hi everyone!

i am having difficulties with my axel. when i take off to do the jump my right foot skids(im left footed) or like almost stopping but i dont stop because i am already in the air doing the axel. i can still land the axel with the skid but it is not as high and it is much better without it. does anyone know what i am talking about? alot of people at my rink are facing the same problem. does anyone have any tips?
thanx in advance
~Cutie

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A skidding take off is created by a pre-rotation of the upper body prior to the pivot up into the jump (your right foot). A real focus needs to be placed on keeping your left shoulder back, with the right shoulder and hip leading into the take-off - continuing to lead up, and into, the jump.
One thing that might help is, when your bringing your arms forward and up (during pivot and take-off), try to really exaggerate that right arm coming thru at a 45 degree angle away from the line of travel. This helps in really keeping that, in your case, right shoulder forward and the left one back.
There are other possibilites to this problem, but typically, this is the most common. If you are still having trouble, then take a look to see if your free leg is swinging around the take off leg, instead of to the side and straight thru, on the take-off.

David

That's excellent advice. When I had the same shoulder trouble, I never skidded, but I did something worse, which was to over-rotate my takeoff edge and completely mess up my jump. Now I focus on keeping my shoulders level instead of letting my takeoff side shoulder drop when I push off onto the takeoff edge. I also try to make sure that I'm leading with my left breast (that would be your right breast since you take off from your right foot), trying to make sure that's the first thing on my body that would hit if I were to glide right into the boards instead of taking off. I know it sounds silly, but that keeps my takeoff side strong and the free side shoulder backso that I don't overrotate the takeoff edge.

Don't a lot of coaches teach a skid entrance into an axel?

Yes, it is actually sometimes taught that way for the double axel, which is why this skater is quite lucky that it's just a skid, not a totally over-rotated edge. Then again, trying to do any sort of pre-rotation on an axel can be a bit risky, as evidenced by Mao Asada's popped triple axel attempt at Junior Worlds (she overdid the skid/pre-rotation).

The single is usually taught with a clean entrance. Doubles and triples are taught after the skid is introduced.

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
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I was having that problem last week, and my coach said that it might be because the ice is too hard. She said that when that happens, it's difficult to get your edge to bite in enough. I don't know how accurate that is for your situation, but if a few people at your rink have the same issue, maybe you can blame the ice!
Good Luck!

Maybe we should start a support group for axel learners!