One foot spin

[Melzorina]

I need to learn how to do a one foot spin from setup with a minimum of six revolutions. I have no problem with the revolutions, it's the setup that I struggle with.
I do about 4 backwards crossovers round a circle, then stop, and begin to take off on my right foot, but I just can't do the thing with my leg to do the actual spin! Does anyone have tips on how to do it?

[doubletoe]

Right foot? Do you spin clockwise on your right foot?

Have you tried an inside 3-turn setup? I personally find that it helps give me a rounder entrance edge on my spin. For someone who spins counter-clockwise on the left foot, this means doing a right inside 3-turn, holding the exit edge on a nice low knee, then pushing off onto a nice round left outside edge, leadingwith the left arm. For a clockwise spinner, just reverse left and right.

[dbny]

Before attempting to enter your spin from a wind up (B crossovers), you need to learn how to enter it from a FO edge. Assuming you are spinning CW on your R foot, start on one of the hockey lines and push off onto a deep RFO edge. Make a semi-circle back to the line. As you get back to the line do a RFO three turn, bringing your free leg around as you turn and going up onto the spin point of your blade. Rise up into the spin. After you are successful in entering the spin this way, you can start working on getting that RFO edge from your wind up.

[flippet]

I do about 4 backwards crossovers round a circle, then stop,
Well, here's your main problem. You shouldn't 'stop'. And, what do you mean by this --

but I just can't do the thing with my leg to do the actual spin!
By 'the thing with my leg', do you mean 'throwing it around to start the spin'? If so, then that's another large problem, since that's not what makes you spin.

If you're using a back crossover set-up, you should glide easily from the back inside edge into the forward outside edge. You want to be able to smoothly transfer the energy and momentum from one foot to the other--and you want to step forwards back into the curve you made with the back inside edge. To explain this...think of a simple drawing of waves on water. You draw a curve to the tip of the wave, then follow that curve back down and around to get the classic 'C' shape. If you turn that upside down, that's the type of curve you want to make with your entry. The back inside edge is the curve to the tip, and the forward outside edge follows that curve, only slightly wider.

***Big thing--if you are scraping your toepick on the back edge, and coming to a stop, you shouldn't. You'll need to get a deeper knee bend, both with the original skating leg (BI edge), and push off into the FO edge with a good, deep knee bend. Take it really slowly if necessary, to avoid feeling like you 'have' to stop just to change direction without splatting.

As far as your free leg goes, once you're on the FO edge, the free leg should stay behind for as long as you can hold it there. You want to make a tracing that looks sort of like a '6' with the skating foot--tighten that curve up. Once you hit the tight part of the curve, there's a spot where the 'check' (and three-turn) into the spin naturally wants to happen. You want to keep your free leg and arm back until that happens. When it happens, then check yourself into the spin, bringing the free foot and arm around together. At the same time, you raise up out of the deep knee bend that you should have in the skating knee going into that '6' curve. You ought to be spinning at this point, and it's all refinement from there.

Sounds easy, huh? :lol: It's not, there's a lot to remember, but take it slow, and work on one thing at a time, because if you try to do everything at once, you'll only frustrate yourself. Good luck! (And as mentioned above, sometimes the FI 3-turn to FO 3-turn entry is easier, or at least helps, because the check is more prominent, and happens more quickly than with the long FO edge--less time to lose control of your free side.)

[fadedstardust]

Well first and foremost you should ask your coach because if you misunderstand anyone's tips on here you could be picking up bad habits. But as a general rule, four crossovers are too many. You really just need two or you lose speed (or build up too much...) and then you cannot stop. You do one crossover, second crossover, hold the back inside edge with the other leg crossed over and underneath, and then step INSIDE THE CIRCLE. Biggest mistake is stepping outside of it. You've traced a circle with your one foot back inside glide, step within it. Keep your knee slightly bent when you launch into the spin, and let your arms and chest lead. Keep your leg out for the first few revolutions, then bring it in with the arms simultaenously. But mainly, just ask your coach (or someone who has a good one foot spin) to help you, because this is something someone needs to watch you do. And it'll take a while, don't get frustrated! Good luck.

[slusher]

Keep the skating knee soft even when you've hit the spin and then rise up slowly. You can crank out about 3 rev just from the rotation into the spin but it's the push down into the ice and rising up on the knee that gets the revs, and actually once the spin "sets", it's like you can ride it for ever, there's no feeling like it. You need to hit one, and then you'll say "oooooh, that's what it's all about".

I reworked my spin entrances completely this year with coaching, 15 minutes at a time nothing but spins. You need someone looking at you because it's all subtle corrections and what can feel good can be all wrong :frus: I have gone back to the long outside 3 turn entrance from a couple of crosscuts, or in program, back spiral then step down into curvy edge and spin. I warn you, in working spins I probably do 25 - 30 corkscrew spins in a practice, and I skate 5 days a week.

[Melzorina]

I spin anti clockwise, and spinning this way seems odd. I just can't keep my leg outstretched for the spin, it always comes in too fast or makes me feel unbalanced and my coach says to keep practising but it's so fustrating.

[fadedstardust]

The direction in which you spin/jump should not feel odd, it should feel natural. If it doesn't, you may be spinning in the wrong direction. Just because you are not left handed does not mean you automatically should spin counter-clockwise. Mention this to your coach, perhaps you could try some skills the other way to see if this may help. Which crossovers are strongest for you, going to the left or to the right? When you're standing on the ice and someone asks you to turn around right away without you think about it, which way do you go? Try to figure this out early on, otherwise it could hinder you. Meanwhile, if you truly do feel more comfortable going CCW, then give it some time, practice DOES fix all (or most...). Good luck.

[twokidsskatemom]

The direction in which you spin/jump should not feel odd, it should feel natural. If it doesn't, you may be spinning in the wrong direction. Just because you are not left handed does not mean you automatically should spin counter-clockwise. Mention this to your coach, perhaps you could try some skills the other way to see if this may help. Which crossovers are strongest for you, going to the left or to the right? When you're standing on the ice and someone asks you to turn around right away without you think about it, which way do you go? Try to figure this out early on, otherwise it could hinder you. Meanwhile, if you truly do feel more comfortable going CCW, then give it some time, practice DOES fix all (or most...). Good luck.
my dd is a righty but does all her spins jumps ect as a lefty.Just her natural way.