How to Center a Spin
When I teach skating, one of the most popular questions is, “How do I center my spin?”
It’s a difficult achievement but an important one. Here’s why. If you can center your spin, you won’t be nearly as dizzy as when you spin moving across the ice, also called ‘traveling’. Additionally, a centered spin turns much more quickly than a traveling one.
So, here are some tips that should help you keep your spins under control.
- When you enter the spin on your outside edge, press down firmly on that edge, keeping your free hip (most often the right hip) pressing back behind you.
- Wait longer than you think you should to bring the free hip infront. Once the outside edge rolls up to the toe and begins the spin, then you can bring the free hip around to propel the spinning motion.
- A solid position will spin more successfully that a wishy-washy one. Keep your core muscles strong and hold your position–camel, sit, layback, whichever position you’re spinning in–for as long as you can.
Here are some more tips from Nancy Kerrigan:
