Questing for Axel
My quest for the Axel jump has officially begun!
Strictly speaking, it unofficially began a month or so back when I started practising 3 jump + loop jump combination as prep work into the Axel, but as of a week or so ago I'm officially into the territory of "I throw myself forward and hope I make it round the necessary rotations for the Axel."
For the uninitiated, the Axel is the hardest jump at any given amount of rotation because you have to sneak in an extra half rotation alongside the standard number at the level you're doing (so a single Axel is 1.5 rotations, compared to just 1 for any of the other single jumps). You're still landing backwards, like all the jumps, but it's the only jump you take off facing forwards in order to get that extra half rotation in. Ironically, despite its difficulty, the Axel has perhaps the simplest looking opening of all the jumps, you pull both arms and your non-skating leg back while gliding on your skating leg and then just throw the whole lot forwards as you take off on the pick of your skating foot. However, it's what happens immediately after that swing through that determines if you make it through the necessary rotations.
And geez, what comes immediately after that swing through is what's giving me all the hassle at the moment! Essentially, a lot has to happen and it has to all happen together. Your right arm needs to overtake your left as it rises up and then must be pulled in across your chest, I'm kinda trying to do it as if I was going to cross my arms at the moment, I have no idea if that's actually any use but it's what I'm playing with at the moment. While that's going on then your free leg, after its swing, has to hook upwards into a nice L-shape to give you lift, while your skating leg has to leave the ground and try to cross in front of your free leg.
There's just a lot going on and, right now, I'm not really getting all that together. Doesn't help that it's been school holiday time at my rink at the moment and I've been avoiding the rink as a result. Let's hope the time means my brain will magically process the necessary coordination for when I get back on!
Strictly speaking, it unofficially began a month or so back when I started practising 3 jump + loop jump combination as prep work into the Axel, but as of a week or so ago I'm officially into the territory of "I throw myself forward and hope I make it round the necessary rotations for the Axel."
For the uninitiated, the Axel is the hardest jump at any given amount of rotation because you have to sneak in an extra half rotation alongside the standard number at the level you're doing (so a single Axel is 1.5 rotations, compared to just 1 for any of the other single jumps). You're still landing backwards, like all the jumps, but it's the only jump you take off facing forwards in order to get that extra half rotation in. Ironically, despite its difficulty, the Axel has perhaps the simplest looking opening of all the jumps, you pull both arms and your non-skating leg back while gliding on your skating leg and then just throw the whole lot forwards as you take off on the pick of your skating foot. However, it's what happens immediately after that swing through that determines if you make it through the necessary rotations.
And geez, what comes immediately after that swing through is what's giving me all the hassle at the moment! Essentially, a lot has to happen and it has to all happen together. Your right arm needs to overtake your left as it rises up and then must be pulled in across your chest, I'm kinda trying to do it as if I was going to cross my arms at the moment, I have no idea if that's actually any use but it's what I'm playing with at the moment. While that's going on then your free leg, after its swing, has to hook upwards into a nice L-shape to give you lift, while your skating leg has to leave the ground and try to cross in front of your free leg.
There's just a lot going on and, right now, I'm not really getting all that together. Doesn't help that it's been school holiday time at my rink at the moment and I've been avoiding the rink as a result. Let's hope the time means my brain will magically process the necessary coordination for when I get back on!
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