I never though about children's centre of gravity being shorter as a reason why they can learn it easier than adults on the metal spinner. I thought it is my spinning skills (or should I say lack of them) being the reason that I couldn't learn it on the spinner.

Can children learn it easier at all? I have never seen anyone spinning well on the spinner...

You don't need translation, the page translates itself. I don't speak German much either and on the right side there is Google translation and when you click on it, it has whole selection of languages you want google to translate it. (well, at least it did translate for me all the information about the spinner into English).

Then I filled out the order form - unfortunately the form was in German, but it was quite easy to guess what is first name, what is surname, what is address, what is email etc. Then I got some email in Geman (saying not sure what) so I replied them in English asking them whether I managed to place the order or not, and if not, whether there is any way how I can order it appart of on webpage in a language I don't speak. They emailed me in English and then it was easy. Paid by Paypal.

I don't get it. In spite of several mentions, people complain about the high price of "skate spinners" without checking out the more economical, more widely available and (coming from large companies) probably better made "twist boards".

For that matter, spinners are nothing more than a "turntable bearing" with attached plates. Our Bill Scheider built one shown here.

Anyway, some time ago I here suggested that a well designed spinner would mount (e.g., strap) the spinner on the shoe, so you could step into the spin, like you do in real spins. The indented german model is a step in the right direction - maybe you could glue it or the Rainbo model to a shoe - but temporarally attaching the spinner onto whatever part of the shoe you wanted to spin off would be so much better. It could even mount like a blade guard onto your skate. It's so obvious and easy to make - why doesn't someone make one?

We explored other alternatives in that thread - like lubricating a sock and very smooth laminate floor material - which could be quite cheap too.

Are twist boards made for continual rotation?

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Oops! Looks like some models don't. I'm so sorry. Hope no one bought the wrong type.

Someone here has one
http://skatingforums.com/showpost.ph...8&postcount=30

Maybe you could send her/him a question about it.

Since they are more common than "skate spinners", maybe you can find one in a store.

I am really hoping that a skate spinner will help to improve my spins. I would really love some feedback on how the skate spinners compare to actually being on the ice (What are the differences?) Also, if anyone has tried any of the following spinners, could you let me know how they worked for you? I am comparing lots, but need some advice. I want a good spinner for a cheap price, but understand that a more expensive one may be necessary.

Here is the list:

Wooden one on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Spinner-Ice-Figu...QQcmdZViewItem

Rainbo sport one: http://www.rainbosports.com/shop/sit...1FDB10BFB76925

Expensive one that looks best: http://www.spinner-jame.com/purple.html

Also, I read on another forum that the spinners (the round ones) are not good for front spins (??) Does anyone know why this would be? Are the foot-shaped ones good for practicing front spins? Thanks

I know, I experienced the same thing. Well here's the thing, it's like... You can't do the set up for the front spin on a round metal disk spinner. Physically impossible. And it's the set-up where people mess up the most that causes them to spin uncentered, not the actual spinning.
But you can do a backspin that's almost identical to the one on ice, except you sorta tap the floor instead of pushing off onto a forward inside edge, but other than that, it feels kinda the same. At least, IMHO.

Basically the thing with spinners is... You have to be able to spin before you can use them with any benefit. Essentially, they'll help with your core strength, your sense of balance, your shoulder and hip alignment... But they don't help with the set-up. That has to be good before you start.

Also, what you might not be aware of. At least the round metal disk spinner I have can also be used very successfully to practice things like back 3-turns and all sorts of other turns that I keep confusing the names of, like forward-inside-to-back-inside edge. The thing is it really helps with is uhm... Stopping the rotation with your shoulders, and initialising it again. I guess being able to do that well also might help with the jump landings.

Thanks Sessy! That is interesting. It is really the front spin that I want to improve on, but I may try a spinner just for balancing on it anyways. I was watching the youtube demo video, and I noticed that all of the spins are back spins except for one, and they don't show how she started the spin!! It makes me suspicious...I'm glad I know the spinner is better for back spins now.

No no no Sessy - it's for learning the compulsory dance patterns around the edge of the rectangular rug in the centre of the room!! (Gotta move the coffee table and the kids' school bags first next time...)

Back on topic - I've just ordered one and will post once it arrives and I discover how many ways I can kill myself using it!

I am sooo anxious to get one of these spinners! But I do have another concern. I know that the front spins are harder to practice on the spinners than the back spins...but could I still practice my front spins by swinging my leg around from a standstill?? So, I was trying to spin on my hardwookd floor with socks on...haha...and I always fall over, but I can see myself doing the exact same thing on the spinner and really having it not work for me!! Well, I hope it will work. Another question: RAINBO for $30....or pay $55 more for the one I have seen a video for?! Is it worth it to pay more or is the Rainbo one good too????

Still waiting for my order to come in....

But to mention, i did try a little girls like that, and i did better than the square one. One of my coaches recommended the metal spinner b/c she seems to think the plastic one can slip out from under, but i was happier on the plastic one. Only got to use it for a few minutes though. I personally felt safer on that one, too! Less likely to go sailing away.

Creative skater, you won't just have the same problem on the spinner - it will be WORSE!

BTW I have a spinner. Guess what. I practice on socks on wood and laminate floors... Or on hard soled non-sticky boots, sometimes. I can actually do a sit spin of 2 revolutions or so that way.

