Spinning tips!

[stepherroo444]

I have been skating for 2 years and my spins still stink! I can only get around like 2 or 3 times and my sit spins arn't like low at all. I JUST got my spin entrance like on Friday (It's Monday now).

ANY tips would be greatly appreciated! I am only really doing 1 foot spins and 1 foot sit spins! My coach hasn't taught me camels but I've tried them on my own before so tips for that would help to! :halo: :D

[dbny]

I just discovered something weird that is working well for me and also for my students when I tell them to try it. I noticed that when spinning, my hands were very relaxed, with no definitive pose, so I tightened up my middle fingers, basically straightening my entire hand. When I do that, it seems to move right up my arms and stabilize my shoulders! I'm now telling students to stretch through their fingertips all the time.

[Mrs Redboots]

I don't spin very well, either, and nor does my husband, although his spin is marginally more reliable than mine. Oddly, we have a great pairs' spin, though.

However, what I've noticed, through watching endless Step, Spin, Spiral competitions is that there seem to be two sorts of spinners - those who just do an unchecked 3-turn and hope for the best (which is what we tend to do!) and those who know, either instinctively or from careful teaching, exactly what to do with their bodies to cause the spin to happen. I think it is to do with closing your free hip (right hip, assuming you spin anti-clockwise) and really pulling in, and once you can do that, you then push down.... still not quite sure how, myself! But it's a definite technique, and I recognise it when I see it!

[Isk8NYC]

I love to spin and I like teaching spins as well. It's hard to say what you're doing right or wrong without seeing you skate. So here's a few things to check before you try any new spin techniques:

First, have someone check your skates. A misaligned, missized, or badly sharpened blade can prevent you from being able to spin. You have to be able to find the "sweet spot" on your blade, also called the rocker. Try this exercise: hold onto the wall and stand on the flat of one blade. "swish" back and forth - you should feel resistance and scraping. Now stand on the toepick and swish - you should feel it digging a hold. Finally, come down off the toepick to the spot where the blade swings freely when you swish. That's the spot. If your blade is in the right place, the rocker should be under the ball of your foot. If it's not, that could be the problem.

I just lost a pair of blade to a bad sharpening - the RO edge was completely flattened and I just couldn't spin, which is unusual for me. My new-to-me blades resolved the problem.

The second thing is to work on core body strength. Think about a spin: you have to hold yourself up straight, balancing over one side on a small part of the blade with the free leg stretched out and your arms held away from your body; thats' just DURING the spin - the entrance and exit also take strength and flexibility. These aren't natural movements for most of us - when was the last time you stood holding your free leg up in the air? lol So, start exercising and training off-ice to help you hold it all together.

The third thing to do is to relax into the spin. I've found that a lot of students are really afraid to use their upper bodies. They are afraid to twist, they stiffen up, and end up looking like mummies that can't spin for more than a few revs.

Make sure you stand up straight when you're spinning, but don't stiffen up or you'll go up onto your toepicks and start looping off. Think about picking up your toes inside your boot so that you stay over the rocker.

I think that the key point about arms is to not be afraid to hold them up. Many weak spinners fear lifting their arms above their bellybutton. That position just doesn't work with upright spins, it makes you hunch over. You have to think about keeping your shoulders level and (during the spin) over your hips.

Do two-foot spins and lift your arms without shrugging your shoulders - it's a good "loosening up" exercise for getting over fear. Lifting your arms will straighten your spine and align your upper body from head to hips, so practice these every time you go on the ice.

Scratch spins with the hands up are much faster because it tightens your body more than pushing the hands down to the bellybutton. You can really feel your shoulders pushing back to align your spine.

[Isk8NYC]

Entrances: (for CCW skaters)

Don't stiffen up. Think of "leading with your left" hand into the entrance. Your FO edge should follow that hand.

You should be entering on a bent knee, with the free leg trailing behind. Don't bend at the waist - think about leading with your chin and chest over your bent skating knee.

I teach my students to keep the free arm back, but other coaches have skaters keep it forward. Try it both ways and see what works better for you.

Don't do a big curve on the entrance; make it tight and deep. Draw a little half-circle on the ice with no more than 18" radius.


This is absolutely THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: If you're entering from back crossovers, DON'T TURN AROUND before you step forward!!!

So many skaters scratch to an almost-complete halt, then turn around and step forward! The crossovers are supposed to BUILD speed, so the toepick dig just causes you to lose all momentum. Plus, it sounds awful, lol. So don't do it!


The "cross and hold" BI edge should trace part of a circle on the ice. If you've checked your left shoulder/arm properly, think about stepping FORWARD UNDER that left hand INTO THE CIRCLE you've just traced.

When you turn around and step away from the center of the BI-traced circle, that ruins alignment making it almost impossible to start/center the spin properly and also causes a loss of speed.

If you've twisted your upper body, and the edge is deep enough, the entry 3-turn will happen naturally. As you begin to turn the 3T on a bent knee, bring the free leg and arm around TOGETHER to start the spin. That "snap" has to happen in order for the spin to begin. If you already have the free leg next to your skating leg when the 3T starts, you won't get any snap and your spin will be slow and awkward. Many skaters don't have the momentum to hold the free leg up and it drags down the entire free side of their bodies, lol.


WRONG Entry:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c127/Isk8NYC/Skating/SpinEntrance_WRONG.jpg?t=1234884525

CORRECT Entry:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c127/Isk8NYC/Skating/SpinEntrance.jpg?t=1234883915


In these diagrams, the solid line is the BI edge, the dotted line is the "step forward into your circle" entry edge. (CCW spinners)

[jwrnsktr]

Awesome advice - must have taken you a lot of time. Thanks.

[CoachPA]

Isk8NYC: Great illustrations! Just wondering where you pulled them from; is there a great website I haven't discovered yet?

[Isk8NYC]

Isk8NYC: Great illustrations! Just wondering where you pulled them from; is there a great website I haven't discovered yet?
Nope; I drew them using MS Word, lol. Your illustrations for the PSA vs. EVERYONE ELSE turns were good too, IIRC. Were they from a site?

I've never found a great graphics website for things like this. You can find the 3Turns/Mohawks here and there, but not the technique stuff for coaching.

[CoachPA]

Nope; I drew them using MS Word, lol. Your illustrations for the PSA vs. EVERYONE ELSE turns were good too, IIRC. Were they from a site?

I've never found a great graphics website for things like this. You can find the 3Turns/Mohawks here and there, but not the technique stuff for coaching.

Nope. I drew them up myself, but I sure wish there existed such a site!

[stepherroo444]

Oh my gosh! Thanks for the super advice guys :D My spin is slowly starting to get better, I'll try out the tips at practice tommorow! It's a group session so I hope we do spins! :D

[Mrs Redboots]

Nope. I drew them up myself, but I sure wish there existed such a site!

Maybe you guys should get together and found one?