Help with cannonball spin | Golden Skate

Help with cannonball spin

Noga L.

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 25, 2012
Hi! The funniest thing - for a few weeks I've been desperately trying to do the cannonball sit spin with no progress what's so ever! My sit spin is JUST FINE but as soon as I try to reach down and catch my leg/foot/blade (I've tried every position) I just lose my balance completely and fall either forward or backwards.
Also, I kind of try to grab and pull myself down to bend over, but what usually happens instead is that I pull my free leg up and backwards and fall or sink down on my butt.
Is this normal? Does anyone have any tips for me? I'll be grateful if you do.
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
Anytime you change from the basic position on a spin, your balance point changes. I can't give you any specific tips without seeing the spin other than keep practising to re-find the balance point. Also don't pull your leg, that's probably contributing to your balance problem.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
As silver blades said, your position changes your balance point so you need to get use to balancing in a cannonball position first. My advice would be to do off-ice drills of going from standing on one leg, and then bending that leg into a sit spin, hugging the leg into a cannonball, and then standing up again on that same leg. On the ice, I would also try more shoot the ducks (do a normal one and then hug your leg in) -- if you can't do a shoot the duck and get up with the same leg, it will be difficult to execute a cannonball spin. It sounds like your issue is dropping your bum too low as a result of pulling your free leg up -- focus more on holding the leg from the sides (or even the top) so you won't be tempted to pull it upwards. With off ice leg strengthening drills like squats or the drill I mentioned above, your spinning leg can become more stable, so that if your position changes, you're less likely to fall over.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Also, I kind of try to grab and pull myself down to bend over, but what usually happens instead is that I pull my free leg up and backwards and fall or sink down on my butt.
Is this normal? Does anyone have any tips for me? I'll be grateful if you do.
Yes, don't grab and pull youself down because you are throwing your balance off by doing this (because you are pulling your free foot up even it that's not your intention or what you feel), you should be bending over at the waist to attain this position. This position requires a great deal of lower back flexibility where you aren't "grabbing" your foot, but just reaching gently to it as you fold at the lower back (kind of like a ballet barre exercise).
 

ffionhanathomas

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 12, 2013
Make sure you're leaning forward and don't sit down too low. Are you spinning on your toe-pick at all or is it all on the ball of your foot?
Practice makes perfect on this spin though!
 
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