I've just started learning how to do a backspin , and it seems that no matter how hard i try , i cant .. balance .. properly . i still feel weird and i sometimes end up tripping over my leg when i cross it . any tips ?
also , i cant get the hang of toe loops . do you 'kick' to the left with your left foot ? or do you just jump with both feet ?
any advice would be appreciated

thanks !

Hello,
Let me try to help with the backspin.
My coach used to tell me to press on the baby toe of the spinning leg. Try to spin a few rounds with your free leg open to get used to the balance. Make sure that your hip is 'closed' and your free leg 'fliped over' (heel pointing sideways rather than to the ice) before you pull your leg in. Also try to make your leg and arm the same angle - as in if you are doing your back spin on your rightleg (most righthanded people) then your left arm and left leg should be in line before you pull your left leg in.

Hope that helps

What helped me with the backspin was a) working on change foots until I felt comfortable spinning on the opposite leg and b) going into a backscratch from a forward scratch. I thought my coach was crazy when she suggested this but I do a better backspin that was than from the regular entry.

The toe loop gives a lot of people grief but I find it to be the easiest jump. The important thing to remember is to check the 3 turn and hold before placing the toe pick in the ice. So many people want to just do the 3 turn and jab the toe pick in the ice right away...you need to have a good, square check. This will also keep you from doing a toe waltz. As far as the free leg you don't want to kick it through, but rather use the momentum of the leg following through so that you cover a lot of ice. Hope this helps.