, I did want to caution everyone about over-doing the off ice jumps. In my opinion, off-ice jumping is very helpful especially when it comes to the double axel. But, just keep in mind that if you're landing short of rotation you are putting tremendous strain on your back each time you land short. On the ice, it's not such an issue because your rotation doesn't completely stop when you land...on the ground though you don't have that luxury. I've had to go through physical therapy because of a back sprain that was caused from too many double-axels off ice. So my advice would be to always warm up well and then maybe two or three off ice 2-axel attempts while you're still fresh, and then take it to the ice:]

Happy Skating!

[mandy_j07]

Originally posted by Skatingsarah
Always jump when your leg is through that is the most important. Your foot should come off the ice when you leg has already come through it helps you get that 'extra' height right from the beginning.
-Sarah

What do you mean by that?? I got a little confused...:oops: Does anyone have tips on how I could practice the landing?? Because I am never prepared, so I just keep rotating. And what can I tell myself while I'm in the jump to help me stay in??

[Skatingsarah]

I got confused writing it I think okay lets say you jump the normal (lol) or most popular way off your left foot. Before you take of your right leg should have already be parellel to the ice before you take off. This helps you get more height. Hope that clears it up

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by mandy_j07
What do you mean by that?? I got a little confused...:oops: Does anyone have tips on how I could practice the landing?? Because I am never prepared, so I just keep rotating. And what can I tell myself while I'm in the jump to help me stay in??

Practice checking out of a backspin. Also, off ice you can practice by jumping straight up and checking out. I would imagine the double axel happens too fast to be able to tell yourself anything, so I'd recommend getting the check out better imprinted in your muscle memory.

[FSWer]

Mandy,I am not a skater myself. But have you read Kristi's book "Figure Skating for Dummies"? It has a lot of good illistrations in it for all the bassic moves. You might be able to find something there. Also,please feel free to write me anytime.

[skater247]

for advice on how to make u jump higher make sure that u are on a clean straight edge and wen u go to jump push up all the way out of the knee and keep ur arms in front and that can help u get more hight and not swing....also speed helps and kick through with the free leg as far as u can and then pull in....my coaches got me doing this and my jumps are alot higher now