- Joined
- Feb 17, 2017
So I'm at the end of my rope on my scratch spin and hoping some of y'all have some advice. For context, I'm 33. I used to skate in high school, but quit, and I've been back at it about 7 months now. A lot of things have come back to me pretty easily, and I have moved into working on my single jumps without much trouble. But my forward scratch spin is another story entirely. I've been working on them for several months now, and I would swear they're getting worse not better.
My coach is working with me on them, of course, and I have asked my group lesson instructor, a couple of other coaches, and fellow skaters. All have given me good advice and different ways of looking at it, but it still has not "clicked" with me.
Some of my problems:
- The entire entry from back crossovers is just not good. I am getting more comfortable with the wind up on the RBI edge. I've been told to check harder to the outside and that has made a difference. The edge still doesn't feel entirely comfortable, but it's better. I have also improved on stepping back into the circle and not stepping wide. I'm still having trouble with scraping/stopping on my toe pick before stepping onto the left, but it's better than it was.
- But then comes the LFO edge. Almost every time the LFO edge into the hook (if we can even call it that) just feels ... wrong. Nothing about this movement feels secure or "right" in my body. I have no problems with LFO edges or three turns generally. It's only in the spin entry that I have a problem. I have tried and tried to get the "half heart" shape but it just doesn't seem to happen. I try to "wait longer" before beginning the spin, but it doesn't work. I know I'm rushing the hook, but when I try to hold the edge longer, I end up skidding.
- Once I enter the spin, I am almost always too far forward on the toe pick. I've been told to keep my knee a bit bent rather than straightening up and that this will help me get onto the correct place on the rocker, but more often than not, this actually makes the toe pick problem worse.
- Traveling. Lots of traveling.
- Many times I will just lose the spin and will go into a much wider circle on the inside edge until I just fall over basically. I assume this means I'm not centered over my skating leg, but I don't know how to fix it.
I've tried everything to improve my general posture, like envisioning a string lifting me up from the ceiling, relaxing my shoulders, all that. But it doesn't seem to make a difference to the end result.
Anyway, I know that spins take time, and I don't mind working hard on skills, but right now I feel like I'm not making any progress, and may just be making it worse by doing it wrong a million times. And my coach wants me to have not only a good scratch spin but also a change foot spin by the time I compete at the end of September. So any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My coach is working with me on them, of course, and I have asked my group lesson instructor, a couple of other coaches, and fellow skaters. All have given me good advice and different ways of looking at it, but it still has not "clicked" with me.
Some of my problems:
- The entire entry from back crossovers is just not good. I am getting more comfortable with the wind up on the RBI edge. I've been told to check harder to the outside and that has made a difference. The edge still doesn't feel entirely comfortable, but it's better. I have also improved on stepping back into the circle and not stepping wide. I'm still having trouble with scraping/stopping on my toe pick before stepping onto the left, but it's better than it was.
- But then comes the LFO edge. Almost every time the LFO edge into the hook (if we can even call it that) just feels ... wrong. Nothing about this movement feels secure or "right" in my body. I have no problems with LFO edges or three turns generally. It's only in the spin entry that I have a problem. I have tried and tried to get the "half heart" shape but it just doesn't seem to happen. I try to "wait longer" before beginning the spin, but it doesn't work. I know I'm rushing the hook, but when I try to hold the edge longer, I end up skidding.
- Once I enter the spin, I am almost always too far forward on the toe pick. I've been told to keep my knee a bit bent rather than straightening up and that this will help me get onto the correct place on the rocker, but more often than not, this actually makes the toe pick problem worse.
- Traveling. Lots of traveling.
- Many times I will just lose the spin and will go into a much wider circle on the inside edge until I just fall over basically. I assume this means I'm not centered over my skating leg, but I don't know how to fix it.
I've tried everything to improve my general posture, like envisioning a string lifting me up from the ceiling, relaxing my shoulders, all that. But it doesn't seem to make a difference to the end result.
Anyway, I know that spins take time, and I don't mind working hard on skills, but right now I feel like I'm not making any progress, and may just be making it worse by doing it wrong a million times. And my coach wants me to have not only a good scratch spin but also a change foot spin by the time I compete at the end of September. So any advice would be greatly appreciated.