scratch spin progress

I Almost achieved feet crossed position!
I can never do a proper 2 foot spin and scratch spin was the hardest element i came through in figure skating by far (Partially because I don’t really like it so i kind of avoided it).
I prefer jumps so much more, and every session I would spend 5 minutes practising spin, sometimes no spins at all.

In November 2015 I got serious with spin and hence have improved dramatically.
I don’t do things according to feeling so after every practice I would analyze my progress and think about things to work on.

My scratch spin learning curve has gone through the following stages – each takes 2-3 sessions of practice to stablise:
1 focus on centering the spin. deep knee bend, deep outside edge.
2 focus on bring the free leg foward togather with the free arm.
3 focus on spin with free leg and free arm forward (arms form V position)
4 focus on turn free foot out
5 focus on bring free foot in.

It is very easy to have the feeling of “I will never be able to do a good spin” – i thought that way 2 months ago. Now I’m starting to see some hope. I can manage to spin 5-6 revs when I’m doing well and it should get better. I heard that with spin, once the entry is correct it improves very fast – I’m really looking foward!

I landed a loop in November 2015 but was never stable, my leg does not go straight up which cause my free foot to land before the jumping leg..hope i can fix this one soon..

scratch spin 3

 
First do your wind up. Provided you are a counterclockwise skater, (otherwise do the opposite foot of what I say) skate backwards on your right inside edge. Place your left arm directly out in front of you AKA 12 o’clock and your right arm to your side AKA 3 o’clock. Keep your right shoulder pressed back. Hold this position for a count of 4. Then, step inside with your left foot. Your feet should look like a sideways T position, with your left foot being the body of the letter and your right foot crossing the top of the T. Push off of your right foot onto your left. This is very important! Ride the outside edge of your left foot for a count of four. This should bring you around a circle that is getting smaller. Keep holding until your left foot does a three-turn. I’ve inserted a link to a video that you can view how to do a three turn here in case you haven’t learned them yet. http://www.ehow.com/video_2355483_three_turn-exercise-ice-skating.html Now, as my coach always says, you have to go down to go up. Bend your skating knee a bit, pushing yourself down into the ice. At the same time, bring your right leg around as to the front. As you bring it around, think about turning your foot out so that your ankle is pointing inwards. The farther you can turn it out the easier the scratching portion will be, so be sure to turn out from the hip. Your arms should now be out at about 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. After one or two revolutions, you should feel yourself centering up and balancing, so this is when you should rise up on your skating leg, but don’t straighten completely. Begin to pull your arms and leg in. Your right arm and leg should feel like they are attached to each other so that you can’t pull one in more than the other. Your arms should feel like they are reaching around to hold a large beach ball. Pull your free leg in and across your skating leg to make number 4. Once you get your boot past your skating leg, press your free foot downwards through your heel. Then when you’re ready to exit the spin, place your free leg on the ice, toe pick first. It should be crossed over your skating leg still. Exit in a standard jump landing position. Here’s a video of a scratch spin. http://www.ehow.com/video_2355487_advanced-spins-ice-skating.html Hope this helps you! Good luck!

2016 figure skating resolution

1 Flip, Lutz n Axel jump

2 scratch spin 10 revo

3 backspin 5 revo

spin tips 2

scratch Spin TipWhen you’re winding up, your left arm should be reaching *out* of the circle, then when you step onto the LFO edge your left arm should naturally be over your left knee and right arm behind you, right leg behind. When you three-turn, immediately bring your right arm and leg into front to start the spin. You have to bring your right leg around instantly as you three turn, you can’t start spinning then bring the leg around. But don’t kick it through, you’ll land on your butt. 
Just practice doing three turns, move your leg in front as you three-turn and hold that leg position while you’re traveling on the back inside edge. You should be spinning on a tight back inside edge, and if you’re wobbling from edge to edge, you might be looking down, dropping your shoulder, and breaking at the waist. All three of those collapse your upper body and ruin your edge. 
You also need to WAIT to three turn, hold that edge for a good long time before three-turning into the spin. And step into the circle, not out of it, from your back crossovers. 
Lift your free hip slightly and try to hold it in front rather than to the side, this will help you cross it. I’ve had that “I can’t see my leg!” feeling before, but it’s mostly just getting used to it. All of skating moves make you feel like you have to watch your feet when you start learning them. 
Lots of people take months to do a really good scratch spin. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve only been learning it for 2-3 weeks. You’re right on track for skating 11 months.

spin tips 1

Put pressure on the front of the foot, between the toes and the heel…more towards the front rather than the heel. 
Really keep your backside tucked in, and make sure your arms are airtight (meaning that they should be tight), and you should also try bringing your arms in at the same time as your free leg. 
Take care, good luck and God bless ya’ll! 

