Weird fear of spirals

[cxptz]

Hi everyone! I'm an adult beginner who's been skating for 1.5 years or so. I've enjoyed it so far and overall I feel like I've been making somewhat steady progress. I have jumps up to a single loop (not a good one but I'm working on it), started working on forward sit spin and back scratch, and started working on a bit of more advanced footwork as well (FI bracket and basic inside twizzles)
However there's one thing that I just can't seem to figure out. Spirals. I can't even do a stable forward spiral on my strong side on flat. I think I have developed a irrational fear of it for some reason. I can hold the position off ice and can hold my edges for pretty long but everytime I try to put things together I just get super scared and end up giving up. It's really weird because I've had bad-ish falls on other elements, including slipping off my toepick when doing a toeloop and landing on my chin, but they never quite lead to any serious mental block like that.
I wonder if anyone had similar experience and have any advice on how to cope with those? I really, really want to be able to at least do basic spirals.

 

[Elija]

Haven’t had a similar experience, but when teaching adult skaters in skate school I found most of them preferred learning backward spirals to forward. Perhaps less scary as you feel less like you’re going to fall on your face lol. So maybe give backward a try? They are also easier with speed! The more speed, the less shaky. And always remember to keep your head up - chest down but head up good luck!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

British Ice Skating went through a nasty stage of asking for spirals to be skated in a straight line on the flat of the blade for one of the earliest Field Moves levels. Spirals are way easier on curves and, as suggested above, with a bit of speed!

I don't know what kind of floor you practice spirals on, but doing it on a surface with a bit of built-in jeopardy, such as a yoga mat or - even better, but maybe work up to it! - a Bosu Ball/domed balance trainer, should help you sort out any balance issues.

Other than that, some people find backwards spirals easier. Some like a hand to hold until they find enough confidence to go it alone. You could try just building up from an edge with your free foot quite low and build up from there. Don't tell yourself you have to hold the spiral for long; work to achieve the position on the ice and then stretch out the length of time you hold it.

Good luck!

 

[emilinkaa]

British Ice Skating went through a nasty stage of asking for spirals to be skated in a straight line on the flat of the blade for one of the earliest Field Moves levels. Spirals are way easier on curves and, as suggested above, with a bit of speed!

I don't know what kind of floor you practice spirals on, but doing it on a surface with a bit of built-in jeopardy, such as a yoga mat or - even better, but maybe work up to it! - a Bosu Ball/domed balance trainer, should help you sort out any balance issues.

Other than that, some people find backwards spirals easier. Some like a hand to hold until they find enough confidence to go it alone. You could try just building up from an edge with your free foot quite low and build up from there. Don't tell yourself you have to hold the spiral for long; work to achieve the position on the ice and then stretch out the length of time you hold it.

Good luck!

US MITF did(does) the same. I think it’s the pre-bronze mitf for adults.

 

[MiraiFan]

US MITF did(does) the same. I think it’s the pre-bronze mitf for adults.

Yes it is. I find the ones on edges way easier... I think the OP needs to get more comfortable balancing on one foot and then feel the "edge lean" that helps make spirals look nice.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I'm a former pairs skater who never turned to coaching, but I was teaching a friend the basics of skating and she had a similar fear of falling on her face. What others have said about speed and keeping your head up are good. (And your eyes up also, looking straight ahead at the boards, not down at the ice.) We also found that if she started off with the knee of her skating leg bent -- not a lot, but enough to settle her weight more to the middle of her boot -- that lessened her fear of going onto her toe and tripping. The other thing that helped was holding her arms forward at shoulder height in a graceful ballerina curve, almost but not quite a circle. She subconsciously felt that she could catch herself if she did trip and not land on her face. I made her wear fingerless safety gloves with padded palms, though. Interesting to read that many think back spirals are easier. I always preferred forward spirals myself, unless my partner was holding me while we both did back spirals together. But then my favourite jump was the Axel which many competitors dislike. I guess I just liked to see where I was going !

Edit: I should have added that if you extend your arms forward, at the same time pull your shoulder blades together and push your shoulders back. In my old avatar picture there, my head is up and my shoulder blades are pinched together so tightly they're practically touching over my spine. If your shoulders go forwards with your arms, you could pull your weight forward onto your toe, where you don't want it. And push your pelvis back. Think of your skating leg as the Tower of Pisa, leaning back at about an 80% angle to the ice, not 90% straight up and down. (Wishing I could just demonstrate! Hard to describe in words.)

Good luck!

 

[cxptz]

Haven’t had a similar experience, but when teaching adult skaters in skate school I found most of them preferred learning backward spirals to forward. Perhaps less scary as you feel less like you’re going to fall on your face lol. So maybe give backward a try? They are also easier with speed! The more speed, the less shaky. And always remember to keep your head up - chest down but head up good luck!

Hi I just wanted to say, trying backward spiral turns out to be great tip for me, thank you!
And thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[kinari]

Hi everyone! I'm an adult beginner who's been skating for 1.5 years or so. I've enjoyed it so far and overall I feel like I've been making somewhat steady progress. I have jumps up to a single loop (not a good one but I'm working on it), started working on forward sit spin and back scratch, and started working on a bit of more advanced footwork as well (FI bracket and basic inside twizzles)
However there's one thing that I just can't seem to figure out. Spirals. I can't even do a stable forward spiral on my strong side on flat. I think I have developed a irrational fear of it for some reason. I can hold the position off ice and can hold my edges for pretty long but everytime I try to put things together I just get super scared and end up giving up. It's really weird because I've had bad-ish falls on other elements, including slipping off my toepick when doing a toeloop and landing on my chin, but they never quite lead to any serious mental block like that.
I wonder if anyone had similar experience and have any advice on how to cope with those? I really, really want to be able to at least do basic spirals.

Try doing a spiral on the wall when on the ice! Also sometimes (i know this may sound weird) you just gotta push urself to do it. If u ever plan on testing, on the prepreliminary (or prebronze for adults) MITF there is a sequence of right and left foot forward spirals on the line, so you just kinda got to force urself to do it. I know it may seem scary at first doing spirals but you can also ask your coach to hold you hand or watch you as ur doing ur spirals! I also agree with the people above ^ try backward spirals before you do forward spirals! Good luck <3 ~