Help on Spins

[2bcharlotte]

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]

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]

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

[Ice Princess]

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]

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.

[Bennett]

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!

Sorry if this sounds childish, but I remember always thinking of an airplane when I had been learning it. I think that I had been told so by my coach when I had first learned it. That favourite mental image had helped me get a different "feeling" from the other spins. Then stretching both legs and pointing the free leg's toe had partly helped me with the tension and the subsequent speed. After your body learns the momentum to have the good entrance (which I believe would come through practicing a lot), it is a fun spin to do. Unlike other spins, there had been something delightful, uplifting, liberating about the "feeling" with the camel, which I used to love a lot. I hope you'll find the camel enjoyable, too.

[no toepicks]

one of the most important things to remember when doing reallly anuy spinis to make sure you use your legs and not so much your upper body to rely on speed and the snap. Stya down in your knee til after the three turn and then come up. it helps get centered and to spin faster.

www.figureskating360.com

[jjane45]

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.

Would surely try this out. I am new to spins and the two foot spins are simply not coming in at all. Maybe they are getting worse as I keep scraping the ice badly, losing BALANCE and fall in 3 revolutions
Any suggestions on building good balance for beginners? I try to keep the upper body straight and weight slightly shifted to the left leg. Pressure on left ball and very slightly on the right heel. My current entry is just simple pivoting and balance actually seems better without using the arms at all :o
MANY MANY THANKS!!

[singerskates]

Any suggestions on building good balance for beginners? I try to keep the upper body straight and weight slightly shifted to the left leg. Pressure on left ball and very slightly on the right heel. My current entry is just simple pivoting and balance actually seems better without using the arms at all :o
MANY MANY THANKS!!

I would work on my ankle strength off-ice. And try holding your one footed spin positions off-ice in your running shoes for upto a minute at a time and then when you can do that, try holding the spin positions with your eyes closed ( need to have a timer go off so you can hear it to tell when you can come out of position).

I used to do this when I had off-ice during spring skating school a few years back and I really should get back to doing it for my camel spin and my backspin positions.

Eventually you'll be able to hold all your spin positions with your eyes closed for upto a minute. When you get there, your balance will be great.

Also, it takes time to train your inner ear when you spin on ice. It will work for you!

[Icechick86]

You guys all have such great advice! Does anyone have any advice for the layback spin? I'm working on it now and I get sooooo dizzy once my head goes back. I try to look at the ceiling but everything spins so weird and I feel like I'm going to fall even if I'm not. Any tips for holding that position? Thanks!

[jjane45]

I would work on my ankle strength off-ice. And try holding your one footed spin positions off-ice in your running shoes for up to a minute at a time and then when you can do that, try holding the spin positions with your eyes closed (need to have a timer go off so you can hear it to tell when you can come out of position).

I used to do this when I had off-ice during spring skating school a few years back and I really should get back to doing it for my camel spin and my backspin positions.

Eventually you'll be able to hold all your spin positions with your eyes closed for upto a minute. When you get there, your balance will be great.

Also, it takes time to train your inner ear when you spin on ice. It will work for you!

Thank you so much for your kind advices, I can definitely see it working! What do you recommend for ankle strength and inner ear (?) training?
PS: Can't help thinking skaters holding the Bielmann position off ice with their eyes closed No doubt they could do that as well!

[silver.blades]

You guys all have such great advice! Does anyone have any advice for the layback spin? I'm working on it now and I get sooooo dizzy once my head goes back. I try to look at the ceiling but everything spins so weird and I feel like I'm going to fall even if I'm not. Any tips for holding that position? Thanks!

The trick to the layback is to go through the hips first, not the back. Push your hips forward, you want them to be approximately as far forward as your skating foot. From there, just let your head go back. If you're doing it properly, you won't be looking directly at the ceiling, so you won't get as dizzy. Make sure you relax your neck and shoulder, as that's the most common problem when starting the layback. Your balance will actually improve if you do and as with any spin the more often you do it the less dizzy you get as you get used the the position and spin faster.

[megsk8z]

The trick to the layback is to go through the hips first, not the back. Push your hips forward, you want them to be approximately as far forward as your skating foot. From there, just let your head go back. If you're doing it properly, you won't be looking directly at the ceiling, so you won't get as dizzy. Make sure you relax your neck and shoulder, as that's the most common problem when starting the layback. Your balance will actually improve if you do and as with any spin the more often you do it the less dizzy you get as you get used the the position and spin faster.

and

Couldn't have said it better. The more you practice laybacks, the easier they get. My coach told me I should be looking at the ring around the bottom of the boards when I am spinning. Or at least to aim for that. Like I am looking at anything.

My .02 for spinning in general: Pretend that your body is a box and you have 4 points on it. Make your shoulders square and square up your hips. Match shoulders to hips. And (this is the big thing) get comfortable with where you are in your spin before pulling in. Above all, get comfortable with where you are on your blades before anything else.

[Icechick86]

Thanks guys- that is really helpful! I definitely need to work on pushing my hips forward...hopefully it will get easier with time and practice. Spins have never been my strong point!

[Ice Princess]

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.

Thank you so much for your advice. Do you keep the right shoulder ahead of the left when doing the crosscuts?