AXEL TAKE-OFF EDGE

Take the time to become proficient in these skating skills to facilitate the learning of your first Axel. You can see that I have much better command of this Axel Mohawk and take-off edge than 10-year-old Timothy, who has never done an Axel before. If he patiently and diligently works to improve these fundamental skills, he will be much better equipped to land his first Axel without the frustrating repetitions and wear-and-tear on the body that a kinaesthetic learner undergoes. Such a learner does not have the patience to build the proper foundation, and will more than likely develop bad habits that are hard to break. Recall that in Timothy's first lesson posted last week, I stressed the importance of reducing wobbles in general. This was important because unpredictable slipping on the take-off cannot be corrected in the air. One continues to topple while airborne. You can be like a cat and still land on your feet, but it becomes more and more difficult with more and more erratic motion. Inconsistent take-offs are not conducive to building confidence. Fear is a big factor in adding that extra half rotation to land backward instead of forward. We want to set up ideal conditions to make the execution of that first Axel as easy as possible.