Axel Jump Lesson Part 5 – Axel on Pole Harness (Nick Perna)

Nick Perna continues his axel lesson with Kayla.  This is part 5 of this half-hour lesson.

Part 1 – Backspin Part 2 – Back entry method Part 3 – Adding arms to back entry method and forward step Part 4 – Waltz jump backspin drill Part 5 – Axel on and off pole harness

In this video, Nick has Kayla attempt axels on the pole and then off the pole.  Nick begins by explaining to Kayla the benefit of doing the jump in the same place on the ice as the drills.  Our bodies and minds get used to doing things in certain places, and it can be helpful to maintain hard won changes or improvements in technique by doing the actual jump attempts in the same place.  Similarly, changing places from a skater’s normal practice location can have a positive powerful effect if their body associates poor mechanics or technique with their normal location.  In other words, have a skater practice drills in a new location and have them attempt the jump in that location as well to more quickly break bad habits.

Next, Nick explains to Kayla (and us) why so many skaters fail to cross their feet when learning multi-rotation jumps.  He says, “Sometimes that is simply a way of not going for the jump, not committing to the jump by not crossing the feet.  Most skaters know that when they cross their feet they’re going to accelerate and they’re going to rotate.  So they use that not-crossing-their-feet thing as a way to subconsciously not go for it.  They know intuitively if they cross their feet they’re going to rotate.”

The important point to note from the above is that it is usually a decision the body makes at a subconscious level that most inexperienced skaters cannot overcome without training.  We absolutely cannot let skaters continue to not cross.  It teaches them incredibly bad habits that can be nearly impossible to break later.

In the pole Kayla immediately crosses her feet.  Notice that even though she falls, Nick is glad she falls to the right rather than the left.  Falls to the left are a result of poor jump axis and they are usually harder falls and they are also harder to fix.  Kayla has a pretty good jump axis.  Eventually, Nick has Kayla attempt an axel off the pole.  She does not land it but does cross her feet and get around and makes a reasonable attempt at a one-foot landing.

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