When do continuous double 3turns become twizzles? Is it speed/no of rotations, direction of travel or the part of the blade in contact with the ice?

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Skate Free

Oooh, good question. I think a large part of it is that there is no checking in twizzles (at least until the end) - it's a smooth series of turn with upper and lower body in alignment - "shoulders over hips" as my coach says. I'm sure you'll get much better/more precise answers than this though, and I look forward to seeing what they are.

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3turn
The Great Skate Experiment

In addition, the skating knee stays straight for twizzles, instead of rising & falling as it would for 3 turns.

so its kinda like spinning but in a direction? What does the marks on the ice look like when doing twizzles?

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starting at 28

It looks like 3 turn "points", but very close together (maybe a foot) & running more or less in a straight line.

I've been taught to stay on the back of the blade throughout for twizzles, whereas for double threes, you rock between the front and back of the blade. I find them completely different techniques.

Fiona

yeah.....basically it's a 'drifting' spin hehe. So some people that don't center their spins and drift right across the floor will get a rough idea.

Actually that's not correct, & a common misperception. A spin will leave tracings of loops on the ice, & you're staying on the front part of your blade. A twizzle is completely different technique, & leaves "points" like a 3 turn tracing. And as someone else has pointed out, ideally you stay further back on your blade, though I tend to still think about shifting my weight forward & back on the ones that are most difficult for me (LFI & LFO).

Hee, hee, you've never seen my upright backspin tracings - beautiful sets of
3turns, usually in a nice, straight line.

Coach always looks at the tracing and says, "well, you've got great twizzles".
And I do great twizzles, on my right foot at least. No movement really from my foot or shoulders, keep checked throughout.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

The main thing I've always had drilled into my head is you come up in the knee for twizzles - the minute you bend you break them and they become 3s.

Tracings look totally different too so you can see whether they are 3s or twizzles