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Sit Spin and Camel Spin Tips (Charyl Brusch)
Figure skating spin specialist Charyl Brusch works with a skater who has learned the basics of a sit spin and a camel spin but is working on improving them. (The previous part of this lesson focused on the backspin.) This skater has very common spin errors for skaters at this level, so this is a […] Continue reading →
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Improving a Camel Spin – Lesson (Kim Ryan)
Spin specialist Kim Ryan works with a skater to improve a camel spin. (Previous parts of this lesson focused on the sit spin, Part 1 and Part 2.) This skater, who can rotate the camel a few revolutions and has a reasonably high free leg, has a number of very common problems. First and foremost, […] Continue reading →
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Backspin Lesson (Charyl Brusch)
Figure skating spin specialist Charyl Brusch works with a skater who has learned the basics of a backspin but is focusing on improving it. The errors seen at this level are nearly universal, with common struggles being rocking on the blade, timing errors on the three turn, lack of tension or structure in the upper […] Continue reading →
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Making a Sit Spin Lower – Part 2 (Kim Ryan)
As in the previous part of this lesson, spin specialist Kim Ryan works with a skater to improve a basic sit spin. In the previous part, the focus was on getting the balance and tension correct to get all the way down to a valid sit position. In this video, the focus shifts to improving […] Continue reading →
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Champion Cords for Various Camel Spins (Sheila Thelen)
Figure skating specialist coach and Champion Cords inventor Sheila Thelen demonstrates the benefits and uses of Champion Cords for 4 different camel spins: the regular forward camel, the back camel, the flying camel, and an inside camel. The Champion Cord creates a helpful sensation of pulling the opposite hand and foot (free foot) together, which […] Continue reading →
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Jump Air Position – Upper Body (Nick Perna)
International coach Nick Perna shares insights about the air position used in jumps by elite skaters. As a critical observer of everything in skating, Nick has found that jumping air position of the upper body has just two critical parts. The first is getting the hands against the body, and the second is a forward […] Continue reading →
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Making a Sit Spin Lower (Kim Ryan)
In this lesson, spin specialist Kim Ryan works with a lower level skater who is struggling to get down all the way on a sit spin. This is a very common problem at this level, and Kim addresses it first by testing the skater’s leg strength and balance with a simple forward dip. The goal […] Continue reading →
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Layback Spin Development Lesson (Charyl Brusch)
Figure skating spin specialist Charyl Brusch gives a skater a lesson on the layback spin. Charyl shares a lot of information in this video, and coaches can see how she explains it to a skater and what exercises she uses to develop the necessary movements and positions. After an initial attempt, Charyl focuses on the […] Continue reading →
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Sit Spin Class (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan teaches sit spins in a class setting at a recent seminar. Kim begins by explaining the value of spinning in terms of points in competition programs. Not surprisingly for a spin coach, Kim would like to see skaters spend as much time working on spins as they do working […] Continue reading →
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Sit Change Sit Tips (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch shares some helpful tips for skaters working on sit-change sit combo spins. She begins by focusing on free leg positions and movement of the arms during the entry to maximize rotational energy for the initial sit spin. By keeping the free leg back and over the tracing during the majority of […] Continue reading →
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Teeter Totter Arms – Fun (and Helpful) Spin Exercise (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan teaches a fun exercise that is helpful during the development of spinning fundamentals. The goal is to center a basic upright spin, then move the arms up and down such that both arms make a line. Kim briefly mentions the similarity to a teeter-totter (also called a seesaw or […] Continue reading →
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Upright Spin Tips (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch shares some helpful upright spin tips during a spin lesson. The lesson starts with a forward upright spin, and the skater is not waiting long enough on the entrance edge so the spin is traveling. Charyl tells the skater to wait a little longer on the entrance edge and then have […] Continue reading →
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Spin Class, Part 2 – Centering, Eggbeater (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan teaches a spin class at a recent seminar. In Part 1, Kim summarized the basics of her teaching methods. The focus in that video was the basic forward upright spin, and she continues with that in this presentation. She reviews the concepts and distributes the class around the ice […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips During Lesson (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a spin lesson with a young skater. In the first video from this lesson, Charyl covered upright spins and sit spins and in the second video she focused on the forward camel spin and a catch foot camel. In this video, they work on camel catch foot to back sit […] Continue reading →
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Spin Class, Part 1 – Forward Upright Spin (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan teaches a spin class at a recent seminar. This is a chance for us to learn or review Kim’s main teaching concepts related to spins. The first video focuses on preparing for the forward upright spin, also called the forward scratch spin. Kim begins with a discussion and demonstration […] Continue reading →
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Camel, Catch Foot Camel Tips (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a spin lesson with a young skater. In the previous videos from this lesson, Charyl covered upright spins and sit spins. In this video, the focus is on the basic forward camel spin and a catch foot camel. In terms of this skater’s basic camel spin, Charyl tries to correct […] Continue reading →
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Backspin Teaching Tips (Audrey Weisiger)
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger gives a young (about 8 years old) male skater a lesson, and this part of the lesson focuses mostly on the backspin. The lesson begins with introductions and the skater running his program. Audrey comments on this skater’s potential. Audrey then begins working on the backspin. She offers a […] Continue reading →
