If you find you're slowing down and can't keep spinning, try these tips:

• Close your legs/feet during the spin. If you spread the feet apart, you are causing it to stop.
• Make yourself tall and stand up straight so you're not wobbling.
• Keep your hands in front where you can see them and pretend to hold a big ball at first, drawing the arms in slowly.
• The faster you draw in your arms, the sooner your spin will end so if you need more revolutions, don't pull in right away.
• Don't lean forward or backward - keep your spine straight. Leaning throws off balance and slows down the spin.
• Find the "sweet spot": NOT on the toepicks, NOT on the middle of your blade, but on the blade right BEHIND your toepicks where both your toes and your heels will swing freely.
• Pick up your toes and heels inside the boot to press on that spot - it should be under the ball of your foot. (If your skates are sized/mounted properly)

I don't teach parallel feet | | because it slows down the spin and skaters often put their heels together in error which can cause a fall.
Instead, I teach "pigeon toes" /\ so that their weight is held forward on the ball of the foot. Many end up with the parallel feet, which is acceptable too.

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You might be slowing down because you may be tilting sideways and falling out of it; you may be rocking on your blade (either forward or backwards). You may also just be losing momentum if it was entered slowly or with no momentum going in; and, if you pop up to a straight leg too soon that will tends slow you way down.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

This type of preparation, FSWer, is called a pivot.

But I took my watch off!

Should my Toe-picks be touching the ice and helping me at all? LOL. btw. is your Rink coo-koo Yui? Are you trying to tell us that it's not allowed to wear a helmet?

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FSWer

I've seen lessons advertised where they say right out that skaters of a certain level HAVE to wear helmets. I think it was just Basic 1, or Basic 1 & 2, or something. I don't know if that would've applied to the adults or not, though. Presumably it was geared toward little kids who are less likely to have their balance to begin with and less likely to be able to fall safely.

. Toe picks do not touch the ice during the spin.
. Please wear a helmet, FSWer. It doesn't affect two-foot spins at all.

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LOL,I DO wrear my helmet. I was responding to Yui's last message. I was Nasking if Yui ment your not allowed to wear a helmet? Because I curtainly hope a Rink wouldn't do that.

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FSWer

Yea no helmets what so ever. then again. from the very beginning we get taught how to get up when we fall. i think it might be because they dont want you to get used to a helmet. anyway the worst injury ive had was doing backwards crossovers then a one foot outside edge glide. i full backwards and landed on one hand. all 70kg on one hand lol. then i was reall hurt and went to first aid. i've never fallen on my head since grade 1 and now im bronze which would be grade 11 in numbers. i dont see how you could fall on your head. forward you're on your belly backwards your on your bum. also wouldnt it hurt abit if you fell backward and the helmet crashed into your head? they wear helmets for hockey though. not figure

I can imagine that if, conceivably, I fell backward hard enough and bounced off my butt, I could hit my head. Or, if jumping or spinning and you fall fast enough to not have time to try to NOT land on your head.

Usually when I fall I have time to try to land on some soft part of my body, but I had one fall where I was up, then I was down, and didn't have time to think in between...and I would imagine that would be the sort of fall where one could hit one's head.

I've had concussions from falls while skating, and I do jumps up through some doubles as well as ice-dance. It really isn't that hard to imagine. Once I was doing footwork, fell straight backward. It happened so quickly that I could not put my hands back, and that likely would have broken something if I had tried to catch myself in that position. I smacked the back of my head.

If you fall backward, you may hit another part of your body first, but the momentum can keep you going and hit your head on the ice. I could also see falling sideways, trying to catch yourself and your hand slipping out from under you or some such thing. Even if you land on your hip or side, your head could still continue to go farther and hit the ice. "Bouncing" off another part of your body doesn't mean you are going to bounce away from the ice. It could throw your head straight into the ice instead.

It is important for beginning skaters of all ages, especially those who may have pre-existing balance or muscle issues, to take precautions and wear a helmet to prevent possible serious injury. Even elite competitiors have worn helmets after a head injury while they get used to the ice again if there is even the possibility that hitting their head could occur and create more damage.

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"Without a struggle, there can be no progress" ~ Frederick Douglass

I had a nasty fall several years ago when I fell on a back progressive, I only saved my head by tucking my chin into my chest. My most recent concussion was from whacking my chin on the ice from falling forward (was wearing hockey skates).

I have been knocked down while teaching and have fallen and barely hit my head (saved it repeatedly, but I know one day I'll whack it again).

You never know when a bad fall is coming, either from catching a rut in the ice, a toepick, or from someone hitting you and knocking you down.

For a rink that doesn't let a beginning skater wear a helmet-I'd ask them how they want their name spelled in any lawsuit....because the liability would be theirs in the end. You could actually say you HAVE to wear one that it's a required medical device (that's what my doctor said after my concussion-but I opted to stay off the ice for the week).

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

LOL,has anyone ever gotten hurt in a situation a helmet could prevent? I bet there hasn't. As you know the saying...there has to be an accident before people will do something.

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FSWer

^I dunno, but I know I started wearing elbow pads AFTER my nasty fall a couple weeks ago! My elbow is STILL a bit sore!

I think I figured out why i can't stay balanced on a two-foot spin...it's because I can't even do one on dry land without being unbalanced! So I think I'm going to practice sliding around on my socks on our hardwood floors, and when I can do that, THEN I'll take it to the ice!

Strangely enough, though, I too have done two-foot spins by accident, usually due to to a turn gone bad. Wish I could do it INTENTIONALLY!

Don't forget to try spinning in a swivel chair as well-it gets your body used to the sensation of spinning. Use caution-don't twirl too hard or the chair could fall over!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

^ Oh boy...this is going to go over well at work tomorrow!

Oh well. What are coworkers for if not to think you're loopy?

Ha ha! I used to get caught many times spinning in my chair, spiraling at my desk, and waltz jumping at the copier!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

I try really hard not to get caught practicing Highland dance, bunny hops, and singing to myself at work. And also taking off my shoes and practicing two-foot spins in my socks on the lino floor in the kitchen while waiting for the microwave to heat my water for my tea (that was yesterday).

A-ha! soo many things to line-up right - so, when will "spins" become AUTOMATIC...

oh, but that's 1/2 the fun you know: practicing... bunny-hops, Waltz-jumps, & full-rotations, while Grocery-shopping... at 2 am
or
while at the Gas-station, or whereever... 3 days ago, I was at the Farmer's market, & the folks there already know lol

Hi

Umm, you can start your 2 foot spin from a pivot position, I normally start from a standstill position.

My other skating friends trying to teach her friend basic two foot spin from a pivot position. The friend cannot get more than 2 revolutions. Do not know why. I can feel her frustration. The friend is quite good with jumps though.

londonicechamp