International coach and jump specialist Jeremy Allen begins a multi-part discussion of the axel jump, including waltz jump as well as double and triple axel. Jeremy begins by discussing the most common entrance using a back outside edge preparation. From the back outside edge, the skater shifts to an inside edge to push onto the other skate. To help skaters get to a solid outside edge, Jeremy likes to use a “counter entrance” consisting of a forward inside counter to back inside edge, with a change of edge to the back outside edge prior to the step.
As for shoulder position on the forward step, Jeremy has the skater step with the shoulders in line with the direction of travel. He describes it as keeping both shoulders on the circle, and he calls it “the open door.” He recommends avoiding the “square step” where the skater steps forward with the shoulders square or perpendicular to the direction of travel.
Jeremy cautions against a large kick through for axel, primarily because for double and triple axel it’s important to be able to quickly get into an efficient rotational air position. A large kick through takes too much time to collect. Jeremy recommends one-foot axels as an excellent exercise for skaters to learn to keep the kick-through minimized as they have to land on it. He talks about snapping the knees back together, which is a common feature of most good double and triple axels.
For teaching a waltz jump, Jeremy likes to start from a standstill, typically in T-position on the line with the shoulders facing down the line (facing the boards). After the push, the free foot drops back into the circle, the shoulders remain on the circle, with the arms also pulled back on the circle. He demonstrates how this looks for a waltz jump. He explains the free leg is not pulled back strongly and is not straight, and the elbows are not bent and the shoulders are not square to the direction of travel, all common errors.
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