Sit spin Help..Again

[froggy]

I've been working on the sit spin for a couple of months already and it's still popping out at about 1 1/2 revolutions maybe 2 at best. i have looked at past threads books, took a lesson with another coach, been doing shoot the ducks, videotaped myself etc.. well today it dawned on me that maybe mabye a BIG reason why my sit spin is not spinning is because when I enter it, my free leg does not touch my skating leg and my weight is then too much distributed instead of being on the skating leg only. I tried thinking "squeeze legs together" but i just cant while spinningon the ice. off ice i began doing exercises to work those muscles to squeeze my thighs together. So my question is how do i keep my legs together? is there something I should be thinking or doing to make it (my muscles)work right?
so sorry for all the venting, this spin has been such a challenge but s/t i so badly i want to achieve well at doing!

[SkatingOnClouds]

I'm struggling with the same issue, I cannot get my free leg anywhere near my skating leg.

Are you popping out because the spin isn't centred. It's pretty hard to hold onto the spin if you aren't centred, and I notice that getting the free leg close to the free leg isn't vital to getting the spin is centred.

Another thing, How are you going into the spin? Are you going in low and bringing the free leg around, or standing up to centre and then dropping into sit position?

[NickiT]

For me the key to a decent sit spin is timing as much as anything else. You have to snap into that position. It's important to get the knees close together. Really try to squeeze your knees as this will help get you lower and into a better position. Once you get that you will find you have no problems spinning.

Nicki

[Casey]

Can I join the "sit spins hate me" club, too? (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/ice_skating/2006-05-26/casey-sit_spins.3gp) :P

[lovepairs]

Hi Guys,

The problem is not whether, or not the free leg is an open, straight, or in a very wrapped position. The reason why you are falling out of the spin after 1.5 rotations is because the entry to the spin is technically not correct. This one is a hard one to explain in words with out showing it to you, and, especially on the ice. Okay, I'll give it a try:

Take your time entering into the spin before going down...wait, wait, wait, until you have reached the center of the spin. For counter clockwise spinners: when entering the spin do not break sideways (to the right) at the waist. This is a common problem, because the centrifical force fights you and you feel as though you have to do this, but don't. The next common problem is dropping the right hip as you are entering and going down. Keep your hips level, or at the very beginning of trying this think keeping your right hip ever so slightly raised. When you go down into the sit postion, think about "spiraling" down slowly and evenly. Have an image of a carvel soft serve ice cream cone in your mind--remember watching them make it as a kid--and loving how the ice cream would come spiraling out of the machine into the cone? Well, this is exactly how you want to go down. In a "soft serve" spiral. Anything snappy, or abrupt (like snapping into the down position) will distabilize you and by 1.5 rotations you will be off center and falling out.

Hope this helps.

[froggy]

thanks for all the advice, i enter (ccw) going in low and then quickly snapping my right leg around. ill try doing it slower and waiting a bit. thanks

[AlissaCzisnyFan]

Also, you don't want to "pop" your sitspin.

When you go into the sit spin, your leg is bent. My problem with it was I would straighten my leg, then go down into the position.

You don't want to do: bend/straight/bend. Make sure when you bend your leg at the beginning that it stays bent.

[slusher]

Can I join the "sit spins hate me" club, too? (http://kc.sk8rland.com/video/ice_skating/2006-05-26/casey-sit_spins.3gp) :P


The second one was a lot better because your body was more centered, although you are hunching forward to get lower and need to bend at the ankle more. You need to step into the circle (the circle you've just outlined with xcuts) when doing the 3 turn, ie back xcuts, step to the left foot, snap right leg around. When stepping to that left foot, to exaggerate, think about trying to step back in the direction you came from.

I'm of the school of go in low and snap arm and leg around, so as soon as I'm finished the 3 turn almost, I'm in the position that I will stay for the rest of the spin. Obviously, getting a good entrance is key.

