5 Axel Jump Tips For Figure Skaters

Landing an axel is a huge milestone for a figure skater. For many skaters, it is the most difficult jump because it takes off forwards and has an extra half rotation than the other jumps. To land an axel, a figure skater needs good coordination, strength, control, and jump height, all of which can be worked on off the ice before trying the axel. In this article, we will cover:

• What is an Axel
• 5 Tips to Improve the Axel take-off        

        - Alignment in the take off position

        - Hip stability

        - Free leg position

        - Arm follow through into rotation

        - Work on your jump height

• Frequently Asked Questions

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An axel is a jump in figure skating that starts forward on the take-off leg and transfers the axis of rotation to the landing side in the air before landing backwards on the other skating foot after 1.5 rotations.

• The double axel has 2.5 rotations, the triple axel 3.5, and the quadruple axel has 4.5.
• Because the axel does not use the toe pick, it is classified as an edge jump.
• An axel jump, often a double or a triple, is a required jump for senior men and ladies in International Skating Union competitions.
• American Ilia Malinin became the first figure skater to land a quad axel at a Grand Prix event on October 22, 2022

An axel, like any jump in figure skating, involves several different movement patterns of the body; for example, the direction and the timing of the arm movement is different to the legs, hips or head. This is why the axel jump is so difficult- there are many fundamental aspects for the figure skater to master before cleanly landing the axel jump on the ice. Understanding the timing of the movements and having the ability to control the power in their execution are crucial elements of the axel jump. For instance, it is necessary to enter the jump at the right speed- too much speed without matching control leads to a poor-quality axel jump or a fall, but too little speed and the figure skater will not be able to fully rotate the 1.5 revolutions. Fortunately, there are many ways that a figure skater can train the fundamental elements of the axel jump on and off the ice- here are our top five tips for the axel take-off.

Even before a figure skater takes off for the axel, the take-off position will determine the success or failure of the jump. The body needs to be in good alignment, with the skating leg knee pressing forward over the skate.

A common mistake in the take-off position is that the knee will drop too far towards the body’s midline, which moves the jump off its proper outside edge take-off.

Another common mistake in the take-off position is not keeping the skating side shoulder properly checked in front and stepping into the jump too “square,” which often causes the jump to become too swingy and throw off the timing of the jump.

One of the key aspects of the take-off position is hip stability in the free leg before the knee follows through. When the hip releases early on the take-off, the figure skaters’ balance shifts, which causes their jump to take-off on a tilted axis of rotation, ultimately leading to a fall or a low grade of execution.

Hip stability and the strength needed to achieve it needs to be trained on off-ice through strength and conditioning before the figure skater attempts to achieve it on the ice at the speed necessary to jump an axel.

The position of the free leg is just as important as the skating leg in the axel take-off. The free leg should be pressed backwards with the knee turned out. The free foot should be squeezing across toward the opposite glute. As the knee passes forwards to the jump, the leg should stay close to the other skating leg. If the leg swings around instead of narrowly through, the axel will be swingy and it will be harder for the figure skater to get into a tight in-air rotation position.

While the legs often receive the most attention for generating an axel, a figure skater’s arm position plays a big role as well! Pulling your arms in quickly and tight to the body will allow a skater to generate more angular velocity, or speed of rotation.

Without strength and control in the back, arm, and core muscles, the skater’s arms will not follow through on the narrow pathway close to the body that allows for the quickest rotation and best axis of rotation.

Because the axel jump has an additional half rotation than the other single jumps, it will naturally need more height to be able to land fully backwards.When a figure skater lacks height in the axel, often it will be landed under-rotated, or “cheated.”

Jump height is something that can easily be trained off the ice through plyometric training. Plyometric training, also known as ‘plyometrics’ or ‘shock training’ is a training modality that requires athletes to skip, bound, hop, or jump. Plyometrics has been shown to improve speed, strength, power, change of direction speed, and balance in athletes—all of which are qualities that a figure skater must have!

There is no secret sauce or magic ingredient that automatically makes a skater land an axel; there is good technique, strength and conditioning, quality practice time, and determination that goes into landing an axel. So, while there are no easy tricks to help a skater land the axel, a good foundation of jump technique and alignment as well as proper strength training will let a skater land the axel more quickly than simply throwing themselves into the jump again and again hoping for different results.

If you are a skater looking to land your first axel jump, contact us about one-on-one off-ice jump lessons and strength and conditioning with a FLEXAFIT certified trainer, or join one of our jump classes—you might be surprised how quickly you improve! OR gain unlimited access to our vast figure skating video catalog, featuring drills, exercises, tutorials, and masterclasses, all available at your own pace - flexaflix.com.

Many skaters find the Axel jump the hardest of all the jumps. Because the Axel has a forward take-off with a backwards landing, it is half a revolution more than all the other jumps. The forward take-off can also feel more difficult or more scary to figure skaters.

How long does it take to learn an Axel jump?

Figure skaters will work on their axel for months or years before they land it. Often coaches will start drills for the axel, such as a waltz jump back spin or waltz jump loop jump before introducing the axel. At FLEXAFIT, we recommend figure skaters start learning the axel off-ice before learning it on the ice, and our classes are designed to prepare figure skaters for their axel even when they are just beginning.

How do you jump an axel?

To jump an axel, figure skaters skate forward on an outside edge on the opposite foot to their landing leg. The free leg swings forward as the skater takes off of their skating leg and the skater snaps into a crossed position in the air. The skater lands backwards on the opposite foot that they started on after completing 1.5 revolutions.

Want to land your Axel? Join a FLEXAFIT class today!

FLEXAFIT, established by coach and former Canadian Senior ladies competitor Signe Ronka, is the global leader in figure skating off-ice fitness and jumps. FLEXAFIT has an innovative approach to off-ice jumps and strength and conditioning that has benefited skaters all over the world. FLEXAFIT offers online off ice jump and strength and conditioning classes year as well as one on one personal training. Check out the class schedule to get started learning your axel today!

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