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View Full Version : The "evil" axel


cazzie
05-15-2010, 09:23 AM
Its the bane of my daughters life.... and - even the coaches say they are struggling to understand why her doubles are so good and her axel is so bad. She's now consistently landing double sal, double loop, with double toe and double flip being landed about 50% of the time. (And they say good doubles technique).

At one point she had problem axel technique (don't know enough about skating to know what) but this was improved. I know one of the junior coaches tells me her take off is about perfect for a double axel and that once she reaches this level she'll be reallly good - but - right now what she needs is a single axel. When she tries to rotate it less the jump seems to go wrong more... (And sometimes although over-rotated and nearly a double it does work better with jumps added at the end).

She is having to hold off tests -not because her coaches think she can't compete at higher level (they think she'd do better - good footwork, ready for higher level spins and could happily do the doubles) but because they're worried she might not pass axel in an elements test.

Today I was annoyed because she came from a jump class where she said they'd been working double axel off ice and said she's just about managed these.

My first thought is what the hell did they think they were doing with double axel off ice! What do others think?

Any axel hints welcome.

Most of her coaching is in a group (which may be one of the problems) with quite a few skaters being higher level so hopefully the coach and I (with her) can put together some training goals where her axel can be more a focus on the group classes. (My daughters main coach is a university studen so its a bad time of year for private lessons although part of my discussion may be about somebody else helping her one to one specifically with axel).

sk8tmum
05-15-2010, 08:47 PM
Okay, starting from the top down:


Not uncommon to lose the axel when doubles are being landed; the 2 rotations can confuse the 1-1/4 for the axel. Don't worry, it'll come back. Axels come and go .. and probably the doubles will too, don't worry, it's all good and expected. Axel came and went multiple times, coach was frustrated, skater was frustrated ... but, fortunately, with coach that's been around for 40 years, it was a case of been there/done that it's annoying but okay.

You need a good 1A to do a good 2A. Overrotating a 1A; underrotating a 2A is not a solution to not having a good 1A.

Practicing a bigger jump off-ice is fine. My kid rotates 3As in a harness and off ice, but, lands a 2A; when working on the 1A, was doing the 2A in the harness. It's a way to work on things that aren't ready for the ice yet.

I don't understand the test comment, as I'm Canadian: our skaters are given, say, a list of 14 things to do, and have to pass, say 12. I know some skaters who have
managed to make it to Gold level (our top test-stream level) without ever having landed an axel in a test - they just did the doubles instead - so, don't know what applies where you are.

Every skater is different; they learn and lose and learn and lose jumps differently. It's not easy as a parent, but, after a few years ... you sort of get numb and figure "oh well, here we go again ... :roll:" and go with it.

cazzie
05-18-2010, 02:37 AM
Another parent of an older skater (noticing my daughters frustration) had a little chat to her - worth 1000 words and better than anything I could have said - or any coach could have said.

She said my daughter reminded her very much of where her daughter was a year or two ago with her skating - growth spurt, losing jumps, over-rotated axel etc. She told my daughter - "you have such lovely height and rotation and once you get that strength and control you'll have lovely jumps." She pointed out her speed and edges and told her she could see how much she had improved.

This ladies daughter is a few years older than mine. She's a beautiful skater and somebody my daughter admires a lot!

The chat was so kind and spontaneous and did her the world of good.

Thanks for the points you made sk8tmum - will of course repeat them to my daughter (although never quite as good coming from me).

cazzie
06-09-2010, 05:06 PM
An update - hopefully to encourage those who struggle with axel....

Daughter has found a "sort-of" solution - she "opens up" the moment she's in the air she keeps it single. She is now feeling way more in control of single axel. Her other solution - single axel easier when another jump added to the end like double loop or double toe.

She is very pleased as its being a long time coming.

Double axels still sometimes happen (with a rather hard landing on rear end or a hand down on the ice) when she does them from high speed. And perhaps not out of the woods yet becuase one of the coaches who was coaching more advanced skaters asked her to demonstrate her axel entry to the "double axel group" as the perfect entry to double axel - but - it is getting better at the moment!

Fingers crossed - we've sent in next test levels!

Now if only coach and daughter could reach consensus with music!