Hi everyone!

Well I am attempting my axel again i can land all of my single jumps axcept the axel. When I get into the air i feel like I can't cross my legs, or that I didn't get enough height. When I land I usually land it fowards on my toe pick. Can anyone PLEASE give me some advise on my axel!!! OR how you do your axel!!!!

THANKYOU!!!!

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

I wish I could help but I'm exactly like you. I have all of my singles minus the axel. I can land it off ice and work on it with the harness. Hopefully soooon I'm very gutsy and I probably should be a little more careful but I just throw myself into the air and hope to land...lol.

Unfortuntly my coach doesn't believe in using the harness unless I am killing myself and the best part is I am going to a new rink with a new coach and they do not have harnesses . I even have trouble landing it off ice can someone help me with it too???????

Sometimes I do get it off ice but it is verrrrrrry rare.

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

The key to crossing your takeoff leg in front of your landing leg is not to actually cross it over, but to leave it in place as you turn your landing hip in and pull yourself around backward with your landing hip just like a backspin in the air. As long as you keep the free hip closed, the free leg will automatically end up in front of the landing leg as you turn into it. Do a backspin and see if you can feel that.

Since I'm not sure exactly what the problem is with your axel, I'll just post all the exercises and tips that got me to land mine a few years ago:

1) Do lots of axels on the floor so that your body knows what to do once you're in the air. I do these on a carpeted or rubber mat surface in boys' basketball shoes with good ankle and anti-pronation support.

2) If you don't have an axel on the floor yet, or if you aren't getting enough height, here's a great exercise to get you there:

- Stand about 1-2 feet in front of a bench that is mounted firmly to a wall or floor (or any other firmly mounted surface that is about 2 feet high).
- Facing the bench, take off like a waltz jump, but with your right knee bent so that you are jumping up instead of out.
- Do 1/2 turn in the air, landing on the bench on your right foot,with your left foot in front. By the time you land on the bench, you should be done with your half turn so that you aren't doing any rotation on the bench. You'll be facing the direction you came from and your left foot will be in front of your right calf, just like a loop air position (the left leg is open, with the knee bent, not touching the right leg). Your arms will be open and rounded in front of you.
- Once you get that exercise down, try doing the same thing on the open floor, but after you've done that first 1/2 turn and you're in the open loop position, just pull in. That will give you 1 more rotation in the air. I tell myself, "Jump up to the 2nd floor and do a backspin there."
- When doing axels on the floor, make sure you don't cross your legs at the ankle. That will make it hard to check out when you start doing them on the ice. Instead, have your left knee a little bent and lifted so that you feel your right knee against the upper part of your left calf when you bend your right knee. If you pay attention to your reverse spin, you'll notice that that's also the position your free leg is in there.
- When you do the axel on the ice, the most important thing is to feel like you are pushing out and gliding straight forward on the takeoff edge, not to stay on the same curve you were on (if you let yourself start to curve around on the takeoff, you'll stay over your left hip in the air and you'll never get the rotation). To do this, think of pushing out of the circle you've just created with your right back outside prep. edge, pushing out at a 90 degree angle instead of 180-degrees. Glide straight forward for a count of 2, with your weight over your takeoff knee and on the ball of yourtakeoff foot (not on your heel). Now roll up onto the toe and spring straight up off the toe. The rest is the same as the axel on the floor.

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

THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

Don't worry about the harness. I haven't used one in maybe 10 years and I got my axel last month. Good tips from doubletoe. You will get it!!!

Wow thanks! This is all very helpful for me too since my axel has reverted to appalling. Interesting what you say about crossing your feet higher - I tried to cross my feet off ice at the ankle and managed to catch my feet in the air.

I think I'm going about axels the wrong way - ie trying to get the turn from forward rather than getting half a turn and completing the rotation in the backspin positions. I seem to be rotating around my right foot (I'm a CW skater) and then trying to do the last half over my left side. Back to the beginning for me.

Thankyou sooo much doubletoe!!! I tried the excersizes that you recomended off ice and I actually landed it!!! I tried it on ice, the first couple of times I had a few bad falls but after that I got very close to landing it. I stopped landing the axel on my toe but on the side of my blade. I got one of the girls who I skate with to video tape me and saw that I am doing the loop to late in my waltz. (Not really sure how to fix that) Hopefully today will be the day I fix, and land my axel!!
Thnkyou!!

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

Oh, I'm so glad it helped! Can't wait to hear about your progress! You, too, Kate!

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

Well I feel I did better off ice axels today using what you said, doubletoe. Sadly its not yet translating to the ice. I don't step into the jump on the ice the same as I do off the ice. And I feel stuck in the air on the ice but not so off the ice. More practice needed. I will keep at your exercises though.

I hope itfigures is successful too!

I went to the rink yesterday and I had sooo much trouble with my axel. I am landing my axels off ice a lot easer now and I am not as affraid of my axel on the ice as much as I was. I practiced my axel for 2 hours and came home with bruised up knees. The one thing that I am sure of that I am doing wrong is:
1. When I get into the waltz I am not sure when I should start turning.
2. I can't tighten up enough wich is making me not to be able to get the last 1/4 revolution.

I am still practicing my axels off ice with doubletoe's advise.

I was wondering if anyone had a video clip of them doing axels. Even better in slow motion.
Well, back to the rink tomorrow!
Thanks

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

Finally!
I am getting very very close to landing my axel!
I do land it but when I land it is a little shakey.
Thank you for all of your help!

I need to change;
axel
to:
Axel

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What Nourishes Me Destroys Me

When I take off on the axel, I think "UP! Backspin!" But in the beginning, I had to break it down more, so I thought, "UP! Hip! Arms!" I thought of snapping my landing hip in and getting into backspin position when I was about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way to the top of the jump, not all the way to the top of the jump. Hope that helps! And remember to keep your free knee a little lifted in the air once you get into the backspin position so that it's easier to check out.

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