Hi everyone, I have been working on a one foot spin for two weeks now (yes, not terribly long, but everyone else in my class has got it down) and it is going nowhere for me. My instructor is really working hard with me but I STILL can't grasp the concept. (I had huge problems with the two foot spin as well, but finally got it. This one-foot business is totally different ) Part of the problem is the transition from the crossovers, skidding, and snapping into the spin. The other part is the actual spin iteself, where it feels like I am unbalanced and I can't get on the ball of my foot and I am almost spinning on my toe pick. Also, my coach said my hips and arms need to be on top of eachother, but it's not working for me!

So, I was wondering if I am not a natural spinner, will just not ever be able to spin well, or is it possible with some miraculous practice I will finally get it?

Also, my instructor has been giving me some "visual" things to think about when spinning to keep my body in the correct position. Does anyone have anything they can offer me to really think about when I am going into a spin or spinning?

Thanks in advance, I am desperate here!

__________________
Sasha Fan
Supporter of Alissa and Amber Czisny

Yes, with miraculous practice you will get it.....I won't even tell you how long it took me to learn to spin, but I did give it up for a year out of frustration.
I expect you will do much better!

You might want to try a different entry, like a right inside 3-turn, step into the left outside 3-turn for the spin. Alot of people have success with that one if the crossover entry isn't working.

As for visuals, my coach would say visualize spinning around a pole. Keep your spinning leg slightly bent and that might keep you off the toepick. Oh, and make sure you really pull in those abs.

My breakthrough started when I tried sitspins, which somehow got my freeleg around front where it belonged. Shortly after the upright spin happened. Well, it was actually a "squat" spin....not really a true sitspin, lol!

I had a lot of problems learning the one foot spin, too. Don't worry, you'll get it, it just might take a little longer. It might be easier for you, as long as your instructor allows it, to start with a 2-foot spin and then change to a 1-foot after you've done a rev. I didn't even try the crossover entry until I could get at least a couple revs the other way (and then of course the crossover entry took me forever to master).

One thing that helped me was to focus on keeping my back and shoulders straight (and I still have to remind myself of that), b/c my tendency is to lean forward and then I would end up on my toe pick. Also, try to keep your arms level. When you're bringing them in as you spin, pull them in straight toward you, being careful not to move them up and down. And make sure that they're not clasped too high on your body - in other words, not up near your neck, but closer to chest level. My instructor at the time told me my arms were too high and that was throwing off my balance.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Add me to the list of spinning retards. I've struggled with almost every spin I've ever tried to learn, starting with the blasted one foot spin from skate school. Don't give up! Keep working at it. You may never have spins that make people "ooh" and "ah," but you can get passable (i.e., recognizable) spins. It's taken me 8 years, but I've now got a front scratch (sometimes even centered!), back scratch, sit, and camel. Currently working on back sit and layback.

It's hard to give you pointers because (a) I suck at spinning too and (b) I can't see what you're doing wrong. But listen to your coach and try all the advice you get here. Sooner or later something will click. Good luck!

Dare I say it? It took me the best part of 8 years to get a decent and consistent spin but now I'm pretty good at spinning if I say so myself. My coach thought I'd never get to do a decent sit spin but again, after lots and lots of hours of practice I mastered that one and it is now one of my favourite and best elements. So don't despair. Two weeks is nothing. Just remember to practise, practise, practise and you will get there in the end.

Nicki

I consider myself a very good spinner (not such a great jumper-sigh). I would venture to say that no adult skater is a natural spinner. Lots of hard work and practice. That said, I watched a lot of adult skaters spinning so that I could pick up on the little nuances that some of the instructors fail to mention (since they invariably learned how to spin 20+ years ago). Spinning is not something that you should rip into. For some folks, a spin doesn't just magically happen; it gradually gets better and better. (Unlike a jump, where for all practical purposes, you either attain the required revolutions and land or you fall short, and well, fall).

