Why am I spinning on an inside edge?

[spiralina15]

When I practiced my scratch spin today I kept going on a deep inside edge. I tried leaning on my outside edge instead but I could not stay off my inside edge. I tried tying my skates tighter but that didn't help either. What am I doing wrong?

[ibreakhearts66]

A forward scratch actually should spin on an inside edge. If that inside edge is getting too deep and your circle is getting too big, it's probably because you are dropping the right side of your body (for CCW skater) too far into the circle.

[spiralina15]

I was recently suggested to get an arch support to replace the insole in my skates. It feels like there is a space between my arch and the insole and I just can't press down. Any suggestions on arch supports for figure skates?

[Sessy]

A forward scratch actually should spin on an inside edge. If that inside edge is getting too deep and your circle is getting too big, it's probably because you are dropping the right side of your body (for CCW skater) too far into the circle.

I totally agree, dropping the right hip and/or shoulder is the most likely explanation.

IF you rule that one out using a coach's opinion, other possible reasons include:
- blades mounted wrong for YOU (mom and I have the same size and shape of feet, but blade mounting differs slightly because she generally always had trouble hitting the inside edges, and her blades are compensating for that). 10 minutes with a screwdriver by a skating shop professional should solve that problem.
- blades actually *bent* due to generally incorrect mounting (happened to me, took me ages to figure out why I couldn't learn the spin - you can't really see the bend with the naked eye until you push the blades against a straight surface and you see the tips bending up from that surface). New blades will solve the problem.
- the need for insoles due to general feet problems. if you wear orthopedic insoles in your everyday shoes, you need to put them in your skates as well (after removing the sole already in the skate)
- skates are too "beginner" skates for your level, and/or too broken down. Extremely beginner skates often have very, VERY cheap blades which can have all sorts of issues (from different edge "height" for the two edges on the same blade to completely missing rockers to lots of other stuff) and also they are often of such weak leather that no matter how tight you tie them, you don't get enough ankle support. A skating coach should be able to advise you on your skates, and a skating shop professional specialised in figure skates should be able to advise you on your blades. If you know anybody of figure skaters with your size, you could ask them to put on your skates and try a few spins (on a public session or whatever) to give you an opinion of your skates.

[Sessy]

I was recently suggested to get an arch support to replace the insole in my skates. It feels like there is a space between my arch and the insole and I just can't press down. Any suggestions on arch supports for figure skates?

Do you generally wear orthopedic insoles? If so, put them in your skates. Just take the original insoles out (save them in case you ever wanna sell your skates) and then put your orthopedic ones in. Mine don't slide at all, strangely enough.

[Skittl1321]

If you know anybody of figure skaters with your size, you could ask them to put on your skates and try a few spins (on a public session or whatever) to give you an opinion of your skates.

Does this actually work for anyone? The first time I switched blades it took me about 3 hours of skating to be able to spin again, the 2nd time I don't know how many hours but it was over a month to get my spins back. I certainly don't think "try before you buy" works for blades.

[Isk8NYC]

Does this actually work for anyone? The first time I switched blades it took me about 3 hours of skating to be able to spin again, the 2nd time I don't know how many hours but it was over a month to get my spins back. I certainly don't think "try before you buy" works for blades.I agree - that wouldn't work. I've borrowed skates/used rentals and the difference was radical. No way would I have tried spins in them and I *love* to spin.

I absolutely agree that a poor mounting will keep you from spinning properly, but that doesn't seem to be the OP's situation. She's spinning on "a deep inside edge." It sounds to me that she might be twisting her upper body during the spin or holding her free leg out to the side, which is causing her hip to drop and pulling her onto that edge. Try "presenting" the free foot in front instead of keeping it to the outside and don't open your hip - your free knee should face forward throughout the spin.

You don't need to replace blades if they're mounted incorrectly. The warped blade can be corrected by a good pro shop. The real issue is having them SHARPENED more than once while they're bent. Once the blade has been damaged through repeated sharpenings, your best bet is to replace the blade. (Speaking from experience.)

[Sessy]

A girl at my rink actually forgot her skates once and borrowed somebody else's. I didn't even see a difference in how she skated. And this girl toes half-flips and stuff. (but then again almost everybody around here is on mk21 or club 2000 or coronation ace)

Me, I put on mom's skates this one day when I decided to learn to skate seriously with lessons and stuff (she hadn't used them in like eight years), did like two laps and told her nobody could skate in those skates. Took them to a shop that actually knew what they were doing (and weren't known for habitually taking off bottom toepicks), diagnosis: no rocker.
I know another skater who had blades with no rocker on beginner skates, simply because the blade was crafted that way. Since she'd started skating on those skates, she never realised why her 3-turns were so scratchy and she couldn't spin or do teapots/shoot the ducks, until the coach had the genious idea to get her to try somebody else's skates on. :frus:

Before that, I had my first ever skates sharpened at the same shop where they'd sharpened my mom's skates first (you know, the one where they didn't know what they were doing). Put them on... What the heck? Kept tripping. Turned my skates around... Hey, didn't there used to be one toepick more?! Sure did! :x All of that before I could do a 3-turn properly.

When I could spin, mom decided to start skating too and after coming to the conclusion that indeed she couldn't skate without a rocker either, she got new blades. Kept complaining that her blades were "off", that one edge was longer than the other, etc etc. I tried them on, skated half a lap and did a scratch spin, then some edges. Not as good as I would in my skates, but it worked. Gave the skates back to her, said they were fine but that it was silly of the shop where she bought it to mount them permanently without having her try them, and told her to go to the skating shop, tell the shop guy that she found it too hard to get on her inside edges and to re-mount the blades. They shifted them significantly in the end. Solved the miraculous "off" blades, "uneven" edges and every other problem she claimed to be having, and got me worried she might get better than me very fast, lol.

There were a few more instances like that.

I'm just saying, if there's something wrong with the blades you're gonna feel it if you're ever skated in skates that were fine. If you've started on the same skates you're having issues with, you might not feel something like that simply because you don't know how it's supposed to feel.

[Sessy]

You don't need to replace blades if they're mounted incorrectly. The warped blade can be corrected by a good pro shop. The real issue is having them SHARPENED more than once while they're bent. Once the blade has been damaged through repeated sharpenings, your best bet is to replace the blade. (Speaking from experience.)

I had bent blades and they were bent straight at the pro shop, then that worked for about two trainings and they were bent again. Maybe it's just a freak accident though. :lol:


Anyway I'm not saying the girl HAS an blade problem. I totally agree that the most likely problem is posture. I'm just mentioning the other possible problems.

[spiralina15]

I am sorry for the delay. I was finally able to get my blades sharpened properly. My blades were not being sharpened on the inside edge properly. My spins have improved a bit. I am sure that I will be able to do a proper scratch spin soon. Thanks for all your advice it has really helped!:D