I need help with my axel! ?

Question

I have been trying to land my axel jump for a few months and i can't get more than 1 revolution in the air! Does anyone have any tips that could help me?

Answer 1

its important to get the right timing in the jump. your coach can help with that. for right now, don't even try to land it, just work on the rotation. if you fall that's a good thing. make sure to jump up, not around, and snap in tight with your arms and cross your legs. finally, practice off ice. hope that helped.  

Answer 2

Everyone knows that an axel is one and a half rotations. When you go to take off act like is a regular waltz jump the thing different it you have to spin in the air. Becareful you don't jump around yourself that can't resualt in a nasty fall. I remeber i had promblems with this jump and the only thing that was wrong was i needed to jump higher and pull in faster so i had more momentum and hieght.

Answer 3

Yeah...the first 3 already said what I pretty much wanted to tell you.

BUT, just a warning, it WON'T feel like a lutz/loop (you know, that super crazy good feeling you get when you're in the air?)

Yep. I landed mine without even knowing it did.

I felt more like a mutated waltz jump to me and it was VERY fast but it still was an axel.

So yeah, you won't be able to get that super high feeling but that'll come when you get to your doubles.

And about how long it takes...well, you've heard this 1000 times before but yes, it varies.

I landed mine 2 weeks after my coach taught it to me and I think I could've landed it sooner if I HAD JUST DARED TO JUMP.

Go for it! I was so scared I was going to fall I didn't even JUMP UP and yes, I COULD'NT EVEN DO ONE FREAKING ROTATION.

This sounds cliche but you really really really have to try and jump up and then just spin.

That's pretty much all we can say....

HOPE THIS HELPS and I really really hope you'll land it soon!

Answer 4

if you do an axel right, it should only be about 1 revolution in the air.

take time on your takeoff and so you can complete the first 1/2 revolution before you are even fully off the ground. your take off should look like this

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not this

l

dont be suprised if you land it.

and it shouldnt be an itsy bitsy baby not as high as your other jumps sort of thing. jump it as you would a waltz jump. whats the worse that can happen? you fall. and you wont fall on your knees just your butt, which is cushioned for falling.

the best that could happen, you land, and its rotated and not a scaredy cat jump.

hooray!

Answer 5

Oh boy, Axels. They are super fun, but can be annoying at times.

I have been landing my Axels constitantly ever since I started landing them, so here are some tips:

1) On and Off ice exercises. On ice try doing big waltz jumps, waltz/ loop jump, waltz/ back spin. You can also replace the waltz jump with a double H jump, which is like a waltz jump but just make sure to bend your knee when you are taking off and land with your knees bent (So it is in the shape of an H in both positions.) When you do on ice exercises you want to try and do them from a stand still or from very little speed. This helps you use your muscles because when you start landing them you won't have very much speed, and you most likely aren't going to go into an Axel with all the speed you have with a Waltz  Jump.

You can work on those exercises off ice as well. Also try some full Axels off ice. When you do full ones wear tennis shoes and do them on the grass or put your skates on with guards on of course, and try doing them in a clear carpeted area. That helped me a lot.

2) Don't worry about it too much. If you think about the Axel being a huge jump that is impossible to land then you will probably never land it, or it will take a VERY long time. Think of the Axel like a normal jump. Think "It's just a normal jump, like a flip or waltz jump." Axels are  just a jump that is a full rotation plus another 1/2. So don't stress over it.

3) Take off and landings. When you first work on your Axel and try doing full ones you want to focus on having a big and clean take off. At first it does not really matter that you are not landing correctly. The take off is probably the hardest part of this jump to fix if you have problems. Make sure you are not over rotating, and think about jumping up, not around. But if you fall 5 times, or don't land it stop doing Axels for a little bit, then come back later. If you do too many Axels the wrong way then it is programmed into your muscle memory, and it will be hard to fix (To land).

When you jump you want to jump up, and pull in. Transfer your weight, and when you come down push your landing foot down. That is how you transfer your weight.

Other tips include video taping yourself.

Talk to your coach about your problems too.

And last but definitley not least... PRACTICE! Do NOT worry too much about this specific jump. It just depends on the person. I, for one, landed my Axel the same day my coach and I started to work on the full ones. My friend, who is like three or more levels higher than me, got her Axel after about a year. So don't worry! It will come when it comes.

And by the way, sometimes people's tips, including myself, will not help you do the jump. But it will hopefully give you the confidence and determination to go acheive great things. So Good luck, and I really hope this helps!  

Answer 6

Bring your feet closer together, and hold your arm tight to you chest. PRACTICE ON GROUND FIRST Ive learned the hard way.