For me, the most important part of the scratch spin is the "snap" after the 3-turn. I also like to think of my arms as hugging a tree so that my arms stay wide and open while spinning (or think of keeping your arms just on the periphery of your vision). Before I did this, a girl told me I looked like a robot or that I was sleepwalking. I also see some newbies stroking backward in a straight line before they try to swing into their spin. bad bad bad. They then ar eforced to do the skid-stop-skid. Try to do back crossovers on the circle; this will help you get the proper torque.

It took me 6-8 months to get the scratch looking decent. The back scratch--well that took over 4 years!

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

I'm also more of a spinner than a jumper. For a forward scratch spin (well, any spin really) it's not just what your feet are doing. Your arms help a lot with the spin. When you are going into the spin on the forward outside edge, your left arm (assuming CCW spinning direction) should start out across your body and as you come around on the edge, it moves out to your left as far as possible. My coach calls it "waxing", sort of like "wax on, wax off" from Karate Kid. You really need to hold this edge as long as possible, too, this will help with the "snap". Your free leg should be extended behind you. Once you snap into the spin position, your arm position is again important. NovaSk8r suggested keeping the arms wide, but if you get them too wide you will be fighting the centripetal force and it will be difficult to keep the spin centered. Keeping your arms at 10 and 2 o'clock seems to work the best, and keeping them slightly lower than shoulder height. I know that once I started focusing on this arm position, my scratch spins were a whole lot faster and stayed centered.

The best spin entry varies between people. For me, I prefer a right inside 3-turn. However, according to the new Code of Points judging, this is a Level III entry (more difficult) where back crossover entry is considered easier. But not for me! In fact, when I was learning the flying camel I tried doing it from crossovers, thinking it would be easier. But I tripped myself when holding the back edge and had a terrible fall!

I'm not sure what you mean by "skidding" into the spin--you should probably not be skidding, but on a really deep edge. Keep trying--you'll eventually get it!

Ahh - the trouble I had learning to spin.....
to be honest I can't do a 2 foot spin to save my life but a 1 foot spin I quite enjoy now. It took probably the best part of a year to get a s-l-o-w 1 foot spin of 3 revs from back crossovers and now I can quite often do 10 or more revs (still not a proper scratch with foot crossed but one-day i'll get that too).

Can you do a 1 foot spin from a standstill? - i.e stand on the left foot with R toepick in the ice to give a bit of a push-off and spin on the left foot. We practised this a lot first, to get the idea of the balance point and holding yourself upright - tummy and bottom tucked in - thinking of that string on the top of your head holding you upright!!!

It avoids havign to think about the crossover entrance before you can cope with the balance in the spin itself.

As for the crossovers - the most important thing I was told was to make sure you are stepping back in to the circle you have just made with your RBI edge.

My big problems in the beginning were
1) not holding the RBI edge long enough - you want it to start to spiral in slightly - like making a (reversed) 6 on the ice.

2) stopping by dragging on my R toepick before stepping onto left foot for 3 turn instead of making a nice smooth transition.

3)stepping out of the circle onto the left foot or at too wide an angle or too far away from my skating foot.
While you are on the RBI edge the Free foot is extended behind you and out of the circle. When you go to step onto the left foot for the turn bring the free foot in close to the skating foot so you are not stepping widely away from you which throws off the balance at the start.

4) forcing the 3 turn - I used to try and rush into it too soon. Instead try to step onto the left foot on a good outside edge with strongly bent knee and let the edge bring you round - keep holding it until you have to turn. Then rise up on the skating leg to keep spinning. (oh if only it were so easy!!!!)

I still have problems centring from time to time - well quite a lot lately but I'm working on it. The biggest help for me and the one that gave me the breakthrough from 3 revs to 10 revs was to go into the spin and keep the free foot and arm out as long as possible (a few revs) before bringing the free arm and leg in. This gives time for you to find the balance point before closing up which speeds you up.

But it did take me a long, long time before I was able to do this so don't be disheartened. Practice will make perfect - or at least passable!