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Important Jump Basics (Audrey Weisiger)
World and Olympic coach Audrey Weisiger gives a jump lesson. To start the lesson, Audrey wants a backspin and she follows this with a backspin in multiple free foot positions: h-position, d-position, and “2-toes.” The 2-toes position has the skater spinning with the legs side by side and the free toe pointed inward toward the […] Continue reading →
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Off-Ice Camel Spins (Kate Charbonneau)
This is the final of three videos from Kate Charbonneau on her personal experience with off-ice spinning during the worldwide pandemic. In the first video in this series Kate focused on some general concepts an then on upright off-ice spins. In the second video, Kate shared details of off-ice sit spin development. (Kate is using […] Continue reading →
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Off-Ice Sit Spins (Kate Charbonneau)
This is the second of three videos from Kate Charbonneau on her personal experience with off-ice spinning during the worldwide pandemic. In the first video in this series Kate focuses on some general concepts an then on upright off-ice spins. (Kate is using a Spinergy Spinboard.) In this video, she shares details of off-ice sit […] Continue reading →
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Off-Ice Upright Spins (Kate Charbonneau)
This is the first of three videos from Kate Charbonneau on her personal experience with off-ice spinning during the worldwide pandemic. Kate is using a Spinergy Spinboard and she emphasizes proper foot placement on the spinboard as critical to success, although she notes that other spinners may also work just as well with equivalent practice […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Training – Camel Spin and Variation (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a process for developing and mastering the off-ice forward camel spin on a spinboard. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. Kim recommends a standard spinboard upright warm-up before working on camel spins. Kim begins with a reminder of how to […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Training – Forward Sit Spins (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a process to developing and mastering the off-ice forward sit spin on a spinboard. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. Kim recommends a standard spinboard upright warm-up before working on sit spins. Kim begins with stationary balance and strength drills, […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Warm-Up (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan goes through a thorough spinboard warm-up that she recommends to all skaters at the beginning of each spinboard practice session. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. This presentation is a condensed description of the warm-up and more detailed information can be […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Tutorial – Part 3 (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a tutorial on how to use her off-ice spinboards. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. This presentation is taken from a Zoom call between Kim and well-known US coach Diane Miller. Both were gracious enough to let us publish their […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Tutorial – Part 2 (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a tutorial on how to use her off-ice spinboards. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. This presentation is taken from a Zoom call between Kim and well-known US coach Diane Miller. Both were gracious enough to let us publish their […] Continue reading →
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Spinboard Tutorial – Part 1 (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan shares a tutorial on how to use her off-ice spinboards. You can learn more about spinboards here and purchase a spinboard directly from Kim. This presentation is taken from a Zoom call between Kim and well-known US coach Diane Miller. Both were gracious enough to let us publish their […] Continue reading →
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Spinboards For Off-Ice Spin Training
iCoachSkating founder Trevor Laak encourages all skaters to buy a spinboard from spin specialist Kim Ryan. Kim has pioneered the use of spinboards for off-ice spin training, and she has been using these tools regularly with skaters from all over the world. The purpose of this video is to show you what is possible with […] Continue reading →
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Forward Sit Spin, Back Sit Spin Lesson (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a spin lesson with a young skater. In the previous part of the lesson, Charyl focused on the upright forward and back spins. In this part of the lesson, Charyl starts with the sit spin. This skater really struggles with sit spins. It’s not always clear why skaters like this […] Continue reading →
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Forward Scratch Spin and Back Scratch Spin Lesson (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch gives one of her skaters a lesson on improving a forward upright scratch spin as well as a backspin. This kind of lesson is important because once a skater develops some competence with these spins, the typical coaching philosophy is to simply ask them to practice it more without additional coaching […] Continue reading →
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Ice Show 2-Hand Eagle Partner Spin (Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue)
Two-time World Ice Dance Medalists Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue teach the very common ice show partner spin which is sometimes referred to as the eagle spin or spread eagle spin. And although this is not a serious figure skating skill, the spin is fun and an excellent tool for improving partnering and building awareness […] Continue reading →
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Sit Spin Tips, Tips, and More Tips – Part 2 (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues her thorough discussion of the sit spin. In Part 1 she talked at length about important fundamentals of the sit spin. In this video she shares tons of tips and insights and problem solutions. Charyl begins this video by explaining that she wants skaters to bring the free foot and […] Continue reading →
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Hamstring Stretching for Camel Spins and Back Issues (Kim Ryan)
During a camel spin lesson with spin specialist Kim Ryan, the skater complained of a tight or painful low back. As Kim demonstrates, this is often a result of tight hamstring muscles. Kim shares several stretches that can improve back pain, starting with a simple hamstring stretch where the skater takes a shoulder-width stance and […] Continue reading →
