What characteristics of blades make them good for spins?

[Query]

If a person like me has trouble stopping spin travel and has trouble stabilizing spins, what blade characteristics might help?

At http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=8213.msg97827 This person sometimes recommends people who have trouble spinning use blades with 7' instead of 8' main rockers. Are there any other characteristics that help? E.g., something about spin rockers, heights over the ice, blade width, ROH, distance to toe pick...?

And yes, I know that good skaters can spin well on almost anything, and that searching for hardware solutions to solve personal athletic problems doesn't always work. But occasionally it is worth a try.

P.S. Purely as a matter of curiosity, since I'm getting too old, but what blade characteristics help jump landings, and other specific classes of figure skating move?

[DressmakingMomma]

When my daughter went from a Coro Ace to an MK Pro, her spins improved and she said she just felt more secure on the MK Pro. Then she moved up to a Gold Seal and struggled for awhile, which was the opposite of what everyone had told us would happen. 2 years and 4 pairs of boots later but still the same Gold Seal blade, and she was doing okay. Then, less than two weeks ago, she switched boots yet again, because the last pair were slightly too long and had to be remade, so we had to buy a new Gold Seal that was 9.5 instead of 9.75 and all of her spins are instantly better then they have ever been. Her backscratch, which has been so elusive is solid enough to combine with her camel and go into her program and her sit spin is looking better than ever. I can't believe the difference. it is probably a combination of the shorter, better fitting boot, shorter blade, and a brand new spin rocker.

[Query]

By "spin spot" do you mean the same thing as the "sweet spot", where the rocker radius changes?

I guess you are saying it is easier to stay balanced for an extended time closer to the center of the foot - right? Or is it just easier to control the initial entry?

Does moving the "spin spot" (and, presumably, the toe pick) back make it harder to jump, turn, check, or anything else? I.E., is there a reason it is that far forward?

I guess I could instead re-mount my current blades a little back on the boot, to get the same effect, but if was too much, the tails might sometimes cross, unless I ground off a little of the tail, which is an irreversible change, which I hesitate to do. Unless, perhaps I tried it with old blades that aren't good anymore for anything.

I've tried blades I got used, free, that were 1/2" shorter than my current blades, and I couldn't find anywhere to mount them that made it easy to balance, even for forward skating, unless I set them far enough forward that they dragged in the back, and slowed me down a fair bit. (But DressmakingMomma is only proposing a 1/4" change.)

[DressmakingMomma]

I think her spins improved for two reasons.

1- She now has a shorter (by about a 1/4") boot and subsequently blade, so she is more balanced in her skate overall. The previous boot/blade combo was a little too long and she had been skating on that slightly longer blade for the last couple of years.

2- She is on a new blade rather than a 2 year old blade which didn't have much left on it for sharpening and so was flatter than the new one. She now has a more pronounced rocker which I imagine is more "spinny".

One thing to note, she isn't falling when skating and I think she has fully adjusted to the new boot/blade combination very well. BUT she has fallen just standing still a few times because the tails feel shorter and she just slips backward. I'm sure she will get used to it, but for right now she is providing comic relief to her friends at the rink. She can skate an hour and stay on her feet, but standing at the boards collecting her stuff and she ends up on her butt.

Aside from all of that, I think what I was trying to say above, was that moving to a more advanced blade isn't always the answer. When she first went to the gold seal, she had a really tough time. Also, I think it must really be personal preference because she really liked the MK Pro over the Coro Ace - same size, all other things being equal.

[Query]

Thanks!