Backsit spin tips? | Golden Skate

Backsit spin tips?

gracestaniforth

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Hi all!

My coach and I have recently been working on trying to get a backsit spin for a month now and despite the numerous lessons and practice times im no closer to it than when I started [emoji21] ! I can manage to get about half a rotation before falling out of it, and I'm not nearly low enough either.

So far, my coach has taught me to do them from a forward sit - change foot - back sit as she says this is easier than going straight into a backsit.

My forward sit spin is pretty solid and is easily my best spin - in fact my coach says its the best sit shes ever seen from an adult learner [emoji4] (*humble brag*). My backspin isnt perfect, but its solid enough for my waltz-backspin axel drills.

My problem seems to be that i pitch forwards too much and always fall forwards, but when i try sitting further back I fall back lol.

Does anyone have any handy tips or exercises for getting a backsit?

P.s. I'd post a video of it but unfortunately my phone camera is currently broken[emoji19]
 

silver.blades

Medalist
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Country
Canada
Try focusing on pulling your hips back as opposed to sitting lower. I find that helps with the falling back part.

Otherwise, you probably just need to build strength in you legs. Try working on squats and shoot the ducks.

Mostly, it just needs practice. The back sit it tricky.
 

cl2

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Try focusing on pulling your hips back as opposed to sitting lower. I find that helps with the falling back part.

Otherwise, you probably just need to build strength in you legs. Try working on squats and shoot the ducks.

Mostly, it just needs practice. The back sit it tricky.

To add, shoot the ducks gliding backward.

Forward and backward spins both feel more akin to gliding backward than to gliding forwards.
 

gracestaniforth

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Try focusing on pulling your hips back as opposed to sitting lower. I find that helps with the falling back part.

Otherwise, you probably just need to build strength in you legs. Try working on squats and shoot the ducks.

Mostly, it just needs practice. The back sit it tricky.
Thank you! I'll try to focus on pulling hips back as opposed to sitting back!
 

gracestaniforth

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
To add, shoot the ducks gliding backward.

Forward and backward spins both feel more akin to gliding backward than to gliding forwards.
I've never done a shoot the duck backwards before so I'll definitely start practising this! Thanks for the tip!
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
I personally find it easier to get a solid back sitspin from its own entrance, not as a change-foot from the forward sit. Go in like a back upright spin, but with deeper knee bend and really extending the free leg behind you, toes pointed, like you would for a forward sit entry. Remember to push out to the right for that RFI edge so that your chest is over your right thigh. Wait until you hit your bottom pick, then imagine the toepick of your free foot is anchored to the spit it's in and pivot forward on that toepick to face it, bringing your right side around for that snap. Now go for the same position as the forward sit: back arched, chin up, chest pushed way forward over the spinning knee, and knee of the free leg lower and farther forward than the skating knee.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
I've never done a shoot the duck backwards before so I'll definitely start practising this! Thanks for the tip!

Yes, do a shoot-the-duck backward, with your heel lifted and just a little bit of scraping on your bottom pick. This is where you will be when spinning. Make sure the knee of your free leg is lower and farther forward than the knee of your skating leg; otherwise, your weight will be too far back. You should feel the lower calf f the skating leg pressing against the inner thigh of the free leg. That means your skating thigh is parallel to the ice and it's low enough to count (and that you will probably be able to get up out of it instead of falling backward).
 

gracestaniforth

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
I personally find it easier to get a solid back sitspin from its own entrance, not as a change-foot from the forward sit. Go in like a back upright spin, but with deeper knee bend and really extending the free leg behind you, toes pointed, like you would for a forward sit entry. Remember to push out to the right for that RFI edge so that your chest is over your right thigh. Wait until you hit your bottom pick, then imagine the toepick of your free foot is anchored to the spit it's in and pivot forward on that toepick to face it, bringing your right side around for that snap. Now go for the same position as the forward sit: back arched, chin up, chest pushed way forward over the spinning knee, and knee of the free leg lower and farther forward than the skating knee.
Thank you! I tried this today and I think I prefer doing it from its own entrance too! It worked a lot better than changing foot!
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
Thank you! I tried this today and I think I prefer doing it from its own entrance too! It worked a lot better than changing foot!

this is how I learned back sit also. Took a bit longer to change feet. Everyone's different! Go with what works for you. Along with pulling your hips back, my coach gave me the tip to try to think of keeping your belly button right over the ball of your foot. Thinking of that helped keep my core engaged correctly so I stopped falling back.
 
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