I got my sit spin video'd on Friday. Oh gawd, I'm nowhere near as low as I (smugly) thought I was. But, for a sort of low spin, it was centered and had 8 controlled revolutions, so I'll take it for now. I have to work on going into the spin on an even more bent knee, and think about flexing the ankle, not the knee when in the spin. That will put me more forward, and lower.

[doubletoe]

It's true, if you are having trouble getting your legs together and staying in the spin, the problem is poor momentum and and that means a problem with your entrance edge and probably your free leg timing and technique.
It is important to extend your free leg way behind you on the entrance edge before you swing it around, since the farther your foot is extended behind you, the more momentum you will have when you bring it around to the front. Also, if your free leg doesn't get all the way to the front, you might not be holding your entrance edge long enough. Try the sitspin entrance on a line and let the entrance edge go at least a half circle (starting at the line and coming back to the line) before you swing the leg around. Finally, as your free leg gets to the 2:00 position (in front but not yet directly in front of you), make sure you turn your free foot out very quickly and turn it out all the way. That makes it a lot easier to bring the free leg all the way in to the skating leg.

Here are some of the other things you might want to check on your sitspin:

1. Entry:
(a) On the entrance edge and throughout the spin, keep your chin up (don't look at the ice!), and keep your back arched with your shoulders pulled back. Don't let your shoulders hunch. If you don't keep your back rigid and your shoulders back, you will never make it into the spin.
(b) As you push off onto your entrance edge, extend your free leg way back behind you, so that you’ll create a wider arc when you swing it around. Also, get down as low on your skating knee as you can when you push off onto the entrance edge.
(c) On the entrance edge, swing your free leg smoothly and in a big arc, keeping the leg strong with the knee locked straight. Think of your free foot as the pendulum that will give you the momentum you need for the spin.
(d) Turn your free foot out when it gets to about 2:00. Don't wait until it is all the way in front of you.

2. Locking into position:
(a) You should have enough momentum with your free leg swing that it collides into your skating leg and locks into place at the end of the entrance edge. The free leg will actually push the skating leg and help you spin. It will also keep you over your left hip instead of falling in to the right.
(b) Getting low enough: Once your free leg is pressed against your skating let, keep adjusting until you can feel the top of your left calf against the inside of your right thigh (Notice your right knee is lower than your left; the knees are not locked together). If you don't feel that, your skating thigh is not parallel to the ice and you aren't low enough. Practice getting into this position off ice, wearing a shoe with about a 2" heel on it to simulate your skates.

[froggy]

where should my arms be on entering the spin (after the back crossover as I'm entering back "into" the circle)? right now I have the right at about 3o'clock and the left ahead of me 11/12 o'clock. I have read once about keeping the left arm back, is that a better technique?

[doubletoe]

where should my arms be on entering the spin (after the back crossover as I'm entering back "into" the circle)? right now I have the right at about 3o'clock and the left ahead of me 11/12 o'clock. I have read once about keeping the left arm back, is that a better technique?

When you are on the RBI windup edge (assuming you spin CCW on your left foot), your arms will start out in the usual 10:00 and 2:00 position, then your torso and shoulders will twist to the right so that your right arm ends up at 6:00 and your left is at about 2:00. I like to continue looking into the inside of the circle as I wind up my torso (I end up looking over my left shoulder), and then push off into the circle. Once you have pushed off onto the entrance edge, your shoulders will start to unwind automatically so that your shoulders and torso once again become square with your hips. Once you're on the entrance edge, your left arm will be sticking out straight out in front of you, lined up with your left shoulder. It basically won't move; the right arm will just swing around and come into position straight in front of you when it comes around with the free leg. Once you're in the sitspin position, you'll lower both hands a little to make sure you stay on the ball of the foot instead of falling back on your heel.

[doubletoe]

Actually, that may have been more complicated an answer than you were asking for. . . Left arm at 11:00/12:00 and right arm at 3:00 sounds fine for the entrance edge, LOL!