So your problem is swinging around the leg, and you fall doing that? Let's focus on that.
Make a video of yourself doing the spin. On ice or on the floor, doesn't really matter. Play it frame by frame. What do you see?
- Do you happen to drop your free hip, or take your shoulders out of horizontal allignment (dropping/raising one of them)? That would account for you falling over both on the floor and on ice.
- Do you twist at the waist, meaning that if you drew a line between your two hips and one between your two shoulders and looked at yourself from above, the lines wouldn't be on top of each other but forming an X ?
- Where's your head pointing, are you looking into the spin (for ccw: to the left), straight ahead or behind your spin (for ccw: to the right?)
- How's the line of your spine? Try to sort of... Pull your tail in and push your rib cage a little forward, while keeping your back straight. Feel the tension in your belly muscles and lower back? Being a little rigid in your spin (don't over do it, either, you still need to breathe) is something that helps staying in the spin. Think of it as taking 1 piece of spaghetti between your fingers and making it spin around the axis. It works easily with unboiled spaghetti, as that stays straight, but it's a lot harder with boiled spaghetti as that starts to be drawn to the outside of the circle by the rotational forces.

I strongly suspect you're dropping a hip or a shoulder without noticing it, when you're swinging around that leg.

Okay,

I got my spinner today, tore into the package and immediately went to work!

Found out it IS slick on my kitchen floor. I imagine if it gets scuffed up some, it might get better.

Doesn't work on berber(sp?) -type carpet, but works slowly on my smooth carpet that has no pile in rec room. I guess it will correct my backspin because it won't let me get on the back of the blade! But it is scary, too! I still think the square one is weirder and the one i got (the FLAT one with the rocker) is closer to finding that correct spot on the blade. So, i will keep you posted, but you WON'T see me on youtube! unless you want a good laugh!

I am anxious to hear about the german one!

I got the german one today! I tried it on a laminate floor in the kitchen. It spins well, but I have a lot to learn (the balance on the rocker of this spinner). I am a bit scared to do it at home because there is not that much space in the kitchen and falling down on the edge of the kitchen cupboards or food cupboard could be very painful. In the rest of rooms we have carpets. I will take it with me when I go to our ice skating rink. There is a huge hall with a very low pile carpet (well, more like no pile at all carpet), so I will see if I can spin on that. At least I would have more space to fall.

I will let you know how it spins (meaning whether I am more sucesfull to learn spining on this spinner than on the metalic one) and how my spins on ice are improving (or not improving) by practising off ice on the spinner.

I must warn you though that I am rotationally challenged (my body was probably not made to spin!), so my possible lack of improvment should not mean that the spinner is not good. (But if I do some improvment, the spinner would be something really special).

Forgot to say, the spinner from the German webside is actually made in Finland.

http://www.spinner-jame.com/english.html

They have English version of the web side.

So is the "german" spinner slick on the bottom like my plastic one?

I don't really know what you mean by slick at the bottom. It is a bit difficult to compare 2 products if I have one and you have the other one
Tried it today at our ice skating rink and have to say that I wasn't doing that great job spinning on it (let's face it, it is not going to spin unless I make it spin). Saying that, today was not generally my spinning day on ice either, so it shouldn't be bad reflection on the spinner.

When i say "slick" i mean mine is plastic all over, but the plastic on the bottom makes it slip on the floor. It might get less "slicky" as i scuff it up more, but so far, one time, i was spinning and put my weight too far one direction or another and it shot out from under me and i kind of jerked as it did it! It was a little scary, but it may get better. The metal one was scary, but different scary because I was the one flying off then!

Maybe you could try it at the rink, on the padded part of the floor meant for walking on w/ your skates--that's a hard floor, but kind of rubbery so maybe it wouldn't slip so much.

Plastic can be sandpapered to roughen it up. Should help.

I am not sure if that would not defy the purpose of the object. Spinner is supposed to spin, and if you roughen it up, then it is not going to spin that well. The problem may be the technique - I think we may need time to learn how to spin on it. I think the ice is more forgiving than this is. On the ice, you still may have chance sometimes to centre it somehow even if the spin doesn't go that well. Here I haven't figured out how yet.

Yes, mine is plastic all over too. I think the problem is not that it is too slippery; the problem is that I don't put my weight exactly on the spot where it is supposed to be. That's why I said that I will need to learn to spin on it. Then again, if I didn't have a problem with it on ice, I wouldn't need a spinner to practice.

If yours spins too quickly, try on a different surface, such as low pile carpet. If it is still too quick, try higher pile carpet.

No I mean - roughen up the bottom and the top, not the inside of the spinner. So it sticks to the floor better, and to your shoes.

Edit: Eh I just realised, you weren't talking about one of those insole spinners were you? Cuz with those, that definitely wouldn't work. I was thinking of a two-plates-over-each-other type of spinner.

The ice is definitely more forgiving. That's why I spin on socks despite having a metal spinner... At least that way, it doesn't need to be 100% centered.

Well, yes, mine is the non-metal one that sort-of looks like an insole.

So, we'll just have to see. I think both kinds are just dangerous! ha ha

When i borrowed my little friend and took it to a rink i sometimes go to out of town, they had a nice big room with a mirror and low pile carpeting, and i did better on that metal one there b/c i was not afraid of hitting something. I actually accomplished my back camel on it!

those little kids who can do them with no problem totally disgust me.....