__________________
'skating is not just a sport - it is an obsession'

There's a lot of really good tips here. Like skaternum said though, it's hard to give you precise advice, because we can't see what you're doing wrong (although at this point, it's probably everything! ). As you can see though, we've all been there too, some of us for a very, very long time.


1) Take your time. Don't rush into the spin, don't rush to pull in/speed up the revs, and don't rush your learning curve.

2) Think of only one or two things to correct at a time. This is hard when you need to correct everything, but if you try to think of everything at the same time, you'll fix nothing, and only get frustrated quicker.

For a good spin, you'll of course need to have your upper body square, shoulders to hips. If you're dropping any of them, you'll at best travel, and at worst, the spin will go nowhere (or you could fall--and believe me, a fall from a crap spin can really, really hurt--you're on your butt, straight down, before you even know you're falling).

This is good advice, and it helped me a lot once I'd graduated to using a moving entrance. I thought about 'sweeping my left arm across the table' to where the 10 o'clock position would be, and then stopping it there. Meanwhile, I would hold my right arm and leg back as long as possible, until the 'snap' took over, and I thought about 'wrapping' my right side around to find the 2 o'clock position. 'Wax on' CCW with the left hand, 'wax off' CCW with the right. There's a certain 'move-pause-move' rhythm to it. But the key for me was that the left side gets there first, stays put, and then the right side catches up to meet it (always remembering that the arms should be out towards the 'corners of the room' until you're steady). You can actually spin quite a long time without ever pulling in, so that's not what 'makes' you spin.

The next thing that helped immensely, in conjunction with the above, is to think about having a stiff cord connecting my right wrist and ankle. That way, neither one could 'wrap' around ahead of the other one. They have to come around together, as a single unit. Even now, if I just can't get my spins going, that's usually the culprit--I'm trying to throw one around before the other. Once I'm 'wrapped' into 10/2 position, I leave the leg out towards 2 o'clock as well, and I turn my hip out just a bit, so the inside of my foot is facing up. It sort of helps me 'set' my hip so I don't drop it, and it also helps so that when I'm ready to pull in, I don't have to move my hip at all--I just bend my knee, and the leg crosses properly.


I agree, you should probably work on a two-to-one-foot spin first--sometimes called a 'stork spin'--just pull the free leg up, leave arms out, and work on finding your balance over a single leg, and finding the 'sweet spot' on the blade. (That sucker loves to hide. ) Once you've found it, you'll know where to look for it from a moving entrance.

I also bought a 'spin trainer'--they come in different kinds, I like the one with the flat square panels connected with ball bearings. People vary on whether they're useful or not--I thought it helped me with balance and centering somewhat. Be careful with these, however---they will fling you off faster than a bucking bronco if you're not perfect.

__________________
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

THANK YOU everyone! This is so much great advice I need to print it out or something!! These all make so much sense that I can visualize myself doing perfect spins (wouldn't that be nice!)

I cannot wait to get on the ice and practice these things. I am determined to do it. I will let everyone know how it goes.

Thanks again, I love everyone at SkatingForums!!

__________________
Sasha Fan
Supporter of Alissa and Amber Czisny

Couldn't resist. I am an adult skater who is a natural spinner. I learned to spin readily and presently have an extensive spin arsenal. I started skating at 25 and am now in my late 30s. I am a better spinner than most of the kids I see at freestyle sessions. Coaches have asked me if I skated as a child b/c it is generally difficult to teach mature people to spin so well (according to this particular coach). I did not take skating lessons as a child. So, yes, it is possible for an adult to be a truly competent spinner.

Kay

__________________
Visit my figure skating journal
http://www.skatejournal.com/

Add me to the list of those finding it difficult with the one foot spin. Why on earth I can't swing the left foot in front on the entry (spinning right), I'll never know. I get half way there then, oh well......Thank heavens my coach is patient with me.

