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Waltz/Axel

Waltz/Axel

6 Seasons

This series explores in depth the waltz/axel phases--entry, take-off, and follow through--that differentiate it from other jumps. Season one is for foundation level skaters working on waltz jumps and beginning to learn an axel. Season two videos are designed for skaters who are starting to land axels but need to work on consistency and quality. Season three videos are designed for skaters starting to work on double axels, and Season videos are for skaters landing double axels and beyond.

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Waltz/Axel
  • Foundation: On ice axel take-off to follow through on the boards drill

    Episode 1

    Level: Foundation
    Base exercise: Axel take-off to follow-through, takeoff to air position
    Variation: Facing the boards
    Purpose: This drill helps skaters break down each position for the axel and make sure their alignment and timing is correct. Using the boards especially helps skaters ensure ...

  • Foundation: On ice waltz/axel follow-through to air position lockdown 1/2 turn

    Episode 2

    Level: Foundation
    Base exercise: Waltz jump on the circle
    Variation: Axel take-off position, quick snap down from take-off foot to landing foot when transferring from follow through to air position
    Purpose: This drill helps skaters practice quickly transferring their weight from their take-off...

  • Foundation: On ice waltz/axel entry to take-off position drill on straight line

    Episode 1

    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 ...

  • Foundation: On ice waltz jump to back spin axel drill

    Episode 5

    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...

  • Advanced: Axel take-off to follow-through forward skip drill

    Episode 2

    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...

  • Foundation: On-ice axel take-off skips on a straight line drill

    Episode 5

    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...

  • Beginner: On-ice consecutive waltz jump take-off positions on line drill

    Episode 7

    Level: Beginner
    Base exercise: Waltz entry to take-off position walkthrough
    Variation: Continuous, on a straight line
    Purpose: This drill helps students practice maintaining control over their skating side while the free leg moves from behind in a waltz/axel entry into a waltz/axel take-off. Doin...

  • Foundation: Off-ice axel take-off to axel follow-through walk-through

    Episode 9

    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 ...

  • Beginner-Foundation: Off-ice intro to double and single leg twist jumps tutorial

    Episode 15

    Purpose: This video teaches skaters the basics of twist jumps to help with their stationary rotation skills. Hip twists are essential for skaters to build quick twitch muscles rotating from the hips first rather than the upper body while keeping the head stable.

    Focus: Basic technique, upper bod...

  • Foundation: On ice axel entry to take off 1/2 turn two foot landing drill

    Episode 4

    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...

  • Advanced: On ice axel entry to same leg 1/2 turn lockdown outside twizzles

    Episode 4

    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...

  • Advanced: On ice straight line axel entry to same leg 1/2 turn lockdown drill

    Episode 3

    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...

  • Foundation: On ice axel take-off 1/2 turn same foot landing drill

    Episode 3

    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...

  • Advanced: On ice double axel entry to take-off direction stand still drill

    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...

  • Foundation: Axel entry resistance band rows drill

    Episode 1

    Level: Foundation
    Jump: Axel
    Jump phases: Entry and take-off
    Equipment: Resistance band
    Rotational direction demonstrated: counterclockwise
    Body alignment focus: Shoulder position, arm position.
    Common mistakes used for: Swingy axel, lack of control on entry edge, chicken arms, timing of arms and...

  • Foundation: On ice axel entrance to take-off on the circle walkthrough

    Episode 1

    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...

  • Foundation: On ice waltz jump back twizzles axel drill

    Episode 4

    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...

  • Beginner: On-ice bunny hops on a straight line waltz jump take-off drill

    Episode 6

    Level: Beginner
    Base exercise: Bunny hop
    Variation: Continuous bunny hops down a line
    Purpose: This drill helps skaters feel the forward vertical height take-off of a waltz jump. Doing continous bunny hops down the line with a focus on lifting the free foot through helps skaters begin to build th...

  • Foundation: On-ice axel take-off hold into waltz jump drill

    Episode 8

    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...

  • Beginner: On-ice introductory waltz jump tutorial

    Episode 2

    When skaters first learn a waltz jump, it can be easy to start by learning a swingy, uncontrolled technique that is hard to unlearn when they want to improve their waltz jump or learn an axel. In this video, Signe shows how the waltz jump can be broken down into six progressions even from when sk...

  • Beginner: On-ice waltz jump from standstill demonstration

    Episode 10

    Level: Beginner
    Base exercise: Waltz jump
    Variation: From standstill, on an axis
    Purpose: This setup is helpful for skaters to understand the flow and direction of a waltz jump. Starting from standstill also gives skaters more control to hit the jump phases
    Focus: Basic technique, jump pathway, j...

  • Beginner-Foundation: Off-ice clockwise and counterclockwise waltz jump tutorial

    Episode 13

    Purpose: This video breaks down an off-ice waltz jump phases from entrance, entry, take-off, follow-through, air position and landing. This video both clockwise and counterclockwise for both lefty and righty skaters.

    Focus: Basic technique, jump phases, waltz entrance, waltz entry, waltz take-o...

  • Foundation: On ice frame position waltz/axel entry to landing circle walkthrough

    Episode 4

    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...

  • Advanced: On-ice walley entrance to axel demonstration

    Episode 1

    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...