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Important Sit Spin Basics – Part 1 (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch shares important details and tips for the sit spin. This is a great summary of common teaching errors, and how Charyl thinks about this spin. The sit spin is still often taught to skaters with the analogy of sitting in a chair. As Charyl notes, that is not how a sit […] Continue reading →
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Developing the Camel Spin – Part 2 (Kim Ryan)
Spin specialist Kim Ryan continues a camel spin lesson with a young male skater. In the previous videos of this lesson, Kim worked on a forward upright scratch spin and the basics of the camel spin. There is not a lot of new technical information in this video, but we get to see how Kim […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips – Big Toe, Little Toe, and Toe Pick (Charyl Brusch)
In this short video, spin specialist Charyl Brusch talks about a variety of toe concepts for spins. She begins the video by addressing where to step into a backspin from a forward spin and noting that she does not typically ask a skater to put the pressure on the little toe which is commonly taught. […] Continue reading →
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Developing the Camel Spin (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a camel spin lesson to a young male skater. In a previous video, Kim worked with this same skater on upright forward scratch spin. We begin this video with a camel spin attempt by the skater. Notice how the skater spins with palms down and head down and […] Continue reading →
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Getting Dizzy From Spinning (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch offers a short discussion on dizziness and spinning. As Charyl notes, basically EVERYONE gets dizzy while spinning. So the goal isn’t to try not to get dizzy, but figure out ways to deal with it after the spin. In essence, Charyl offers this advice: after a spin, focus the eyes on […] Continue reading →
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Basic Spinning Lesson – Upright Forward Scratch Spin (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a lesson on the upright forward scratch spin. The young male skater is just learning to control the basics of this spin, and it gives Kim a chance to explain in some detail her approach to teaching basic spins. Notice the step-by-step process she uses. Whether you teach […] Continue reading →
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Combo Spin Tips and Lesson (Sheila Thelen)
Spin specialist Sheila Thelen offers some feedback to a young skater who is working on a combination spin on one foot. The combination spin starts with a bounce spin (technically not an illusion), then transitions into a shotgun sit position, then sit side (broken leg sit), and then finishes with a pancake. There’s a lot […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips for Adult Skaters – Part 5, More Camel Spin (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a short series of videos discussing adult skaters and their specific issues in terms of spinning. This is a continuation of the previous video in the series on the camel spin (Part 4). In the first 3 videos of the series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Charyl covered general […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips for Adult Skaters – Part 4, Camel Spin (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a short series of videos discussing adult skaters and their specific issues in terms of spinning. In the previous 3 videos of the series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Charyl covered general helpful tips and the backspin. In this video, she focuses on the camel spin and in particular, […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips for Adult Skaters – Part 3, Backspins (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a short series of videos discussing adult skaters and their specific issues in terms of spinning. She offers many tips for working with adult skaters to help them improve their spins. See Part 1 here and Part 2 here. In this video, Charyl focuses on the backspin, and offers helpful […] Continue reading →
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Broken Leg Sit Spin Lesson (Kim Ryan)
Spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a young skater a lesson on her broken leg sit spin. Kim starts the lesson by analyzing and improving the skater’s forward sit spin before working on the broken leg transition and position. To improve the basic sit spin, Kim focuses on the skater’s arms by straightening them and connecting […] Continue reading →
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Jump Air Position – The Knuckle Drill (Nick Perna)
International coach Nick Perna shares a drill he calls the “knuckle drill” to help skaters work on their jump air position for multi-rotation jumps. The drill can also be effective as a training tool for the backspin. To do the drill, Nick has the skater get into the desired air position near the wall (with […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips for Adult Skaters – Part 2 (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch continues a short series of videos discussing adult skaters and their specific issues in terms of spinning. She offers many tips for working with adult skaters to help them improve their spins. See Part 1 here. In Part 2 below, Charyl begins by explaining that for many adult skaters, thinking of […] Continue reading →
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Beginner Backspin (Kim Ryan)
Figure skating spin specialist Kim Ryan gives a young skater a lesson on the beginner backspin. The real value in this video is not only the process that Kim uses, but the coaching along the way. This skater is struggling with generating enough rotational energy from the entry edge, so Kim immediately uses the back […] Continue reading →
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Spin Tips for Adult Skaters – Part 1 (Charyl Brusch)
Spin specialist Charyl Brusch begins a short series of videos discussing adult skaters and their specific issues in terms of spinning. She offers many tips for working with adult skaters to help them improve their spins. Charyl notes that in her experience adult skaters have more fear and less trust for their edges and positions, […] Continue reading →
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Starting a Haircutter Spin (Kim Ryan)
Spin specialist Kim Ryan continues her lesson with a skater just learning a layback spin (see part 1 here). In this part of the lesson, Kim challenges the skater to learn the haircutter variation. As you’ll see, Kim uses a step-by-step approach to the spin starting with her “skinny V” entrance with the skating-side arm […] Continue reading →
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Beginning Layback (Kim Ryan)
Spin specialist Kim Ryan works with a skater on the basics of the layback spin. She says, “The number one most important thing about a layback spin is you have to find your balance, and you have to find the center of that spin.” She begins by working on a simple upright spin entry and […] Continue reading →
