Catch Foot Camel Advice

[AmalieWaltz]

I am having trouble with the catch foot camel spin. I can do that position off ice and can hold that position without losing balance, so it's not a flexibility issue. But on ice when I grab the blade, I can catch the blade without really changing the position of my chest and I can spin for maybe a revolution or 2 but then I find I have to start lifting my chest up (which of course drops my leg down lower) in order to keep the spin going. It's almost like I'm having to lift my chest up to continue staying on the right spot on my blade. My coach keeps telling me I have to make sure to keep my chest down the whole time for it to look like a catch foot camel and not like a badly botched biellmann spin attempt, lol, but when I keep my chest down, I quickly lose the spin. Any advice you can give would be really appreciated. By the way, I use the free arm to catch my foot in case that makes any difference; I know a lot of people will grab the blade with their skating arm but I've never been able to do that. Thank you!

 

[kinari]

I am having trouble with the catch foot camel spin. I can do that position off ice and can hold that position without losing balance, so it's not a flexibility issue. But on ice when I grab the blade, I can catch the blade without really changing the position of my chest and I can spin for maybe a revolution or 2 but then I find I have to start lifting my chest up (which of course drops my leg down lower) in order to keep the spin going. It's almost like I'm having to lift my chest up to continue staying on the right spot on my blade. My coach keeps telling me I have to make sure to keep my chest down the whole time for it to look like a catch foot camel and not like a badly botched biellmann spin attempt, lol, but when I keep my chest down, I quickly lose the spin. Any advice you can give would be really appreciated. By the way, I use the free arm to catch my foot in case that makes any difference; I know a lot of people will grab the blade with their skating arm but I've never been able to do that. Thank you!

Have you tried getting an off ice spinner? There are some really good ones sold by Edea and some on Amazon, and they help mimic the way your skate/blade performs on the ice.

 

[Elija]

I have to admit I don’t know what you mean but free and skating arm in this context. If you spin cc do you mean you grab with the right hand? Same arm same foot? I do these with opposite hand and foot, and it helps to really pull/stretch the leg up. A lot of people just pull it up a tiny bit and it looks a bit ugly and also makes it very hard to balance the spin. The more you stretch up but keep the chest down, the easier it is.

If you are grabbing with the other hand, this is definitely more unusual, and a spin that would more often be done from a back camel than forward. How is your flexibility off ice? Do you actually have the flexibility to pull the foot all the way up without lifting your chest too much (it will come up a bit but should of course not be all the way up)? If not, I would work on that. Also give the catch foot with the other hand a try off ice and see if you can hit the position, as I feel like this is a more stable position to learn, which is why most people do this rather than same foot same hand.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

Have you tried getting an off ice spinner? There are some really good ones sold by Edea and some on Amazon, and they help mimic the way your skate/blade performs on the ice.

Yes, I have one but I can't do a camel spin on it because I can't keep my balance on it but I need to keep trying. My spinner has really helped me with my back spins! Thanks for your help.

 

[AmalieWaltz]

I have to admit I don’t know what you mean but free and skating arm in this context. If you spin cc do you mean you grab with the right hand? Same arm same foot? I do these with opposite hand and foot, and it helps to really pull/stretch the leg up. A lot of people just pull it up a tiny bit and it looks a bit ugly and also makes it very hard to balance the spin. The more you stretch up but keep the chest down, the easier it is.

If you are grabbing with the other hand, this is definitely more unusual, and a spin that would more often be done from a back camel than forward. How is your flexibility off ice? Do you actually have the flexibility to pull the foot all the way up without lifting your chest too much (it will come up a bit but should of course not be all the way up)? If not, I would work on that. Also give the catch foot with the other hand a try off ice and see if you can hit the position, as I feel like this is a more stable position to learn, which is why most people do this rather than same foot same hand.

Yes I meant grabbing the foot with the same hand so right hand, right foot in the air. I have tried to do catch the foot with the opposite hand and it seems almost impossible for me to catch the foot when I try it with that hand. It must be easier for others since so many skaters do it that way. I can try it that way again and see what happens.

As far as my flexibility, it's not perfect but it's pretty good. I don't have that much problem catching my foot and pulling it up in the air off ice.
Thank you for your help.