Purpose: This is a foot tracking exercise for skaters' axel. This corrective drill will help skaters who have a swingy free leg. As the skater turns the skating leg to start the take-off rotation, the band will keep the skaters free leg foot tracking behind and force the skater to keep things nar...

Purpose: This is a great exercise for skaters to use off-ice when learning axel. It also will help skaters who need to correct their axel take-off positioning. By starting on two feet, skaters can position their torso and upper body prior to shifting their weight to pick up their foot. Skaters ca...

Purpose: Skaters can practice their axel walkthrough using the wall to help maintain a strong skating side check. This drill will ensure that they don't go too far in the circle on their back edge and forward outside edge. Skaters should stack shoulders over hips.
Focus: balance, upper body check...

Purpose: This axel drill will help skaters to create awareness of their skating side arm on the take-off and air position of the axel. It will help correct issues where skaters are driving their skating side too far into the circle on the take-off and helps continue the arm for a correct follow t...

Purpose: This all encompassing drill will help skaters build a strong core while learning how to isolate the upper body as the leg comes behind and the knee drives through as the body rotates. Skaters should feel the upper body position maintained in a forward plank as the lower body and torso ro...

Purpose: Learn a first progression when you are preparing to learn your axel to slowly build up your skills and confidence before attempting a full axel jump.

Focus: Waltz jump, axel, waltz jump backspin, skating side leading, axis and alignment, tight air position

Purpose: This video gives you the next axel progression after learning and getting comfortable with a waltz jump backspin axel drill.

Focus: Axel progression, 3/4 rotation, axel, drill

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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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...

Level: Foundation Base exercise: Axel backward outside edge entrance through take off position walkthrough Variation: On the circle Purpose: This drill is especially helpful to check the edge quality, position, and control for the first three phases of an axel: entrance, entry, and take-off. Hel...

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 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: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel walkthrough
Variation: Pause a second between each phase
Purpose: By pausing and isolating each phase an axel jump, skaters can notice which phases they may struggle to control, and it can also help diagnose any issues that may be happening on the jump.
Focu...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel walkthrough
Variation: On a circle from standstill
Purpose: Slowly moving through each position of the axel jump--entry, take-off, follow through, and landing--allows skaters to build confidence and muscle memory while learning their axel. Instead of pract...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel walkthrough on the circle
Variation: Arms in checked or frame position over landing side
Purpose: This drill helps skaters who use their shoulders to initiate the rotation in an axel. By having the skaters keep their arms in a frame position, they have to...

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel walk-through
Variation: From standstill, on a straight line
Purpose: Practicing an axel walk-through from standstill allows students to focus on the quality of their jump phases without too much speed. Doing it down a line also helps the skaters practice a mo...

In this video, Signe shows how to walk through the axel off the ice and then she demonstrates an off ice single axel.

Level: Foundation
Base exercise: Axel jump
Variation: From standstill
Purpose: Doing an an axel jump from standstill can be helpful for skaters who are fearful of the jump when they have too much speed, or for skaters who lack control on their axel jump. It is easier to use improper technique t...

Purpose: This exercise helps skaters work on checking their rotation and knowing where they are in space by having them land on two feet with control. It is a great drill for skaters who struggle with overrotation or uncontrolled landings.

Focus: Upper body control, spatial awareness, landing c...