Basic Figure Skating Spins: 1 Foot Spin (Charyl Brusch)

Spin specialist Charyl Brusch explains how she teaches a forward scratch spin from a one-foot spin.  This is a detailed video, with lots of information and some repetition of the most important points.

Charyl asks the skater to bring the arms and leg in at the same time.  She wants the skater to place the heel of the free skate on the outside of the skating knee (actually touching it).  Notice that she has the free knee directly in front of the skater. Opening the hips and leaving the free knee to the side is one of the most common errors in spinning and it can cause traveling as Charyl explains later in the video!!  Charyl even has the skater turn the belly button to the left (for a skater spinning to the left).  She has the skater wait in this position for 3 or 4 revolutions to get on the right spot on the blade and keep the spin centered before pushing everything down.

When squeezing for speed, the skater should press the hands and feet down at the same time.  The hands should go down touching the body and the free foot should go down touching the skating shin bone.  Charyl wants the skater to remain on a slightly bent skating knee and flex the free foot, toes up at the bottom.  Many coaches describe this as “pushing down with the heel.”  In the down position, the feet should be touching and basically pointed in the same direction.

Because Charyl has the skater spin on a slightly bent knee, she has them squeeze their feet, ankles, knees, and thighs together “as though she only has one leg.”   Charyl says this position “feels ugly” to most skaters because they are squatting a little bit and the free foot is flexed.  Charyl likes the skater to keep the skating knee slightly bent as she feels it helps keep the hips under the skater, rather than letting the hips pop out behind.

One of the “secrets” in this video is near the end where Charyl says, “when I’m having someone spin, I want them to feel like their [skating] foot does not move anywhere.  The more steady you keep your [skating] foot the more you’re going to center it and the more speed you’re going to generate.”

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.

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