National level coach Jackie Brenner continues a lesson with a skater who is moving from the Preliminary level all the way to Intermediate competition level. (See Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 of the lesson.) In this video, Jackie is sharing valuable tips regarding single axel with the intention of helping this skater get a double axel on the ice.
She begins by having the skater do a walk through of an axel, and then offers suggestions. Working through the walk through chronologically, Jackie begins by describing the desired body alignment of the preparation and entry, noting the desired body lean back into the circle on the backward preparation edge while maintaining a strong core. On the forward step, the goal is to lead strongly with the skating side shoulder, and Jackie wants the shoulders parallel to the preparation edge. She wants the skater to bring the non-axis arm back toward the axis arm to create a more blocked position for the shoulders just prior to the forward step and to force the skater to “step outside the circle” at roughly a 120 degree angle. The goal is to step outside the circle of the preparation edge with the skating side strongly in front.
The arms go back very close to the body in what Jackie describes as “thumbs to bum” so the hands are quite low and quite close to the body, with the free side arm further back. The arms drive through toward the free (axis) side with the skating side arm cutting across in front of the body (to 2 o’clock for CCW jumpers, and 10 0’clock for CW jumpers). As the skate “goes through” the take-off, the head should be over the free side or axis side and facing “right between her hands,” and setting the head correctly on the forward step and entrance edge is very important.
Jackie explains why driving the arms through in this way is important. She says, “By her right arm (skating side arm, left arm for most skaters) driving to 10 o’clock (2 o’clock for most skaters) it will help to have an opposition of how her toe pick is going to start producing rotation on the take-off.” She talks about the “ST sound” which is the ‘sssst’ sound of the edge that finishes on the bottom toe pick. Jackie continues with this very important observation, “What truly creates rotation (for a jump) on this slippery surface is edge – edge pressure, and the toe pick is the last thing to leave the ice.”
When working towards the double axel, a big focus should be increasing jump air time (higher jump – at least 0.45 seconds, preferably more). As Jackie notes, some skaters like this one may already have the necessary air time and require more focus on precision (improved take-off and air position) and strength for landing.
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