Help on Spins | Golden Skate

Help on Spins

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
I'm an adult skater and I'm working right now on my spins. Seems like it's taking me forever to perfect, because I also haven't been skating as much as I would like/need/should. It seems like I'm having kind of a hard time starting the spin out. I'm trying to work on it without a coach right now. I've already taken lessons & had a coach, but these days just working on stuff right now and I need to get better at my spins-:p
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
I used to figure skate for six years when I was younger and spins were my favorite elements. I feel that the time investment helped me a lot to improve my spins. When the coach was not around, it was also helpful to practice spins with peer kids and get advice from them. I also had FS journals in which I noted the advice from the coaches so that I could remember what they said.
 
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Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
I know-I do love them! They're so much fun-If I do a good one, I get so excited! I know what you mean, advice from even kids help me!
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
What kinds of spins are you trying? Upright, camel, sit? and what do you mean you're having trouble starting the spin out? what kind of entrance are you using?
 

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
What kinds of spins are you trying? Upright, camel, sit? and what do you mean you're having trouble starting the spin out? what kind of entrance are you using?

Right now, just the regular upright scratch spin (?)-I think my entrance is messed up!:p
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
try entering from back counter clockwise crosscuts (unless you're a lefty, in which case go the other way) hold the back inside edge on the right foot to wind up then step forward on the left outside to spin. This is the most common entrance. Practice without pulling your free leg and arms in first to get your balance then gradually start to bring them in. Bring them in at the same time or you'll pull yourself off bablance.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Hi Ice Princess. I used to be a figure skater and spins were my best element. When doing your crosscuts, make sure you step into your circle and press down on your foot you are spinning on. It really helps if you centre yourself - my coach always told me that. Keep your head up. Having correct balance is the key to executing a good spin. Making sure you are centred will prevent you from travelling. Bring your arms in slowly. I am sure you will master a good one foot spin in no time!
 

skater 17

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Try to maintain pressure on the ball of the foot while spinning, lots of spin don't work because we rush the spiralling edge and can't centre spin. Try starting from a stand still and do a forward outside, let circle spiral inward, kinda like a snail, let the edge roll the spin into the centre of the circle you started, then do the 3 turn and centre spin.
 

Skate@Delaware

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2004
When you step forward into your spin, try to:
-keep tension in your upper body (arms, stomach, etc)
-keep low in the skating leg, don't pop right up
-the free leg should stay back a bit-ride that entrance edge out
-make sure you are not lifting your free hip or tilting your shoulders-pretend you have a string pulling you straight up through your head

Once you have done the 3-turn and have started centering, and the free leg is forward, you can raise up on your skating leg...don't rush this part. Keep tension in your body, don't get loose but then again, don't get uptight-it's a fine line and you will have to experiment.

The best thing to remember and to follow-don't rush any part of the spin!

If you practice from the push forward like skater 17 suggested, you can finesse it. When this part works, add the back crossovers/crosscuts.

If you find yourself getting too frustrated, quit for a while and do something else. Otherwise you will just get worse and worse.
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Right now, just the regular upright scratch spin (?)-I think my entrance is messed up!

Ice Princess, how are your spins without a entrance? Are they centered and fast?
 

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
Right now, just the regular upright scratch spin (?)-I think my entrance is messed up!

Ice Princess, how are your spins without a entrance? Are they centered and fast?

Thank you all you guys! I guess I need to practice also on keeping it centered-I sure wish I could skate with you guys and work together!:)
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I sure wish I could skate with you guys and work together!

That would be fun! How are your spins doing? I'm trying to get a good back spin. Need one for my bronze program.
 

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
I still need to work on them! On New Years Day, I went skating with my sister and her girls (16 yr old & 7 yr old twins) during the public session and I didn't really work on my spins. I'm loving it though, because we all have strong ankles, like my mom, and every time I take those girls out, they do better and better! I'm hoping someday, we can all help each other and have fun!!:clap:
 

skatergirl45

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
Just PRACTICE tons. I would do 8 maybe 9 flying camels a session before mne became good. It was not fun/easy I did itn to help my skating.

About you upright spin, think about your arms and legs coming in at the same time. That will help a lot. Also, if you are like me and spin counter clockwise, make sure your body is turned so that your right shoulder is ahead of your left shoulder.
 

2bcharlotte

Spectator
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
I'm a new skating coach

Different language works for different people and they all had good advice. This is how I teach it to my new students.

I start teaching it on a line with a t-push. I'm assuming you are right handed?! Push off of the line, gliding on your left foot. Make sure your knee is really bent, then bend it some more and try to glide all the way back to the line on a tight banana shaped edge. Always keep your left shoulder, arm in front never let it sweep to the side.

Now that you are making it back to the line, you have noticed that it starts turning on its own. Once it starts turning on its own that is the point that you bring your free leg from behind you around to infront of you in an "h" position and straighten your skating leg.

Keep doing this exercise and seperately work on the backwards crossovers and hold the cross, doing the windup switching right arm to the rear, left arm in front and hold that position. Get that back glide good and strong.

Eventually you will be able to put them together. Step forward keeping left arm infront and steping back into your wind up circle.

GOOD LUCK....Hope that all made sense. You can ask questions if you'd like.
 

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
Different language works for different people and they all had good advice. This is how I teach it to my new students.

I start teaching it on a line with a t-push. I'm assuming you are right handed?! Push off of the line, gliding on your left foot. Make sure your knee is really bent, then bend it some more and try to glide all the way back to the line on a tight banana shaped edge. Always keep your left shoulder, arm in front never let it sweep to the side.

Now that you are making it back to the line, you have noticed that it starts turning on its own. Once it starts turning on its own that is the point that you bring your free leg from behind you around to infront of you in an "h" position and straighten your skating leg.

Keep doing this exercise and seperately work on the backwards crossovers and hold the cross, doing the windup switching right arm to the rear, left arm in front and hold that position. Get that back glide good and strong.

Eventually you will be able to put them together. Step forward keeping left arm infront and steping back into your wind up circle.

GOOD LUCK....Hope that all made sense. You can ask questions if you'd like.

I'm sorry for not responding sooner-thank you so much for your instructions. It means so much to me!:)
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ice Princess, how are your spins coming along? I'm working on my camel spin which needs a lot of work.
 

Ice Princess

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Country
United-States
Ice Princess, how are your spins coming along? I'm working on my camel spin which needs a lot of work.

They still need work. I can do a spiral, but I haven't tried a camel spin! How do you do a camel spin? I've of course seen one, but I mean technically!
 

bethissoawesome

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
If it's the entrance to the spin, my best advice is to remember to keep the pressure on the foot you will be spinning on as you do your back crosscuts in. When I first started spinning, I found that it would help me to go back to the very first things I learned... just spinning a little bit from a glide or even doing a two-foot spin to get the muscle memory of how the body should feel during a spin (especially if you aren't sure if what you are doing now feels right, go back to something that you know does feel right and fool around a bit until you find that security in the new spin).

I still swear by balance boards. I think they helped all of my spins progress the most because they force you to center your body and learn to compensate your balance just slightly using your feet and ankles, strengthening your ankles in the process.
 
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