What do you mean by that? I simply meant that I agree with you. Why, am I supposed to use the punctuation in a different way?

*sorry, off topic!*

__________________

Trust me, the step-out part is the most sensitive part of this jump, and the most difficult part! But if you do it wrong on the ice, it's not the "correctness" of the jump you need to worry about, it's avoiding some bad bruises! You must be balanced perfectly over your hips, with the weight over the right side before you step out. That's one reason you bring the instep of the left foot right to the heel of the right foot before you step out.
As you step out onto the takeoff edge, you need to lead with the left side of your chest so that the right shoulder is a little bit back. Push out so that your chest is over your knee and your weight is on the front of your takeoff foot. Do NOT extend your free leg way behind you; keep it just a little behind you with the knee bent so that your hips stay under you. If you extend the free leg behind you too much on the takeoff edge, you will end up tilting yourself backwards when you leave the ice and bring the free leg through.
When you step out onto the takeoff edge, you must keep your free leg and shoulders completely still so you stay right on the ball of the blade and right over your hips and don't start to pre-rotate the edge. Then roll up straight off the toepick for takeoff so you pull up straight up in the air.
I don't think it works to think of crossing your free leg over your landing leg in the air because crossing it means bringing it around in front of the landing leg, which is a clockwise motion (and you want all of your motion to be counter-clockwise). Instead, you want to turn your right hip INTO the free leg, which is hanging right there where you left it. It's just like a backspin, where you turn into the left leg by turning the right hip in. Then the left leg is automatically in front of you and you just pull it in closer. Also, you don't want to cross at the ankles, you want to have the free knee a little lifted, just like on your backspin. Otherwise, you won't stay over your right hip and you'll also have a hard time unhooking your left foot and checking it out (which is much harder when you have big, heavy skates on!).
And yes, you need to step out wider on the floor, unlike the ice, where you can step closer. The idea is that you need to get your left knee bent and get your chest over your knee before takeoff. That part is easier on the ice, but if you can do it on the floor, it will definitely help.

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I will definitely remember all of this, and I think it will help now that I know what I should and shouldn't be doing. Before, I was just trying to see if I was able to get the rotation, and I can sort of. Thank you so so much.

__________________

You are very, very welcome. If you can avoid some of the "school of hard knocks" learning on this jump, I will be happy to have been a part of it, LOL!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

This is incredibly helpful. I should print it out and take it to the rink...

I have been working on a short, slow RBO and then stepping into the LFO of (what will be) the axel. I practice on one of the blue hockey lines to ensure consistency. A shallower curve helps the entry, as does aiming sort of diagonally to the boards - the pattern looks like a flattened sine curve, or a smushy S.

For now, I'm working on getting one consistent rev, with arms pulled in and straight body position. I land facing forward, on the flats of my blades. I've been able to get all the way around only once or twice so far, and then I landed on my toepicks and promptly fell over from surprise.

My biggest problem so far is not suddenly digging into the entry edge just before taking off. Is that pre-rotation? It's not on the pick so much as on the edge, which makes me more prone to lean backward. Maybe I'm doing what doubletoe says not to do - pulling the free leg back too far? I'll try to work on that. Also, does anyone else pike their body a bit (looks awful) in the air? Is that just fear-induced, or what?

As for arms, I raise them in front to a little higher than waist level as I step forward, then pull them back and snap up and together underneath my chest during the jump (like a ski jump, sort of). Anyone else do that?

I'm really trying to go for it, but I hope I'm not alone in feeling it's still kind of scary, especially when it's inconsistent. I need to find some padding that works; haven't yet had any success with sponges et al. You'd think I could redistribute some of my excess weight to the pointy places (hip edges, knees) - but apparently it doesn't work that way.

XO5x5, your floor axels are gorgeous. Thanks for posting the video - my coach said I should practice them and I had no idea how they'd work/look. Yours are terrific - I wish you could come teach me them in person!

Thanks for the explanation! The part about leaving over-rotated is helpful. But...
What's an instep?

That part of the inside edge of your foot between the toes and the ankle. The bit where the arch is.

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Oh I get it. The ticklish part.

That's the bit!

__________________
Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

The instep of your foot is the inside of the middle part of the foot, where the arch is. It doesn't really have to be instep to heel, though. It's also fine to bring the ball of the left foot (front part of the foot) to the heel of the right foot. The important thing is to have the left foot at the heel or ankle of the right foot and to have the left foot turned out.

