I've been noticing that I can be too far forward on my left blade... Was definitely getting stuck on my toe pick while spinning, and must say it is still a bit scratchy sometimes. Sometimes I have scratchy threes on that side. I don't have this problem on the right so I'm wondering... How do I know if it is something with my balance vs blade alignment?!
If you are a counterclockwise skater and land on the right foot, left foot issues are very normal. I have to practice skills on the left foot a lot more to get them the same quality as the right foot. I find that the turns on the rocker of the left foot are a lot less comfortable than the right foot, and toe scratching is the most common issue.
I originally thought the blade position was to blame when I was learning twizzles and the left foot was abysmal! My skate technician and I spend 2 hours moving the blade from one extreme to the other one session, because I was convinced it was the blade. Guess what? Me all along :-( At least double practice on the left foot helps!
Lol! I guess I should stand around on my left foot and see where I balance. I suspect I balance more forward on that one to start with! I guess I just was hoping there would be an easy way to tell! Lol
I agree with irenar5. I'm a CCW skater, and just about everything's harder on my left foot. (Especially three-turns).
I can't really help, but I can commiserate. ;)
If you're having issues with blade alignment, you'll probably notice it in ALL of your skating (stroking, gliding, turns, spins, jumps) and not just 1-2 select skills. When I had a blade that needed to be adjusted, it skidded on EVERYTHING (even backwards crossovers and waltz jump take-offs, which I can do in my sleep) and I could feel that the alignment was physically off.
If you're only scratchy on spins and three-turns, it's probably just you - especially if they're new skills. It took me a really long time to learn how to NOT scratch on my three turns and I still get stuck on my toe pick when I'm working on new or particularly challenging spins. Your body is still figuring out how to align itself and balance correctly. With more practice, it should get better!!