Ready for an axel?

[zjcarter22]

Basically,  my waltz jump had improve significantly....  It's much higher and much further and I'm much confident landing it.  So you think I'm ready to try axel.?  Its been in my mind for the last month.  I need tips,  guide,  etc.  I do try off ice which I can land but everything's I'm in the ice,  I just don't have the balls to do it

[granita]

Can you do waltz jump landing in backspin yet? That should help.

[transmissionoftheflame]

You ask if you are ready.  What does your coach say?  Hard to say without having seen you skate, but in general people would have first worked on full-rotation jumps like loop or flip where you rotate around your right side (assuming you are a CCW jumper).  In a waltz jump you rotate around your left side.  Also unless you're quite strong you'd need to be crossing your legs for an Axel, again a waltz jump would be open whereas on a flip or loop, especially a loop, you'd be getting used to crossing your legs and then kicking out.
As granita says, landing a waltz jump into a backspin will help - I think you must make sure you don't travel but start spinning as you come down.  That basically is your Axel jump once you stay in the air for the backspin.
Personally I wouldn't take advice from people on the internet who had never seen me skate on something like an Axel unless I already had a very good idea of the mechanics of the jump and how that related to way I was doing it.

[Ice Dragon]

Well we can't really say without seeing you skate.

Can you do all of the other singles - salchow, toe loop, loop, flip, lutz? Do you have a good backspin? Waltz loop loop jump combos help, as do waltz jumps into backspins.

To be honest you're better off asking your coach. I personally wouldn't attempt it until my coach suggests it and I wouldn't try it for the first time on my own without my coach.

 

[gositspinxxx]

It's true that you'll know yourself when you feel ready for an axel. Sometimes a coach may feel you're physically ready but mentally ready is another story.
Do it wrong and you could really hurt yourself- its not gonna be a tiny slide if you do fall. 
Even if you have all of your singles there's no guarantee you'll get an axle. You need height, speed and good rotation for an axel.
Waltz jump in my opinion is not at all a good indicator for axels. It's brilliant for axel preps but the jump itself lacks any feeling of an axel, aside the takeoff.
That tight backspin position is what will help you land. If your loop isn't high and tight then forget and axel. Some skaters manage some jumps before others- I had a axel before a lutz was perfected. At the moment I would work on axel preps: so waltz loop, skip waltz loop, loop loop loop, waltz backspin and loop backspin. When you feel ready talk to your coach about trying an axel during a lesson.

[bumblebee]

Considering that in your post on the 15th November you said you were gold free level, I'd say no, you aren't ready for an axel. It's on level 4 (I think) for a reason.

[gositspinxxx]

 Some skaters will have level 3 jumps before they have level 1 spins. It depends on the skater. I've seen double salcows in level 1 comp warm ups. Depending on the skaters natural ability to jump they may be ready for an axel before they are ready for spins of the same level. At the end of the day you need to have a coach asses your jumping ability.
However, if you have not been taking lessons long I seriously would reconsider trying an axel- it takes a lot of time for the majority of skaters to get to the level of axel.

[zjcarter22]

It's true that you'll know yourself when you feel ready for an axel. Sometimes a coach may feel you're physically ready but mentally ready is another story.
Do it wrong and you could really hurt yourself- its not gonna be a tiny slide if you do fall. 
Even if you have all of your singles there's no guarantee you'll get an axle. You need height, speed and good rotation for an axel.
Waltz jump in my opinion is not at all a good indicator for axels. It's brilliant for axel preps but the jump itself lacks any feeling of an axel, aside the takeoff.
That tight backspin position is what will help you land. If your loop isn't high and tight then forget and axel. Some skaters manage some jumps before others- I had a axel before a lutz was perfected. At the moment I would work on axel preps: so waltz loop, skip waltz loop, loop loop loop, waltz backspin and loop backspin. When you feel ready talk to your coach about trying an axel during a lesson.
Thanks for the response and I'll take them on board