sit spin strength...

[figure_skater]

;) after seeing myself on a video my mom made of me practicing stuff, i found out that my sit spin, which i thought was pretty low, really isn't... :frus: :cry: so do you know any exercises or anything to help me? thanks... :??

[babeonblades]

k ya i had the same experience thought i as low but i wasn't so off ice i would stand on one foot and go as low as possible in spin position then come back up at first i held on to something just for balance but after a while i ddn't need to and i did this excercise all the time like wenever i had nothing to do at home i would do it. hope this helps

[Skate@Delaware]

I second that exercise-try to do them throughout the day with good technique. The one-foot squat is excellent if you keep the following in mind:
tense up all your muscles from your shoulders to your feet (especially grip the floor with your toes)
if you can't go down all the way, try going down onto a stair until your behind bumps, then go back up, eventually you will get lower
don't let your knee go beyond your toes on your squatting leg!
reach hard with your arms, while keeping your back straight (I've yet to do this :oops: )
And, above all else, don't forget to breathe!
PS-all the above is from the book "The Naked Warrior" by Pavel Tsatsouline-and excellent resource of impressive skill building; one-legged squats, one-arm, one-leg push ups, etc. Yeah, I can't do any of that....

[Kit kat]

SHOOT THE DUCK!
practice ur sit spin. and go as low as you can. and as long as you can. do go up to a scratch. if you fall try again. just try to go low low low and stay as long as you can. shoot the duck will help you get lower. good luck!

[sunshinepointe]

Shoot the ducks are important, as is getting low in your sit spins, but the coming up part is key :)

One legged squats have helped me, and so have shoot the ducks rising to a turned in passe but be warned - don't practice this stuff off the ice regularly and you'll lose your sit spin. It's what happened to me. I have video documentation of pretty good sit spins, now I can't get down, around - nothing. So I'm working on my off ice program again.

A low sit spin means nothing if you are hunched over and don't have good form, so be sure to work on that first - the strength you need to go lower will come in time.

[Kit kat]

6.2.11 Sit spin
The sit spin is done in the "shoot the duck" position, with the arms extended in front of the body and the free leg in front and turned out (as in ballet's rond de jambe). There are many variations on the entry and body position, but here is one that works for many beginners.
Start the spin in the sit position. When stepping into the spin (on a LFO edge), bend the knee deeply and lean forward trying to place your chest on your thigh, only keeping your back straight and head up. This is to get you to enter the spin in a lower than usual position, so that you don't start spinning in a one foot spin and then have to bring your leg around AND lower your body at the same time.

It has been suggested that you should try to look over your right shoulder (left shoulder for CW spinners) and see the heel of your free leg as you enter the spin. Get your balance in the spin before bring the free leg around -- about 1/2 a revolution. Once in position, sweep the free leg immediately around to the front. You want the right leg and right arm go come around at the exact same time so timing is critical. Place your arms in front as if you were water skiing.

Here are a few tips:

-- Practice shoot the ducks (skating forward and then lowering yourself into a sitting position, arms and free leg extended in front) in a straight line and try to reach past your toes. This helps you to get into a nice low position and gives you more of a feel for where your weight should be in a sitspin.

-- During the entry look out at a point beyond your hands and keep your back straight.

-- Keep your butt down and shoulders back. It's common to feel the need to keep your weight forward so as not to fall back. This will only tip you onto your toepick!

-- Remember to turn out your free leg (the inside of your foot should face the ceiling).


http://home.pacbell.net/anamga/figureSkating.html

[Mrs Redboots]

Mind you, shoot-the-ducks (or "teapots" as we call them on this side of the Atlantic) aren't totally necessary for a good sit-spin. My coach has a perfectly respectable sit-spin, but can't get nearly that low in a teapot, and never has been able to.