Lightbulb Moment
You ever get one of those “lightbulb” moments when you finally realize something you should have known or done all along? I had one of those during a lesson two weeks ago.
Coach B and I have been figuring out what spins to include in my freestyle program. We’ve toyed with a few options here and there, and what we’ve concluded is that most of my spins should be focused around sit spins since they are by far my strongest spin.
Yes, my knee still gives me problems and still isn’t 100% healed, so I know that it’s risky to build a program around this spin. But, I have a higher probability of receiving a positive grade of execution on a sit spin than any other type of spin, so it is a risk I am willing to take.
During my lesson, Coach B asked to see my sit-change sit spin (from forward sit to back sit). She had me sit up straighter and press my hands down so I could minimize drag. This position also enabled me to tighten my core and gain momentum while spinning. This was my lightbulb moment. I knew that decreasing any space between my arms and legs would allow me to spin faster, but it didn’t “click” until I executed it correctly. Why haven’t I been doing this all along?
Here is a video from my recent practice on a public session. You’ll notice me struggling a bit on the forward sit spin because I’m still trying to get used to the new position (which is still incorrect, by the way). The transition to the back sit position also needs some work because I am standing up too high (it needs to stay down low without a change in the body’s core).
The highlight of this spin is the back sit spin. If you have been following me for a while, you’ll remember that this was one of my weakest spins. I had been working on it all summer while my injured knee was healing, so the back sit spin did improve. However, this is my best back sit spin to date. I was going around so fast that I was extremely dizzy. A few skaters and coaches and even came up to me and commented that I was spinning like a kid! That compliment surely made my day.
