That dang Axel! | Golden Skate

That dang Axel!

Caliskatergurl

Spectator
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Hi!
So, like everyone, I am having a lot of trouble on my axel. Every other single jump I can do just fine and even my doubles are fine on the harness. I have been practicing an axel for 3 years now and I still can't get it. I usually do my axel from a tap toe or moving a little while on the harness. Sometimes I land them and sometimes I don't. My take off and rotation is fine I think. However, what is really bugging me is that I keep falling on my left side instead of my right side when I fall on my axel. I know that is the one thing you don't want to do is fall on your left side. I fall on my right side for every other double jump; however, I can never seem to fall on my right side when I fall during my axel. Any tips on how to fall on my right side? This is probably the main reason why I can't land it off harness. Also, are there any tips that you can give if you keep leaning back in your take-off from your axel?
THANK YOU! I hope this makes sense.
:)
 

bibi24

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
one way to improve take off is jumping out (instead of up) and doing an "delayed axel", but I don't think your jumps are very big if you are doing them off the harness
 

Scout

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
I always go back to my single jumps when my doubles are off. So for a single axel, I'd work on waltz jumps in between axel attempts. If you attempt an axel and feel like you are leaning back on the take-off, do a waltz jump and focus specifically on where your upper body is durign the take-off (and you can always try a waltz jump-backspin). There's no point in drilling axel after axel with bad technique and commiting that bad technique to muscle memory.
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
If you're falling on your left side it's most likely due the fact that you're not transferring your weight to the right side on take off. Work on your axel exercises. Waltz-loop, backspins, waltz jumps into back spins and walk throughs making sure that you're getting your right hip through and stepping up to your right side.
 

figure_skater_72

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 6, 2013
•You seem like you know how to do an axel, but if you're not sure, just walk through it
•Practise off ice all the time. Get that axel in your muscle memory!
•Pull your arms in tight
•Speed is important- your jump will be better with more speed
•I usually try to take a few fractions of a second before the jump just to visualise and say to myself something like "you can do it" or whatever. It sounds dumb but works (somehow).
•Just enjoy it. Don't overthink it, because that's when bad habits tend to rise.
•if you have made any bad habits in your axel- FIX THEM EARLY! It's better to fix them now then have a lifetime of dodgy axels ;)

~I hope you land it soon!
 
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