When i first started skating, i was the WORST spinner. I could never even do a 2 foot spin! Everyone else would be going round and round, but not me! It took me well over a year to do a decent one foot spin, and millions of horrible attempts. Now after a lot of practice (and after i got new my new skates i could spin much better) i am a good spinner. I'm not the best, but i've been told that my form is really good. The easiet spin for me to learn was the backspin, go figure.

I know most people will probably disagree with me, but i contribute a lot of my spinning success to off ice spinnner. I'm not sure if this is just because i spent a lot of time practicing on this because my on ice time is limited or what, but i would maybe considering giving it a try.

I, too, am a pretty good spinner (judges have even prasied me for my sit spin), and I have seen amazing adult spinners.
What I meant is that spinning is not an innate ability--everyone starts out at the bottom of the totem pole. That's not to say that someone cannot progress quickly and have dazzling spins. Just wanted to clarify.

__________________
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
-Haha, I've *arrived*! I am listed as a reference on Wikipedia.

Hang in there! Some spins can be hard especially when your just learning them. Some spins may come easy to you and others hard. It walso depends how much you practise them or how many times you skate. Like if one skater skated 5 days a week and the other only skated 2 days, then its possibly more likely that the 5 day skater will end up with a better spin beacsue they practise it more. It will just take a while but you will proabbaly soon get it.

__________________
~*Sammi-Sasha*~

I can only just barely spin, you wouldn't believe how awful I am, even after all these years. I was delighted to see that my spin in my Interpretive at the Mountain Cup video actually looked like one! First time that's happened.

Oddly enough, Robert can't spin either, but we are developing a very respectable dance spin! Maybe a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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

Hey, JessicaLynn! I've been working on a one-foot spin for about two weeks, too.

My coach has me starting from a two foot spin at this point in time, until I get three revolutions consistently. My struggle is with not falling too far onto the LI edge. What helped me is picking my right foot up to my left knee instead of having it barely off the ice.

My spin is still really inconsistent -- sometimes I don't spin, sometimes I go around four times.

I've found that I nearly always have an issue when I rush. If think "Out. Together. Up." then I get into the spin. Out is the push with my left foot. Together is bringing my feet together. Up is lifting my right foot. I've yet to think about my arms, but that's because they're doing what they're supposed to right now and if I think about them, they may start doing funky things, LOL!!

The only other thing I think is "DON'T SPOT!!!" 15 years of spotting in dance is hard to unlearn....

I don't think anyone is a natural spinner. The only kids I know that are fast spin learners are the ones who've been in dance and gymnastics classes. They're not "naturals," they just learned it elsewhere. I know several adult (30/40 yrs) skaters that learned to spin very quickly. Again, they had a dance/gymnastics background or they just loved to dance.

I "taught myself" to spin when I first started skating and, like many self-taught skaters, I did it backwards. When I finally started taking lessons, I had to learn how to spin the right way, so I got off to a slow start. It was really frustrating, so I sympathize with you.

At one point, I was also struggling with jumping. (Skates break down, did you know? I didn't! ) So, I decided to just practice spins, on the ice and on the kitchen floor in my socks, much to my mother's delight. I did only spins for six hours a week at the rink. Got really, really dizzy. (We need a dizzy Smilie!) Checked the scratch marks of every spin to see if I travelled. I really learned how to spin very, very well. To this day, I have great spins, except for the camel, which took me a long time to learn. And my backwards start paid off because the back spin came very easily to me -- my back camel is better than my forward camel!

My advice to you is to be patient and practice. Pretend that there is a string pulling you upward by the head when you're spinning. That'll keep your posture erect. Try using your digital camera or video recorder to see what you're actually doing, and review it with your coach. Make a "spin buddy" at the rink and critique/encourage each other.

Good luck!

