Has anyone ever taking slow-motion/high speed video or anything like that of swinging an axe? I've done it a couple times, for a couple different reasons, but my form looks funky too me. But then again I guess I'm not really sure what it is suppose to look like. Are you suppose to end the swing with your upper body nearly parallel to the ground? It looks odd, but feels perfectly natural to me. For example here is how one swing ended... It appears that with the axe fully raised I first swing my upper body down with my arms and the axe trailing behind, then as the body comes to about a 90 degree like in the pic my arms are only half way through the swing and then they finish the swing while my body remains steady through the end of the stroke. This is mainly only for the lighter axes like the Fiskars that I normally use. That particular swing was with a Helko but I only use the Fiskars now (I was just testing the Helko that day). Anyhow, I've always wondered this since I've never split with anyone else around.
Ya I would be interested as well. I have been told you should bend your knees. Supposedly reduces the chance to hit your legs or feet due to it keeping the axe more in front of you and would hit the ground well before striking yourself.
Great discussion to start. I'll notice my form this weekend and see how it goes. I think my form is off for sure... but it seems to work for me. I just try to make sure I'm low enough to be safe from a deflected blade swinging back at me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I worked on a rehab unit ( physical) for quite a few years. Here are my thoughts. Good body mechanics is the biggest thing to protect yourself from injury and maximizing optimal strength. All movements - pulling , pushing , swinging, lifting - should be done with a strait back and with no part of the body in full extension. The 2 main things that will cause an arched back when swinging a tool - being too far away from the target object or the target object is low and not compensating for the height difference with your knees. A person is strongest while working in close proximity of their body not stretched out. Just hold something close to your body then with your arms stretched out. This is what I think the end of a swing should look like. Feet shoulder width apart either staggered or facing straight to main good balance and center of gravity. Also, keeps you from hitting your foot or leg. Elbows slightly bent. Knees bent depending on the height of the target object. Back strait. Abs tight keeping the core solid. Just my 2 cents.
Yes I swing the same way but I had to train my self to do it. The reason why is because if you happen to not hit the round the way you expected the ax will stop at the splitting stump. If you were standing more erect the ax could swing on past the splitting stump and bury itself into your foot or leg. So for me it is a safer swing
Try bending your knees instead of leaning over so far. It will be just as safe for your feet but will impact your back less.
No issues with my back. Never have had back problems. Just one of those things I never had to worry about. Maybe when I hit 70. I probably do bend my knees some but I will have to make a point of how much next time I hand split some wood.
Thanks for all the comments fellas. Since a single shot doesn't really reflect the whole motion I tried to get a few frames here to paint a bigger picture, FWIW: I don't know if that sequence was my best form - I was using that Helko for the first time, much heavier than the fiskars I was used too, and I was trying extra hard to get a good chop for the camera - many of my strikes that I tried to photo stuck in and didn't split, so this one was a 100% effort kind of swing. I had a few other sessions playing around with the camera let me see if I can find one with the Fiskars that I am used too...
I'm not sure I quite follow... are you saying your back should remain vertical? Or that at can lean over as in my pictures, just to remain straight through the rotation? It's not clear. And I hear what you are saying about working close, of course we can open a stuck jar or pry on something close to are body easier than we can if we were reaching out fully with something at full arms length away. But I don't see how this applies to splitting, we need to distance ourself from the target, to avoid striking ourself and secondary damage, and having that axe head further way from the pivot point gives it a longer travel and more time that energy can be imparted to it. Perhaps us thin guys are at a disadvantage as well, at 150 lbs and a thin marathon runner build I need every bit of leverage I can to effectively split wood. I stalky guy might not have to 'put his back into it' but for most pieces I split I got to throw everything I have at it. I do ease up on smaller pieces I know will be easier to split, but for the first strike on the larger rounds it's always full effort and even then often takes multiple hits to get a split.
Great idea to use video analysis to determine if your swing is the most efficient. I am going to try this. There are times my swing is really good and times that I can tell that I sm getting sloppy. On the 1st and second pic. I see that you bring the maul head all the way around to your a$$. Your using a lot of extra energy to do that. It's easier to just spread your hands, lift the maul head directly over your head and bring your hands together as you lower the maul to the round. I agree with old man, bend your knees more and your back less as you come down, you might not have back problems now, or for the next 100 rounds, but you never know. I know my back will feel great for a long time then all of a sudden it locks up!
I can't tell in your original post if you are using a maul or splitting axe. If it's s splitting axe (x27) I found that if a break my wrists a foot or two before impact I get a lot better results. I generate way more axe head speed. I really have yo focus on it because I'm not used to the technique.
Interesting!!! I would suggest (based on opinion, not quantitative data) that the ideal situation would be the highest velocity at the time of impact. After all, the total energy delivered to the wood is 1/2 mv^2 and the momentum is mv. Thus,"v" velocity of the head is paramount. As such, I would expect (?) maximum velocity would be when the arms and wrists are in in line (?). As such, I think you are doing very well. That said, this is complete conjecture and may be total Bu## Sh@@.
There is definitely a nack to splitting. I have seen guys that can split like nobody's business. Using any thing from an axe, maul, even a double bit axe.
Trust me Mag Craft I will always try to acknowledge conjecture vs. objective facts. I only wish our politicians would be so humble.
Correct. Splitting is s lot like swinging a baseball bat. It seems like the guys that with the smoothest most effortless swings gave the bests results because the generate the most axe head spead by using every volctom point. The swing starts with the arms and shoulders, utilized Gravity then Ends with a snap of the writs and hands.
I don't see how I am wasting any energy, it's not like I lift it over my head, just the handle? Are you also saying to start with the head up high? I don't seem to get enough force on the swing only swinging half the distance like that. Well the first sequence of pics I brought up happened to be the Helko heavy splitter, but I only really use the Fiskars X27 I think I took another session let me dig up some pics. These are all from a couple years ago when I was going to do a big review on the Helko, which had been talked highly of and I had tried to get a hold of one for a couple years. Finally when I got it I wasn't so impressed, and returned it, both of the Helkos. Beautiful axes, very nicely crafted, but pricey and the Fiskars worked better for me.
I would guess that looks similar to my form. Except, I start with the x27 over my head, rather than behind me. I think the effort of bringing the axe/maul over the top is mostly lost energy.
