Balancing

[Luckster013]

I've been working on my scratch spins lately and i'm having a lot of trouble. My wind up is really good but the only problem i have is finding my balance point. The first thing I do after the 3-turn is go up on my toe pick, and then I can't spin. Does anyone have any tips on how to stay on the right part of my blade?

[Isk8NYC]

Make sure you're going into the spin properly. If your tracing shows the curve of the windup with the spin foot stepping out at 90 degrees or more, you're stepping out of your circle.

Think about the windup curve as your "river" and you want to go back "up river" the way you came. That way, you don't lose momentum and you can hook the spin properly. (Also, push with your feet close together - you don't want a big lurch as you step far away.)

As for toe picks, once you've learned to "enter and center," it's usually a matter of squaring your shoulders and picking up your toes so you balance on the edge right behind the toe pick -- the "rocker."

[quarkiki2]

I'm working on these, too. make sure you're stepping on to the heel of the spinning foot and your three is less likely to rock all the way onto the toepick.

[Paulie86]

Also make sure you don't lean too far forward as you enter the spin, otherwise you'll go up on your toe pick

[doubletoe]

You are rushing the entrance. Keep the knee deeply bent as long as you can, with the free leg behind you. Then, even when you bring the free leg through, keep the knee bent. Never completely straighten the skating knee, but keep it "soft." Meanwhile, focus on pressing the ball of your blade into the ice.