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

So um, I have a stress fracture in my right ankle. Which means I've had a stress fracture in my ankle since December. Which means I probably made it worse trying all these axels. (and it also means that I skated well at my first competition even with one.. so yeah)

Therefore, no skating for 5 weeks. I think I might go insane.

__________________

When you are all better and jumping on the floor again, try to invest in some sturdy boys' basketball shoes that have some cushion to them, as well as good ankle, heel and arch support. (I recommend boys' shoes because they are well made, but less expensive and many women can fit in the largest size). I have to admit I was nervous looking at the flmsy shoes you were jumping in in your video! Also, make sure you jump on a surface that isn't too hard and that you hop out of every jump landing.

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

With my pink shoes in the first video, yeah that was bad. I kept slipping. But I have running shoes which is what I used yesterday/in the videos without jeans. Are my running sneakers okay to jump in? They felt a lot sturdier than my pink ones which are, in fact, very flimsy.

__________________

Not sure you know this or not. There is Power Jump Off Ice Workshop every Sat morning around 10 to 11am at Mennen Rink 1 inner end. Instructor, Gail, was former US Pair Team member. You can stop by to watch how they do off ice jump training and related techniques. Worthy of watching but don't try it until you heal completely.

Thanks! Yeah, definitely won't try it.

__________________

The reason I only do off-ice jumping in basketball shoes is because basketball shoes are designed for jumping and landing on slightly sticky surfaces (varnished wood basketball courts). They are designed specifically to protect your ankles. It is a really worthwhile investment! I love my Team Jordans. . .

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Doubletoe, any chance you can look at my off ice axel attempt? It sucks majorly but cuz I'm not supposed to be trying the axel yet - quite a lot of the rest of the group doesn't have a decent waltz jump yet so the group trainers spend all the time on them basically and only let me practice the axel cuz they know how boring it is for me to practice waltz jumps all the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGJoCusCA6Q


I'm jumping in socks cuz I've got linoleum floor and it just slides in socks kind of the way you would on ice and doesn't hurt my twisted anckle somehow.

Sessy - totally off topic:

You look adorable in glasses! You definitely have the cutest look in them - you should enjoy that. Just figure out how to keep them tight on your face (maybe those Croakies Mrs. R mentioned?) if that's an issue for you. But otherwise, I think you'll look awesome skating with your glasses on...

Ok, back to our regularly scheduled (axel) programming...

bv

I tried another few axels (and of course, now my anckle hurts again... grr) and Im more of an evening person so here goes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia3sp6t6qL4

I know its bad quality but the axels felt better (especially the 0:30 and green shirt ones felt stable, but still very underrotated anyway...)
I try to swing the leg past but I dont quite get how to!

The problem is that it doesn't swing per se, it should kick through and then snap over. You are leaving the floor with your free leg almost next to your take off leg (as opposed to waiting until it is all the way through) and your take off leg is definitely not deep enough in the knee to get enough height.

Stop hurting your ankle!!
Okay, I had to say that, and now here's my feedback on your video. . .

You need to keep your right shoulder and right hip back as you turn out and step out onto the left foot. Then continue to keep that right shoulder and arm back until you leave the ice (or floor). Otherwise, you'll get no snap and won't get the quick rotation. Also, when you step out to jump, you need to get all your weight over the left knee and then take off as soon as the weight is all on the knee. You lose your momentum by stepping out, stopping and then jumping. I hope that helps!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

It looks to me like you're not kicking your knee up enough. Try to drive it up so that your thigh is parallel to the floor and you are making a h position (seen from the side). My coach tells me to think "through and UP" to get the swing of the free leg working correctly.

OOOOH this is helping LOTS!!! In combination with thinking of becoming an h LOL!




thanks!!!


I'm actually finishing the rotation on the floor in 1 spot now, and standing stable after the whole thing. So I guess all I need is more height, which is practiceable (I find it very difficult to jump off very bent legs for some reason).

Anytime! I am intimately acquainted with every possible mistake there is to make on the axel, LOL!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Remember this friend Ester I told you about on the USA board? The one that's saying she's too old for axels at age 32?
You two should like get together or something. This is totally something she'd say... She's working on yet another error in her jump off. I mean how many can you possibly make?!