Spin coach Charyl Brusch begins this video by covering the back crossover entrance to a forward scratch spin. She shows a diagram to illustrate what she wants the skater to do. She also shows a drawing of the most common error for this entrance.
Coaches will benefit by seeing how Charyl positions herself so she can help the skater enter the spin using “hands-on” coaching. Notice that she wants the skater on a back inside edge before stepping forward and she is able to help the skater feel this strong edge by physically assisting the skater.
Another common issue with centering is simply the skater’s body position on the forward entrance edge. Charyl wants the skater to be aligned over the skating side with a strong and firm position. Nearly all skaters also have the tendency to “pop up” too soon which can also destroy the balance of the three-turn used for centering.
Charyl uses the terms “slow, stay there” and “don’t release.” She is asking the skater to change position slowly and under control without causing any jerking motions of the body or particularly of the skating foot. Charyl also talks about where the skater needs to be on the blade and how still they need to be on the blade. She tells the skater, “Keep your ankles straighter. Really be aware of your foot not moving when you’re spinning. I want you to feel like it’s not moving at all, especially as your arms and leg are dropping down. Don’t let your skating foot move. That’s when you really have to focus on staying really really still.”
Charyl has the skater put their skate up on the barrier to get a feel for the desired blade pressure. She wants that pressure throughout the spin.
We are very fortunate to have a spin specialist of Charyl’s caliber as a presenter at iCoachSkating.com. Please leave a comment for Charyl or other members below.
Add to “My Favorites” (Beta testing)