Hi guys!
Indeed spinning is hard! I also agree that adults can learn how to do very good spins and some can learn them very fast - even faster than kids. The reason is that adults can understand the technique of a spin much more than a kid (kids usually learn things by intuition, whereas adults use more conscious thinking). I also wanted to stress that it is important to have good quality practice than just quantity: especially for spins (and jumps) you have to be really awakened, strong, not tired, in order to be able to thoroughly control your body. Myself, I have noticed that when I try the first spins of a session and I am not tired or dizzy yet, they come out really mathematically nice! The moment I get tired, so I cannot control my abs, arms and quads, or if I get really dizzy, my body loosens up and my spins do not come out correctly. What do you think?..

Hi,

I have been trying to learn the one foot spin (will be a year this month!) and i am still struggling. I have been trying to look up tips on the internet and i found this thread (you guys helped me with the two foot spin awhile back, and it worked ) on the topic. I found some great tips again, but i'm wondering if anyone has an advice on my problem. I just can't seem to put the arm bit and the leg bit together. Like i have been trying to learn the move now for so long I KNOW what i'm supposed to do (and from watching the other skaters and my coach) but I just can't seem to put it together like one time my leg will be doing the bit correctly, but I would leave my right shoulder behind as I step and start to spin instead of bringing it around with my right arm, or vice versa.

Another problem I struggle with is stepping from the RBI edge into the LFO edge. I don't think i am holding the free leg back/out enough as i step into the spin. My coach told me i tend to bring it around like 3/4 of the way and then instantly try to bring it next to my skating leg and try to spin, instead of going all the way around with the leg out before pulling it in next to the skating leg. The other kids are doing it and it looks so easy but I can't do it!!!

Are there any exercises I can do to improve this? I have been going back to doing my outside edges but I don't see how they are helping with the stepping into a spin part. Thanks in advance!

I have one exercise that's good for both of your problems. Stand on a line in T position (spinning foot in front). Be sure your skating foot is at a right angle to the line. Bend knees deeply and push onto deep FO edge. Hold free leg and free arm back. Hold position with knee down until your edge brings you back to the line, then bring free leg and free arm around to snap into the spin. Don't expect to get this the first time, it's hard. Think of your skating hand as leading you into the spin, and go slowly. The more speed you have, the greater force you will have to control, so going slow helps your control of your free side.

__________________

Some of the coaches at one rink where I skate swear by the "Championship Cords". Basically it's a piece of elastic with a loop for your hand on one end and a carbiner or clip on the other you attach to your skate. You can instantly feel if your arm and foot are not working together. This might help you with this problem... good luck!

It's only been a few weeks so I wouldn't worry now, but perhaps if you are still frustrated, talk to your coach about taking some lessons with a different coach to work on your spins. Sometimes having someone explain things just a little differently works wonders.

I've done synchro my whole life, but quit freestyle when I was about 11 because I was a very good jumper but hated spinning. I couldn't do a back spin well at all, was scared of laybacks, and had a pretty lousy camel spin. They never seemed to get better and I just got frustrated.

I started back at freestyle in late February of this year at the age of 27 and my current coach (who I've been taking dance/MIF from for about a year and a half) worked with me, and he was so good at breaking spins down and figuring out what my problems were. My spins were good enough to place well in Bronze I by ANs in April (in just a month I was able to get down a good enough layback, camel sit, and back scratch-change scracth), but overall they were still weaker than my jumps. But not even 2 months later I am very comfortable with back spins (they're actually fun now) and trying to flip to the change of edge, have a decent layback and am working on variations of that position, my sit spins are lower, I'm playing with catch foots on my forward camels, putting together different combos, and I'm working on back camels and flying camels. I know I've been working hard, but I still owe a lot of credit to my coach.

__________________
2010-2011 goals:
Pass Junior MIF test
Don't break anything

Yep! What dbny said. This exercise eliminates the complication of whatever preparatory edge problems might be coming into play while also showing you how much you really need to curl your spin entrance edge before starting the spin. I always go back to this T position on the line whenever I'm having trouble getting into a spin or centering a spin!

__________________
"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Dare I ask, are you sure you are spinning in your natural direction? Some coaches (especially in some group classes who have limited teaching experience) expect that everyone does everything CCW and there are actually about 20% of us who rotate the other way!