Ice skating sit spins?

Question

i am a 13 year old ice skater and am trying to get my sit-spin. I can get down pretty far but then my butt sticks out. I try to do shoot-the-ducks but my back arches over and i lean kinda forward. I try to do it off ice but i lean forward onto my toe and then fall i just don't have that balance. any suggestions about whats wrong and how to fix it?

Answer 1

Try arching your back rather than rounding it and leaning forward.  Also, try thinking about keeping your weight toward the back of the blade.  It might help not to go down so far at first.  It may also help to do some squats and other leg stregthening exercises so that it is easier for you to go down, hold the position, and come up.

Answer 2

i'm 15 and at a senior level, and my sit spin still isn't the greatest looking. it takes a lot of practice to get the right position. make sure your knees are pressed together and your right leg is angled so that your toe points to the right, not up and down.

remember, practice makes perfect !

Answer 3

I'm fourteen, and sit spins are my favorite spins!

In shoot the ducks you have to lean over to retain your balance, since you are only going in a straight line. In a sit spin however, you don't need to worry so much about leaning over. True, it's practically impossible to sit up straight in a sit spin, but the centripital force of the spin should keep you spinning. When you spin, try to tuck your butt in, and try not to lean over too much; That might me the cause of your toe pick catching in the ice.

Also, if you seem to be falling to one side that means your weight is too much in the center. You need to transfer your weight to your skating foot. Try to keep your thighs squeezed together, and hold your arms together out straight.

Oh, and it takes practice to strengthen your thigh. When you're off ice do squats to strengthen your spinning leg, or shoot the ducks. When you fall over it could also be because your leg is not strong enough yet to hold all that weight up.

And don't worry about it! You just need to believe in yourself. Sometimes people's tips don't help you, but it gives you enough courage to try harder and succed on your own.

Hope this helps, and good luck!