Spin help

[sue123]

I was going to ask this earlier, but I forgot. My coach has me doing one foot spins from backward crossovers, and I understand it for the most part, except for one thing. After I wind up and open the hip, I was told to step on the back of the blade and push. I'm having a really hard time stepping onto hte back of the blade, I always step too far up and stop the momentum. Does anyone have any tips on how not to do what I'm doing?

[singerskates]

Can't really help you with the back crosscut method because I do my forward spins from a RFI3 and then step onto a deep LFO edge and then do the 3 turn to start my spin.

But there are many people who do the back crosscut method to get into spins. I never liked it because it took too much time to get into spins. The RFI3 method is just so much more versitile. It's also used when coming out of a jump and then going directly into a forward spin. No wasting music on the entry with the RFI3 method. When going directly from a jump, you're already on a BO edge so then you just step onto the deep LFO edge and do the 3 turn to start the spin.

By the way, all I have said is for a CCW skater. If you're a CW skater, reverse instructions.

[sunshinepointe]

I can't offer too much advice either other than to be mindful of your step placement and where your weight is in the step. Don't really think about pointing your toe either - this is a problem that I had too.

Just keep practicing, spins take a long time to master.

[Debbie S]

Just bend your knee and really press down on the heel. Your weight should gradually move forward as you start the spin, and while you spin, your weight should be on the ball of your foot.

[stardust skies]

When you push onto the edge after the backward crossover, you're really just doing a 3-turn with a lot of power which then turns into a spin. Think of it that way, it should help!

[Skate@Delaware]

Are you talking about the push off of the back foot (not of the foot that is stepping out)? It took me a while to get that one and mine is a toe push which my coach prefers.

While you push off of your right leg (assuming you spin CCW), you are stepping out onto a deeply bent left leg which goes into a 3-turn. My coach has me do the 3-turn before my arms snap into position and raise up.....some days I don't get it (and this summer it didn't happen except for 5 times or so...).

If you are able to, take a look of some spins on video. Use the player software to slow the video down (or your pause button on your vcr/dvd) and take a look at how some people launch their spins. Another way is to ask a good spinner to demo spins for you (they have to spin the same way). I had a "young" skate friend do this (she is 12) and she happily agreed to break it down for me into the little pieces I needed in order to digest it!

[sceptique]

When you push onto the edge after the backward crossover, you're really just doing a 3-turn with a lot of power which then turns into a spin. Think of it that way, it should help!

How do you guys deal with the problem when the 3-turn doesn't go into a spin? I mean, it sort of continues on the back edge for a while and only then starts going round. I seem to have that problem quite often - I noticed that doing a very slow entry helps a lot, but then the spin is also very slow.

[singerskates]

How do you guys deal with the problem when the 3-turn doesn't go into a spin? I mean, it sort of continues on the back edge for a while and only then starts going round. I seem to have that problem quite often - I noticed that doing a very slow entry helps a lot, but then the spin is also very slow.


You're either not bending your (CCW skater) left knee enough and enough lean on the LFO edge going into the 3 turn or your not swinging your free leg past your skating leg to in front of you from behind you when you're skating leg is at the point when your skating foot is doing the 3 turn.

[slusher]

I would work on spins from just the 3 turn for now, to get the snap and forget about the crosscut entry. Also, think about the entire right side of your body trying to go through your left side, it's arm and hip and leg. Don't hunch and keep your chin up.

Don't lean in on the 3 turn entry, try to keep your shoulders square. It becomes more important when learning the camel entrance, which eventually you will do.

And as your spins speed up, they will get worse.... and then better.

I love that moment of intertia when I've turned the 3, my arms are out, my leg is up and just about to pull over and down. I know everything is moving, but it's like time has stopped.

[sunshinepointe]

And as your spins speed up, they will get worse.... and then better.


I 100% agree with this statement. It's almost like you regress a little as you improve, but then when it "clicks" your spins improve a lot.

[Skate@Delaware]

We spent 2 whole lesson sessions working on spins from the 3-turn entrance; all the while concentrating on arms, shoulders, legs, etc..... it was quite bizarre! She showed us an extremely fast spin from the entrance without all that back crossover stuff-amazing!

Then we switched to sit spins which made everyone look at our coach like she was crazy-but she said the sit can help your scratch (and visa-versa)...of course, mine were just all hunched over messes...but they help you find your sweet spot.

I must have done 50 million-kajillion spins since then, with 10 great scratch spins thrown into the bunch; maybe I'm in the "worse before better" phase?

[sue123]

I'm not sure about the 3 turn method, I've never even seen it done. I was going to try to work on it today, only then I'm still congested, and have that icky chest congestion so I didn't think it would be such a good idea, especially since when this happens, I need to be close to my inhaler. But during the week, I am really going to try to just focus on it and try to think of 3 turn after the cross overs.

[Skate@Delaware]

I'm not sure about the 3 turn method, I've never even seen it done. I was going to try to work on it today, only then I'm still congested, and have that icky chest congestion so I didn't think it would be such a good idea, especially since when this happens, I need to be close to my inhaler. But during the week, I am really going to try to just focus on it and try to think of 3 turn after the cross overs.
I'm sorry to hear you are sick-get better! Skating with chest congestion is not a good idea (I skated last spring with pneumonia and got sicker-learned my lesson!)

The 3-turn "method" is just a way of doing the spin without doing the back crossovers. Think of going into the spin without them and that's it. It's different if you haven't seen it before; but not impossible. Start with the 3-turn and everything else is the same (you can mentally do the back crossovers).

[sunshinepointe]

Entering the spin using the 3 turn method looks really cool and keeps you from having to do a zillion crossovers. It also really helps me in my camel. But my coach wants to see the moves from crossovers, so :giveup:

[sceptique]

I 100% agree with this statement. It's almost like you regress a little as you improve, but then when it "clicks" your spins improve a lot.

OK, so it's like learning a foreign language - one day you wake up and realise that something horrible happened: you can't understand a word from the people you could more or less hold a conversation with, and your can hardly say a word yourself; and then next day - pop! - your mind is clear and you suddendly speak easily and effortlessly as never before. It's as if your brain "rewires" itself massively in one go. I had that experience myself and then heard the same from other people, so I guess, that applies to many things.

[Skate@Delaware]

Entering the spin using the 3 turn method looks really cool and keeps you from having to do a zillion crossovers. It also really helps me in my camel. But my coach wants to see the moves from crossovers, so :giveup:
The fun thing was "proving" to my know-it-all daughter (she is smarter than me, her being a teenager, after all) that you could do them from a 3-turn instead of just back-crossovers.....of course her coach and mine are one and the same.

It was worth the wait to see the coach demo the 3-turn method into this blurring fast scratch spin centered on a spot the size of a fist.... :bow:

So now when I ask daughter "hey, do you want to see this?" she really does stop and look without rolling her eyes too much :roll:

[sceptique]

Guys, you rock!

I tried 3-turn -> spin method today and.....

Well, at first, not much happened.... but then...... and then I tried to do it with crossovers again.......

Guys, I owe to all of you my first 6+ revolution upright spin!!!

[Skate@Delaware]

HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU!!!!! :bow: