Good off-ice axel drill! - sf

[Isk8NYC]

This was a thread about the off-ice axel jump drills using a box, bench or aerobics step platform.

[Isk8NYC]

#1    01-20-2009, 07:07 AM 
RachelSk8er 
Registered User   Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: the rink
Posts: 1,230 

Good off-ice axel drill!

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I came up with this yesterday, I'm sure it's nothing original but thought I'd share.

My issue with axels is some combination of not driving the knee through enough and snapping into the right side.

My coach has me do (on and off-ice) the drill where you jump up as for an axel take-off, driving the knee through and turning into the R side (for a R handed jumper), and land backward with the legs crossed (only doing 1/2 rotation). On the ice I do this from a RFO lobe and off-ice from 1 or 2 side hops.

Yesterday at the gym I took a step aerobics platform with only 1 set of the plastic parts that go under it (for now). Did the same drill off-ice with two side hops, axel takeoff and turn into the R side, but landing on the platform, then hopping off the back in landing position.

I figure that the step aerobics platform can easily be made higher as the drill gets easier (thought of using a plyometric box but quite frankly I'm just too darn clumsy and the step platform has a lot more surface area to land on).

After doing this a number of times, I went to full axels on the floor (sans platform) and was actually getting better height.

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#2    01-20-2009, 09:31 AM 
CoachPA 
Registered User   Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 301 

I use this exercise with the step aerobic platforms with my higher level students (beginning axels and above) in an off-ice jump class. I second your recommendations as it really does help with better free leg movement into the jump, body alignment in-air (or upon landing on the platform), and a correct, strong landing position.
 
CoachPA

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  #3    01-20-2009, 03:04 PM 
jazzpants 
Registered User   Join Date: May 2002
Location: At the rink!!! (Yeah, don't I wish?)
Posts: 0 

I've seen this done by a kid student at another rink but using a long bench...

Me? Ummm... I aimed towards one of the shorter plyometric box for now. (Yeah, I know! I'm such a chicken too with the plyo boxes too...but if you have big cushion mats behind the boxes to land on in case you trip, it's not as scary.)  I am slowly aiming towards the next taller box though. I wish that I can find the more cushy plyometric so that it's not as hard on the lower back. (Like the ones on page 90 of the Feb issue of Men's Health Magazine.)

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  #4    01-20-2009, 06:05 PM 
doubletoe 
Registered User   Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,062 

Yes, that is the exercise my old coach taught me when I first started working on the axel (I jumped up onto a bench, landing backward on the right foot). Without it, I would have never gotten the axel on the floor and definitely never on the ice. It's such a great exercise I still go back to it sometimes if I start having axel trouble. 

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  #5    01-21-2009, 10:28 PM 
jp1andOnly 
Registered User   Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: B.C
Posts: 0 

I'm supposed to jump up onto a bench. It's tough...I place mats all around it as I usually end up somewhere on the other side..hehe 
 
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#6    01-22-2009, 06:06 PM 
doubletoe 
Registered User   Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,062 

It helps to jump onto a bench that has a back and/or is secured to a wall.