Axel: Missing Something?

I've been working on the axel for about 2 years, and I'm getting really desperate, fustrated and even depressed at myself because I still can't land it. I'm basically happy with everything I can do, fast spins, power, etc. But the one thing I can't do is my axel. And it's very fustrating to see skaters who start skating after me land their doubles and axels before me.

Many people tell me it's all in my head because I can land it on the harness, even without my coach pulling me up. I can land it with just the harness belt on, even without the rope to pull me up. But when the belt gets off, I can't. I can land it two footed, fully rotated, I never fall, I land with my landing foot touching the ice first, and then my other foot doesn't check back but stomps on the ice after. I can land it fully rotated, one footed on the ground, so what is wrong with me on the ice?

Just recently, I lost the "pop", the hip turn that rotates my body to a backspin. Any tips on getting that back and making sure that my right foot doesn't touch the ground, but checks back?

Hi Three Dots and welcome to GS!

I would leave the axel behind for awhile and forget about it. Don't do it. Then I would re-learn it again from the beginning.

axel help

The Axel is my favorite jump. I've lost it and got it back several times. In the past my coach has tried many things. Try waltz jump waltz jump axel. Also waltz loop jump combinations concentrate on the landing check. My coach has even told me to think of raising my hip a little on the landing foot to see if it could keep me from two footing and to her credit it did work ,but she doesn't kwow how. An Axel is the jump you can love to hate. So I can feel your pain. Also on my back spin I use the weight of the free leg to whip around to give the spin extra speed. Remember not to pull in to fast and to get comfortable setting your spinning foot with the weight in the arch area of your foot. As you pull in slowly raise your toe so that the toe pick set the spin while pulling your arms in. Good luck on your efforts.

Axles

The axle is one of my favourite jumps, I had the same problem at first but it only took my 3 mothes to learn the axle but my coach told me when u 2foot the landing to hold on to the boads and hop a couple of time on ur landing foot then "check out" or just keep on doing walk throughs !!!

Try tacking a toe loop to the end of it. In order to actually DO the toe loop, you have to check back first which can help you land it on one foot.

For me, the two foot, not falling stage, is a bad thing. You have to get over the fear of falling so do everything in your power to stay on one foot, even if you go down. You will eventually get over it! That's what got me a consistent double loop - getting comfortable with falling on it but staying on one foot!

Good luck

I used the two-footed stage to my advantage while working on my axel. I'd two-foot it as a warm-up, to make sure I was comfortable with the take-off, before going for it all-out. When you're jumping, as you land, bounce your toe off the ice. You may still two-foot it, but the goal here is to get rid of this "stomping". The moment your foot touches the ice, lift it away. A light little "tik!" should be your goal.
Then make the "tik!" lighter and lighter until it disappears.

As for the rotation- Waltz into backspin is still my axel warm-up, and my axel is solid now and I'm working on double salchow.