I started figure skating about 6 months ago (adult - I'm almost 27) and progressed quickly as I easily translated many skills from the artistic roller skating world. A lot of the "feelings" are the same, although balance points are different and certain things are easier/harder on one type of skates vs the other. I can do pretty much all of the basics, plus waltz jumps, half flip, half lutz, inconsistent single salchows and toe loops (still working on not cheating that one).
One thing I have been struggling though with is spins. Just a basic, two footed spin. Most of my issues in the beginning came from my upper body position, which has now been corrected and looks great according to my coach. So theoretically, something is going on with my feet. I can get a pretty good spin going now compared to where it was, however I can't stop dragging my left toe pick a little when I do it, which is slowing me down and preventing rotations and going to be a huge hurdle before I can even think about attempting the one footed spins. I'm trying to think of pressing further back in my skates, more towards the middle, but when I do, one of three things happens: the spin slows down and stops sooner than if I had just let the toe pick drag a bit, my posture breaks, or I almost fall backwards. My coach is at a loss at what else to tell me, because I've been diligently practicing them. I skate 7-8 hours a week divided between group classes, a private lesson, and practice. It feels like I just can't find the sweet spot, even when I try to go back to bare bones basics. We're laughing at it at this point because everything else is looking good and I can't pass FS1 (my rink is ISI based - looking to start USFS soon) until I get the spin.
I feel like I'm hitting a wall here and I don't know if this is something the position of my blade could affect (my coach is great, but not so knowledgeable about detailed equipment issues), if there's any other tips or tricks anyone can offer that I can try, or if I just need to keep at it which might be the case - it just seems like everyone else caught onto it much easier than me and the rest of my class is working on one foot spins (granted they are all half of my age), which I'm not allowed to start yet... I'm on Coronation Ace blades and have recently been messing with my ROH with my sharpener & coach - was at 5/8ths since the beginning but was sliding everywhere when leaning into edges, moved to 9/16ths, was better but still not comfortable, just moved to 7/16ths which has completely changed the game and made me way more secure in everything else but has had no effect on my spins.
I'm willing to accept that I need more practice and this might just be something that takes time for me, I just feel like I made a lot of progress on them and then...didn't anymore. I am stuck at 5-6 rotations max with a dragging toe pick that I can't seem to stop doing even though I'm actively trying to stop it.
One thing I have been struggling though with is spins. Just a basic, two footed spin. Most of my issues in the beginning came from my upper body position, which has now been corrected and looks great according to my coach. So theoretically, something is going on with my feet. I can get a pretty good spin going now compared to where it was, however I can't stop dragging my left toe pick a little when I do it, which is slowing me down and preventing rotations and going to be a huge hurdle before I can even think about attempting the one footed spins. I'm trying to think of pressing further back in my skates, more towards the middle, but when I do, one of three things happens: the spin slows down and stops sooner than if I had just let the toe pick drag a bit, my posture breaks, or I almost fall backwards. My coach is at a loss at what else to tell me, because I've been diligently practicing them. I skate 7-8 hours a week divided between group classes, a private lesson, and practice. It feels like I just can't find the sweet spot, even when I try to go back to bare bones basics. We're laughing at it at this point because everything else is looking good and I can't pass FS1 (my rink is ISI based - looking to start USFS soon) until I get the spin.
I feel like I'm hitting a wall here and I don't know if this is something the position of my blade could affect (my coach is great, but not so knowledgeable about detailed equipment issues), if there's any other tips or tricks anyone can offer that I can try, or if I just need to keep at it which might be the case - it just seems like everyone else caught onto it much easier than me and the rest of my class is working on one foot spins (granted they are all half of my age), which I'm not allowed to start yet... I'm on Coronation Ace blades and have recently been messing with my ROH with my sharpener & coach - was at 5/8ths since the beginning but was sliding everywhere when leaning into edges, moved to 9/16ths, was better but still not comfortable, just moved to 7/16ths which has completely changed the game and made me way more secure in everything else but has had no effect on my spins.
I'm willing to accept that I need more practice and this might just be something that takes time for me, I just feel like I made a lot of progress on them and then...didn't anymore. I am stuck at 5-6 rotations max with a dragging toe pick that I can't seem to stop doing even though I'm actively trying to stop it.