Purpose: This drill helps skaters build strength and power in their free leg during the drive up into h position of the axel follow-through

Focus: Axel follow-through, h position, free leg strength

Purpose: This drill helps skaters control their free arm on the axel take-off so that their shoulders do not release too soon before the follow-through.

Focus: Axel take-off, axel follow-through, upper body position, upper body check position, free side shoulder strength

Purpose: This drill helps skaters maintain awareness and pressure over their skating side throughout phases of the axel.

Focus: Axel take-off, axel, follow-through, axel transfer, axis and alignment, body awareness

Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on the pull back and muscle engagement of their free leg in the axel take-off
Focus: Axel take-off, glutes, hip flexors, external rotation, free hip lifted, knee turnout, free leg pathway

Purpose: This drill helps skaters build vertical height on their take-off leg of the axel without using the free side to create the vertical explosion. Skaters also need to maintain good alignment and pressure over their take-off side on the second half of the drill

Focus: Axel entry, axel take-...

Purpose: This drill helps skaters build awareness of their skating/leading side on the axel take-off. The weight helps them maintain pressure on the take-off leg instead of swinging the free side to create the jump

Focus: Skating side, skating side arm position, vertical height, axel take-off, a...

Purpose: This drill helps skaters learn the direction and positioning of their free leg as they move from their take-off position to follow-through and transfer.

Focus: Axel follow-through, axel transfer, free leg position, corrective exercise, swingy axel, free hip dropping

Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on the turn-out of the knee and hip of the free leg on the axel take-off to follow-through.

Focus: Axel take-off, axel follow-through, free leg position, turnout, knee position

Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on the awareness and stability of their skating side shoulder and arm position of the axel take-off

Focus: Axel take-off, upper body position, skating side arm, skating side check, shoulder abduction

Level: Foundation Base exercise: Waltz jump back spin Variation: None Purpose: Start to prepare adding more rotation by landing your waltz jump in a backspin. This helps skaters work on feeling more organized in the air and landing over their axis side. Helps with these common mistakes: Not organ...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Waltz/axel entry to take-off repetitions
Variation: On a straight line, finish with take-off into 1/2 turn with checked landing
Purpose: This drill helps skaters practice the control needed for their free side to resist swinging when stepping in on an edge. By ...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Waltz jump backward outside twizzles
Variation: None Purpose: This drill helps skaters practice quickly snapping into air position from an axel take-off. Skaters also need to be properly aligned over their axis to be able to continue the rotation into the twizzl...

Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on the axel take-off to follow-through position with vertical and horizontal projection. Skaters should focus on generating power through their take-off leg, as well as keeping their free side checked behind. If the skater feels too swingy or they can't do t...

Purpose: This drill challenges skaters to work on the stability of their axel take-off and follow-through positions before jumping. Skaters should focus on the position of their free leg and arms so that the take-off does not pre-rotate.

Focus: Axel take-off, axel follow-through, free leg posit...

Purpose: This exercise starts by skaters setting their hips so that they are leading with their take-off side on the axel. From that position, they then move through the axel take-off to the axel follow through and air position to build muscle memory.

Focus: Alignment, basic technique, skating ...

Purpose: Practicing single leg stationary axel take-offs is important so that skaters can focus on the stability and quality of their take-off position into their follow through. If skaters are practicing the jump with momentum from an entrance, they can often lose the quality of their take-off p...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel take-off to follow through
Variation: Landing on take off leg rather than landing leg.
Purpose: This drill helps skaters practice getting their full power and vertical height on their take-off by not allowing the free side to enter into rotation before the...

Level: Advanced
Base exercise: Double axel entry to take-off walkthrough
Variation: Stationary, finishes with follow through into air position
Purpose: Doing this drill from standstill allows students to work specifically on the direction of their head, arms, and free leg on the take-off of th...

Level: Advanced
Base exercise: Axel entry to same leg 1/2 turn lockdown
Variation: Starts on a circle, outside twizzles in lockdown position after the outside edge
Purpose: This drill helps skaters work on maintaining pressure on an outside over their take off side. It also helps condition th...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel take-off hold
Variation: Follow through into a waltz jump
Purpose: This drill has skaters check and work on the quality and stability of their axel take-off position. If the body position isn't correct and aligned over the skating side, it will be difficu...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel entry to take-off walkthrough
Variation: 1/2 turn, two foot landing, turn forwards and repeat
Purpose: This drill allows skaters to isolate the axel entry and take-off without needing to attempt the full rotation. The two foot landing allows skaters to fee...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel take-off skip
Variation: On a straight line, continuous
Purpose: This drill helps skaters learn how to fully use their skating side for vertical height by pressing up to their toepick. Doing this on a straight line helps the skater practice control of the fr...

Level: Advanced
Base exercise: Axel take off to 1/2 lockdown same leg
Variation: On a straight line, back outside three turn after landing to turn forward, check, and repeat the drill
Purpose: This drill really works on the control of the axel take off side throughout all phases of the jump. By...

Level: Advanced
Exercise style: Axel
Key exercises: Walley entrance
Purpose: If skaters are able to do high quality walleys, doing a walley into an axel entrance can help skaters gain more flow off the back outside edge entrance into the step forward
Focus: Entrance, variation, difficult entrance...