Hello All!

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying your summers!

I recently learned a backscratch spin in a group class, but I'm not having a great deal of success with it... my entry is pretty OK (I think), and I'm not thrashing about or anything, but I can't get more than one rotation out of it before I find myself stuck on the back of my skate. I tried to simply go faster as I entered it, but I still ended up stopping after one.

I would appreciate it if you could post absolutely anything you know about the backscratch spin, whether you think its relevant or not... useless info to you may be treasure to me! I tried to look it up online, but there were limited resources about it. I'd like to have as much information as possible!

Thanks for your help!

Happy Skating

~*EVIE*~

Hi

If you do a search on here for back spin you'll find that this spin is nemesis of most of us on here! PLUS you'll find lots of tales, tips etc about it

Unfortunately the 'secret' to this spin seems to be hours on the ice, it's one of those things that just won't put in an appearance until it's satisfied that you've earned it

How I eventually 'got it' (and 'got it' is relative!) is by going into it from FI edges ...... LFI, RFI and then into the spin (possibly because we can't do a change foot spin for the first test that we need to do it in so that's how I had to practise it). I also keep the free leg out until I'm balanced and THEN pull in, some coaches teach you to pull in as soon as you go into the spin, I found that this method put me off balance right from the start.

Another thing is to think about keeping your skating leg quite soft to start with (too straight and you're more likely to rock) and to press down through the ball of the foot (I think). My old coach used to tell me to think of being sucked up through a tube (her way of making sure that I stood up straight), if you 'get' the feeling then it does make sense.

I also find that going into it too slowly makes the whole process a lot more painful so be brave!

That's all that I can think of at the moment (it IS 6am and I'm up and about on my day off ) but I'm sure that there are lots of people who will chip in with different ideas. Try out different methods and see what works for you

Oh, and good luck ...... maybe we should resurrect the 'Backspin Support Group'


x

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The best whisper is a click

I agree with TashaKat. The only sure way to success with the backspin is practice, practice, practice. When I was learning it I'd make myself do 10 at a time, maybe three or four times in a session. I built up from doing just 4 or 5 out of 10 till I was doing 9 or 10 out of 10. Kind of made it more fun to challenge myself that way too and I now have a pretty decent backspin so it worked for me!

Nicki

Thank you guys so much! Im printing this and bringing it to the rink with me today!! I see a lot of different things to try now.

Much Love!

~*EVIE*~

Is/was there a foreward scratch spin support club?

No, fraid not but there's nothing to stop you starting one

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The best whisper is a click

Since British dancers now have to have a dance spin almost from the word "go", how about a support club for dance/pairs spins?

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

How about a 'spin support group'? Spins are my crappiest element, love jumps but spins are hard work for me

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The best whisper is a click

I'm going to be starting free dance in the late summer or early fall and hopefully taking my first two over the winter sometime. I've never done dance spins before either so I'm sure I'll be joining that support group before long! I don't suppose anyone would mind supporting me (mentally, that is- my coach will have to do the physical support!) through my first-ever lifts, too?

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Good news! Thanks to you guys, and few pointers from my friend Lila, I got THREE whole rotations out of my backscratch spin... soon I expect I'll be spinning like a madwoman!

Thanks so much!

~*EVIE*~

If you start one I'm in!! My forward scratch is STILL

Actually I'd join any "spins challenged" group because my back spin and sit spins are also...

Lifts are GREAT fun if you've got a good partner You don't have to do anything apart from hold yourself properly (you can't be all floppy) and look gorgeous

I really enjoyed my dance coach doing lifts with me (and I had a few lessons of pairs so being 5'10"+outstretched arm distance in the air is STRANGE but great fun ). If you get a partner, though, prepare for a few tumbles!!



amongst the good lifts

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The best whisper is a click

Oh dear, lifts.... is it true the Atkins diet is better than the low-fat one???? Robert swears he can't lift me, so our so-called "lift" is merely an assisted 3-jump at the moment.....

As for Tashakat's former partner - at a recent competition, he lifted his present partner in what was called the "Unpolished Trophy" and designed for works-in-progress. I don't know whether he dropped her, or whether she slipped on landing - the latter, I think, but I'd not swear to it one way or the other - but she very gracefully dismounted from the lift by sitting down! Then at the very end of the dance, it was his turn to sit down.... so they finished with her standing over him, posing. Very nice, actually, but obviously not what they'd planned!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!