Hello all and happy new years! Has anyone ever had issues with not having spin tracings and is this indicative of incorrect weight placement on the blade? I can get up to 5-6 revolutions on my backspin before I either fall over the toepick or the blade literally grinds to a halt in the ice. At most there will be some snow left on the ice, but I've almost never seen a proper "tracing", even when I have spins that feel good or that I can hold and hit positions in. I'm also essentially unable to hold the pulled in position (hence the lack of rotations) because I absolutely catapult over my heel the second I try. While I don't have issues holding all forward spins and can clearly feel a 'sweet spot'/proper placement, I've never felt quite the same feeling on the backspin. For reference, my current blades are Ultima Mark II (if you're going yikes right now, I agree. I'm in the market for different ones). Any advice on this is welcome. Thanks everyone!
no spin tracing on backspin?
- Thread starter miina
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Country
-
Are you spinning on the unsharpened part of the blade between the spin rocker and drag pick?
It honestly doesn’t feel like either of those -
it feels like my weight is a few inches further back than in forward spins. If I try to press into where the sweet spot normally would be I fall over the toe.
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2019
Is your blade properly aligned front to back on your boot? Is the front end of the blade with the toepick even/flush with the front end of the sole? exactly how much space is there between the back end of the blade sole plate and the back end of the heel sole?
The front mounting plate is flush with the front edge of the boot, and the tail extends ~1 inch past the heel. They were factory mounted so I would be a little surprised if that was where the issue was.
Anyways - I met with a new coach and the issue seems to be that I'm rocking back and forth on the blade after raking into the spin. When I do have a visible tracing it is usually more reminiscent of double threes, so it makes sense. Staying forward isn't so much of an issue anymore but staying forward and on a consistent outside edge is a bit tougher lol
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2020
- Country
-
Well. That is probably the issue. If they're factory mounted that means they aren't customized to you.
Ah
I guess that makes sense lol. Is it common to need custom fits for blades? I always assumed temp mounts were just to make sure the mounter didn’t somehow do it completely wrong. Not so many (competent) skate service places in my area but in that case, I will definitely try to get a better mount on my next set.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2005
It is HIGHLY important you see your skate tech for mounting. Your center point on your feet may be a little different than where the factory mounts blades (ie, right down the center, typically) or a pair of boots may be off slightly. My blades are mounted *very* slightly inside of center which enables me to hit every edge correctly without forcing it. Some people need their blades mounted on a slight diagonal. It's very person dependentAh
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2019
I didn't want to know how long the tail of the blade is, I want to know where the sole PLATE of the blade is placed on the heel of the boot. The front of the blade is flush with the front of the boot, but look at the sole plate of the blade, the plate that's screwed into the heel - there should be space between where the sole plate ends and where the rear of the heel ends - unless the back of the rear sole plate is flush with the rear of the heel (which would be very unusual). I'm trying to gauge the length of your blades relative to your boots, because it sounds like your blades could be too long or too short for your boots (which would make it difficult for you to center on the sweet spot because it wouldn't be exactly where it's supposed to be).
Ah
I benefited from having the stock blade moved in the past. I was having issues with getting as good an outside edge on one foot and my tech moved a bit to the side in the front a teeny tiny bit. I thought it wouldn’t make any difference but my edge did feel better and my turns and spins became easier.
I feel the stock blade is a bit too long for me and the rocker doesn’t end up in an ideal spot so the blade we ordered a size smaller and hope it will fit better.
A trusted skate tech in your area is your best friend !
Another issue could be how your blade was been sharpened maybe? Some sharpening can affect the profile of the blade.
Good luck!
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2020
- Country
-
YesAh
Sorry I misunderstood! Thanks for being patient with me
. They aren’t flush. Probably ~1/8 of an inch of a gap. The blades are the recommended size for the boot. It might be more related to boot size in this case… I’m a 7 street size and was fitted for a 7 in Jacksons, which is like unheard of from people I’ve talked to (notably I wouldn’t say I’ve had fit issues like heel sliding, only my toes not touching the front of the boot). In either case, I didn’t think it was possible to mount a smaller blade than recommended for a certain boot size. Again sorry for the mistake and ty!I benefited from having the stock blade moved in the past. I was having issues with getting as good an outside edge on one foot and my tech moved a bit to the side in the front a teeny tiny bit. I thought it wouldn’t make any difference but my edge did feel better and my turns and spins became easier.
I feel the stock blade is a bit too long for me and the rocker doesn’t end up in an ideal spot so the blade we ordered a size smaller and hope it will fit better.
A trusted skate tech in your area is your best friend !
Another issue could be how your blade was been sharpened maybe? Some sharpening can affect the profile of the blade.
Good luck!
Thank you everyone for your advice! I will make sure to get them specially mounted next time and appreciate all the help and time you’ve given me < 3
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2019
That's your issue. Your skates are too big (properly fitting Jacksons should be a size to a size and a half smaller than your street shoe size, so 5.5 or 6), which means the blade is too long, which means the ball of your foot is not centered over the sweet spot.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Heya, it sounds like you're not spinning on the ball of your foot as much as you should be.
Another important thing to do is use your arms and core for balance.
Have you tried an off ice spinner? Kinda looks like this: https://www.skatingboutique.com/acc...ducts/plastic-spinner-jerry-s-1550-49514.html
