Expert: Dr. Bruce Forciea - 6/16/2009

Question
I'm 14 years old and I've been skating for 4 years now. I
started learning the axle about 2 months ago, but I just
can't land it. I can do it while on the harness but when I
do it on the ice I can only do half a rotation, sometimes
one. Another problem is that I can't cross my legs. So I
can't rotate. Should I exercise more to jump higher? Any
tips on the jump? I've tried practicing the jump on the
ground, and I can do the 1 1/2 rotations. But I can't cross
my feet. When I concentrate on crossing them I only do half
a rotation. Help?

Answer
HI Eugenia:

Yes, the axel is a difficult jump and there are many reasons that may be contributing to your not landing it. One thing you may consider is that you do not need to cross your legs in order to rotate for the axel. You do need to change the weight so that it is over your landing leg but you can do this with or without crossing your legs. Sometimes the cross-legged rotation position works better with the double jumps than the axel.

I would suggest reading some of my other posts on axels and try some of the exercises I have recommended.

I wish you the best in learning your axel.

Bruce