International coach and choreographer Chris Conte continues his series of videos where he shares a process of off-ice training techniques for developing the double axel. In the first video of this series, he shared drills and concepts to develop the axel take-off. In the second video, Chris focused on the dynamic aspects of air position. In this video, he shares a unique way of using the stationary off-ice harness to continue the off-ice development of the double axel.
Notice that all of these examples using the stationary off-ice harness have the skater suspended with the pulley rope tied to a very secure mount. This allows Chris to interact and move the skater directly with hands-on pressure to get the desired result. He starts by having the skater assume “the loading position” which is the forward step position into the axel, with the skating foot flexed and well in front of the body and hips. The free hip is held back, as is the free shoulder. In this position, Chris gives the skater “forward” movement by having the skater circle in a wide arc while being suspended in the harness. He makes a point of noting that the skater’s “center of mass is behind the [skating] foot.”
Next, the skater moves to the axel take-off position right at the moment of leaving the ice and continues swinging around in a wide arc while being suspended. Chris then adds some rotational energy (that would normally come from the edge pressure of the skating foot) and the skater snaps into the tight rotational position for a number of rotations before opening to a landing position.
He does this process with 4 different skaters so you can see acceptable differences in arm positions and moment-of-take-off positions. Finally we get to see some of these skaters do unassisted off-ice double axel attempts and then some double axel attempts on the ice in the pole harness and unassisted.
Check out the rest of the videos in this series: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
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