Spinning on the kitchen floor...

[jjane45]

LOL or anywhere off-ice without a spinner!!

Seemingly quite a few skaters on this board use every opportunity to sneak in a spin here and there. Just curious where is everyone's off-ice spin compared to on-ice? What is your favorite manner of doing it and how well? Do you think it transfers well to ice with all the inherent limitations? Interesting stories welcome!

I for example have a far more stable backspin than forward off-ice. Upright spins only, never more than 4 revolutions. Favorite place of doing it is... in front of the laser copier at work! (we have nice wooden floor) Don't know how well it complements the actual spinning on ice, off-ice backspin feels like I am actually on the sweet spot (which rarely happens on ice) but my heel is probably lifted too high.

Your thoughts?

[davincisop]

I've been doing a few backspins in the food court at work.

[Sierra]

I can do two revolutions max off ice. But I can do a flying sit, and change sit off ice in socks. Not even close on ice, though.

Now jumping.. is a bit more dangerous.. the kitchen table got in the way of my axel last week.

[Teresa]

I can do a backspin on the kitchen floor but not on the ice.

teresa

[PinkLaces]

I can do about 2 rotations of the backspin on the kitchen floor (my fav spot).  I can do more revs on the backspin on ice 5-8.  My coach wants me to get a spinner to get my loop, flip, and lutz jumps better.  I practice them off ice more than spinning...but can't resist spinning on any surface that will support it.

[SillyAdultSkater]

More friction on the floor so less revs but the same mistakes surface on both spins off- and on ice. Pretty much translates if you ask me
At least, on the floor with socks. On spinners, not so much.

[FigureSpins]

On the floor: 4 revs backspin; 2 revs forward.

On a spinner: 6 revs backspin; 4 revs forward, but it took tons of practice to find the sweet spot and stay balanced.

I love using SillyAdultSkater's drill for three turns with the spinner - I've been using it to teach the hip-snap for backspins very successfully.

[sk8Joyful]

Don't know how well it complements the actual spinning on ice,
off-ice backspin feels like I am actually on the sweet spot (which rarely happens on ice) but my heel is probably lifted too high.
Your thoughts?

so are you saying, that as I spin around on the floor with glee, it's because I have naturally found my Sweet spot ? - If that's true, what do we need to change *on-ice* for repeat... success pray tell... 

[SillyAdultSkater]

I love using SillyAdultSkater's drill for three turns with the spinner - I've been using it to teach the hip-snap for backspins very successfully.

Huh?

[jjane45]

My backspin often goes on the heel, while on off-ice it's sorta on the sweet spot. Don't know how to "transfer", sorry sk8Joyful.

I heard about Ara from Iraq but watched his videos on Youtube just yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ara1996
No skates, no coach, but lots of talent and determination.
I wish some figure skating opportunities eventually open to him in the future.

[jjane45]

Surprised myself with a very fast and centered off-ice back scratch, 6 solid revolutions in shoes on wooden floor AT WORK in front of the copier. Only if I could transfer it to ice and stop wobbling back and forth...

[AgnesNitt]

I don't have a spinner, but on a weight training forum I discovered you can use a paper plate (Dixie is the best) as a glider. I've been using these for practicing my 3 turns, especially the check out. I've improved, so for me it's worked. I'm using it on a wood floor, but I suspect it would work on lino too.

[JHarer]

I don't have a spinner, but on a weight training forum I discovered you can use a paper plate (Dixie is the best) as a glider. I've been using these for practicing my 3 turns, especially the check out. I've improved, so for me it's worked. I'm using it on a wood floor, but I suspect it would work on lino too.

I would love to see a video of this or a more detailed description of how you do it, I've been struggling with three turns also.

[AgnesNitt]

I put on a pair of stiff over the ankle boots. Then I stand one footed on the plate, with my free foot in the correct position. Then, just like I'm skating I do a three turn. This is easier than doing it in socks, and it helps get the check. I've even started trying it with back threes, but I'm not sure how that will work out. I don't know if it will be as realistic as the forward three work.

[FigureSpins]

On the back threes, make sure to turn further back on the foot.  It doesn't work (on ice) if you turn on the forward rocker - you'll just scratch to a dead stop on the toe pick.

This is from a different thread:

Yeah, get a spinner and then face a wall, stand on one foot on the spinner, rotate that foot a quarter to your right, then 180 degrees to your left, then 180 degrees to your right etc, all while STILL facing the wall. Essentially you're turning your foot a quarter to the left and a quarter to the right underneath you without moving your upper body. If you're going to stop and start rotation on the spinner you're going to have to check it. It'll feel much like doing back inside and outside 3 turns.

Other than that, you don't need your arms to do any of the work on 3-turns in theory, personally I can do the outside 3-turns with my arms where ever I want, even above my head. It's all about the shoulders but if you've been doing that wrong so far it could prove a hard habit to kick.

Lately, I've been emphasizing the skating knee use on three turns, coaxing the skaters to press the skating knee into the curve to hold the edge more steadily.

[AgnesNitt]

On the back threes, make sure to turn further back on the foot.  It doesn't work (on ice) if you turn on the forward rocker - you'll just scratch to a dead stop on the toe pick.

That's true, only my problem is that I have hyperflexion of the ankle. Back when I rode horses even my trainers made comments about it. I can really get the toes up. I can do the back three on the floor on my heel, my concern is that I'm hyperflexing the ankle so much, that it won't work on the ice.