I've started teaching myself the sit spin (i don't have a coach until november and the last spin i started to work on with my other coach was the sit) and i'm having problems going down into it and getting the sit position right. For example, after i go into the spin and then attempt to go into the sit position i start to go down and then it becomes hard for me to pull my free leg in. I've tried many different things but i just can't get my free leg pulled in to make a good sit spin. Alot of times my sit just winds up looking like a broken leg spin because my leg is out to the side =/. Does anyone have any advice on the problem i'm having and any other tips on the spin itself?

-Thanks

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From your post, it sounds like you are doing a partial scratch spin first and then going down into the sit position. Have you tried going directly into the sit position after your spin entry 3-turn? It may seem harder, but you can probably use the momentum from the 3-turn to get all the way down.

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Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
"Do what you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
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I agree with above. I find it easier to do a somewhat low sit spin going directly from the 3 turn. Some people have argued that going from a scratch spin is better but I don't agree with them. Then again, it's up to each individual skater.
Good luck!

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** Skate 'til You Drop **

Keep the entry knee bent after the 3-turn and CLOSE your thighs once you bring your leg around. The free leg does come around with the 3-turn hook, not through, if you understand what I mean. Then you "present" the free foot, stretching it out in front with your hips closed. The blade is at a 45-degree angle to the ice.

Be sure to keep your back straight, you don't want to lean forward until you've worked up to a fast spin. The "String at the top of your head" analogy works.

I think there's a really long thread about this in the archives, if you need more tips.

Good luck!

To be perfectly honest if I was wanting to learn anything new I would always get lessons on it. There's far too much room for learning bad habits otherwise and we all know how difficult it can be to unlearn bad habits! Even if you can't have lessons with your chosen coach is there anyone else that you could take from in the interim?

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The best whisper is a click

Thanks for the advice everyone i'm going to try it and see what happens =)

THANKS !

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My coach always says, "It's your leg; only you can move it in the right place!" The trick is to get into the position as quickly as possible after the 3-turn happens. If you're already spinning, it only gets harder to move the free leg closer to the spinning leg. Now if only I could do it right with the back sit!

The sit spin can be very intimidating. When my group lesson coach in NC (ah, Deborah, I miss you!) first showed it to me, I was thinking, "There is NO way I can get my body to go down that far."

I think that my sit spin now is pretty low. I owe it to that coach because she would always say in the lesson, "If you're not going home with a wet bottom, then you're not practicing the sit spin properly!" That is, try to go down as far as possible--even if that means you fall on your rear. After a few weeks of this training, I found out what the lowest threshold of my body position was for that spin. And by knowing that I was trying to go as low as possible--and more important, that falling was OK and an important part of the process (hmm, maybe I should apply that reasoning to my axel training!)--it helped me to just go for it. I've never looked back since!

__________________
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.

AHA! now i think i've figured out my problem from reading everyones advice and responses. I'm not going down into the sit position right away i do like a half turn or a full turn and then go down. Next time i'm going to get into the position right away and i'll see how that works.

thanks for the help everyone

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~`happy skating`~