🙂

This is assuming you spin to the left, if not just reverse everything. First, make sure your left leg is really straight, and you’re holding your core really strong. Then, make your body form a lowercase “h.” So, your right ip will be up and your right thigh almost parallel to the ice. Once you get your right leg in this position, it will be easier to cross.

ina bauer tips

You need both flexibility and technique for the outside spread eagle on the ice. For flexibility, do plies at the boards on the ice, with your feet turned out and pushed up against the base of the boards and the insides of your knees pressed against the boards. As you very slowly straighten your legs, push your pelvis forward against the boards and lean back. I still do these for a few minutes before doing Ina Bauers or spread eagles and it makes it much easier to get into the position and hold it properly.
As for actually getting into the spread eagle position and holding it on the ice, here’s the technique that was the breakthrough for me: Holding onto the boards, turn your leading foot out, with knee bent and leaning a little on the outside of the blade. Now turn your other foot out at a 45-degree angle, point the toes and bring that foot down so that the heel slides right into the instep of the other foot. Notice how that foot slides right into 180-degree spread eagle position and turns out all by itself. Now try it on the ice away from the wall, while moving. To stay on an outside edge, pull your leading shoulder back and look over your leading shoulder in the direction of travel. When you feel secure enough, push your pelvis forward and squeeze your butt cheeks together so your body is straight and you aren’t sticking your butt out.

toe loop and salchow

i have been attempting a toe loop jump since the 3rd month of skating… as soon as i got my waltz jump.

I gave up when i realise that my backward edges are not good enough( impossible to get the toe pick leg crossed). after some months of practise, i finally managed to do some toe loops last night! I was concerned that its a toe waltz, but my buddy said i only pre-rotated a little bit! thats such a joy to know!

salchow, on the other hand, isnt going too successful for me.  i can hold the backward inside edge but i dont know where i get the power to take off to the jump. I know the theory but my body wont do it. apparently salchow supposed to be much easier than toe loop but for me thats certainly not the case!

there were at least 200 people on the rink yesterday, not the most plesant day to practice, but im glad i attempted toe loop. now im too excited to move onto the next jump. screw salchow if i cant get it, i’ll try loop first :p

a bit of update on my waltz jump, a while ago i was complaining that i cant do a backward to foward transition befor ethe jump, that has been sorted after following mr c’s instruction, i have also been able to hold the outside edge glide after the transition. what i need to work on for this jump is to rotate in the air, mr c’s advise helped trememdously, he asked me to rotate my shoulders, that really helped me getting the full waltz jujp rotation! the problem though, im not really jumping off my toe pick, actually scared to do that because that would mean i have to jump at perfect timing as i literally stumble on my toe pick in order for the jump to happen! need to work on that more ( or i can just ignore it and move on…)

if im not skating, im drawing.

all my friends knows that they can tell what im up to based on what i draw. recently 50% of my drawings & crafts is about ice skating :p 

  

 

when?

when i just started skating, it seemed impossible for me to ever do an outside edge glide – not even foward ( and backwards is unimaginable). in January this year, i wrote on my dairy “by the end of 2015, will i be able to draw half circle with outside edge?” i think i achieved it 2 months after this diary entry.

I hoped i’ve picked up skating earlier, then i probably would not give up many things in my life. I am not a very patient person, and i dont usually like to work for days toward a certain goal. it’s amazing to find out how fast i can achieve something i do not believe is possible, all through this sport.

I have always had high requirement for myself. if the best in a group can achieve something, then I can. there’s a guy in my rink who managed to do triple jump within 4 years, another could do axel in one year and a half …these are the kind of goals i’ve set for myself.   By the end of this year, by when i ‘d be skating for a full solid year, i wish i can get at least 2, 3 kinds of single jumps.  achieve 10 revolutions on one foot spin – i look foward to see if i can achieve these goals 🙂

currently im working on open hips on all edges, foward and backward, which will help with my mohawk transitions. toeloop jump preparation. inside 3 turn. outside 3 turn from backward to foward. power pulls are progressing extremely fast, however foward powerpull on my right leg is not really advancing at all – i have always had a disabled right leg.

i have found it easier to do all elements backwards, backwards lunge, backwards teapot, backwards spiral, backwards power pull! i dont think this is normal…

working on..

Spins – two foot to one foot.

One funny thing i notice about is spin is that i actually spin more revolutions than i thought! when i video myself, im surprised to discover that i spin 4 rotations eventhough i thought i only did 2… its comforting, but still, spin is the worst nightmare for me and i progress on spins as slow as snail.  i get dizzy after 2 attemtps and needed to do something else before i can work on it again.

Walz Jump

I dont think many people have this problem – i couldnt transit from backwards to foward smoothly, hence i stuck everytime before i jump. im practising backwards outside edge with an open hip, which really helps. jump is getting better and more stable,  and the landing position is looking better.

flexibility

i have tried to do stretching everyday recently, i nearly achieved a split but it seems to stuck at that level. i recalled i was one of the least flexible humans – genetically! all my family have horrible flexibility and none has any talent in sporting.. and i happened to pick one of the most difficult sports on earth. stretching is painful, much worse than doing a workout with  jillian michaels ( oh i love her workout ).