The dreaded filming

[antmanb]

It seems I've managed to go my entire skating life (must be aproaching 8 years or more) without ever getting filmed skating. I've considered it in the past but then thought better of it.

After a particularly good session on spins last night a friend offered to film me so I got her to film a sit spin and an upright spin.

When i do my sitspin I realise it is not as low as it could be but it feels like I am low enough (from where I am). Looking at the tape I was actually waiting for myself to go down when I came out of the spin I said to my friend - that's it? That my "sit" spin?

On the upright spin - I actually nearly lost it at the end because I'd been spinning so fast, and again watching it back it just seemed really slow.

After being crushed for the rest of the night, I've woken up this morning disheartened but not giving up yet. Maybe i should have started taping myself years ago, maybe now i'd actually have a sit spin that actually does go down

[fan]

keep in mind everyone on film looks much, much slower than they actually are (if you see carolina kostner live, you'll be blown away by how fast she actually goes). i'm sure you're actually going about as fast as you think you are!

as for the sit spin, squats are your best friend....

keep at it,you'll get there!

[leafygreens]

I can totally relate to this. I film myself all the time and it always feels better than it looks!

[hanca]

Looking down, not stretching the free legs, general untidyness of my skating, not enough knee bend...

[Sierra]

I started filming myself around Dec 09 (before that only comps/shows were filmed). I was absolutely devastated. I was slow, awkward and had teeny tiny jumps, they literally came an inch off the ice and covered no ice. All the videos from Dec 09-April 10 I refuse to watch anymore because I hate them so much.

Now I have deadened myself to the image of me on a screen, and now I am actually pleasantly surprised a lot of the time because I set myself up with low expectations and then the film turns out to not be bad at all. Just the other day I filmed my sit spin after my coach did some remedial work on it, and I can still see small errors but it's low enough and there isn't a mile wide gap between my legs.

Wear a skirt or a dress. I like my competition videos because the skirt ripples in the breeze as I go by the camera and it makes me look like I'm going fast. This looks especially cool on spirals.

[Bev Johnston]

Wear a skirt or a dress. I like my competition videos because the skirt ripples in the breeze as I go by the camera and it makes me look like I'm going fast. This looks especially cool on spirals.

This is good advice, but I'm not sure antmanb wants to do that.
(Although I've never met antmanb, and maybe I'm off base in assuming that the poster is male.)

Seeing yourself skate can be quite disheartening, but take it for what it is. Use it as a training tool and try to improve what you don't like. Then tape again after a few weeks and you'll see your improvements. I like to think of taping as tough love for skating.

[Sierra]

This is good advice, but I'm not sure antmanb wants to do that.
(Although I've never met antmanb, and maybe I'm off base in assuming that the poster is male.)

At an attempt to redeem myself if the op is in fact male. Any shirt/pants with just a bit of bag, and the right kind of drape, in it might have the same effect. Maybe?

[LilJen]

Oh, it IS disillusioning, isn't it? But once you get past that it can be so VERY useful. I see things all the time (or, at least I did before I lost my camera/videocam--must find a new one!) that I never knew I was doing and can fix.

[Aussie Willy]

When you first start videoing yourself it can be really freaky. But after a while you get used to it and find it really helps.

Although I have to say out of all the programs and tests I have done over the year, there are only 3 that I am really satisfied with my performance. The rest I look at and think "If I was judging ..."

[sk8lady]

It's probably better to start by videoing things you KNOW you're bad at. It's much worse to video things you think you're good at and being deflated! I'm always being complimented on my sit spin, and I can do a shoot-the-duck forwards and backwards better than most of the kids can, and I could SWEAR I'm down that low when I do my sit spin, and yet somehow when I see myself on video I clearly have an old-lady sit!

[Aussie Willy]

It's probably better to start by videoing things you KNOW you're bad at. It's much worse to video things you think you're good at and being deflated! I'm always being complimented on my sit spin, and I can do a shoot-the-duck forwards and backwards better than most of the kids can, and I could SWEAR I'm down that low when I do my sit spin, and yet somehow when I see myself on video I clearly have an old-lady sit!

It also makes you think that people are just being nice to you, or that they don't know what they are looking at, when you do something that they keep complimenting but then you see it back on video and you know it isn't that good.

[antmanb]

Thanks for all the great responses.

Just to confirm I am a man, but if it makes my skating look better i'm willing to wear a skirt

Actually, getting over the intial shock of my "sit" spin, it does mean I have genuine goals I can set with my coach about getting lower...i have joked several times with her about how I can't get any lower with my belly in the way, but in all seriousness I don't think it helps! The thought got me through the weekend without being as bad food wise as I otherwise am at the weekend!

So I will persevere and film it again in a month or so to see how i'm doing.

The question now is - do i film myself jumping now or will that be too much tough love (as someone beautifully put it up thread) to deal with all in one go. Perhaps it would be good to see everything in one go and start monitoring it?

[Doubletoe]

Thanks for all the great responses.

Just to confirm I am a man, but if it makes my skating look better i'm willing to wear a skirt

Actually, getting over the intial shock of my "sit" spin, it does mean I have genuine goals I can set with my coach about getting lower...i have joked several times with her about how I can't get any lower with my belly in the way, but in all seriousness I don't think it helps! The thought got me through the weekend without being as bad food wise as I otherwise am at the weekend!

So I will persevere and film it again in a month or so to see how i'm doing.

The question now is - do i film myself jumping now or will that be too much tough love (as someone beautifully put it up thread) to deal with all in one go. Perhaps it would be good to see everything in one go and start monitoring it?

LOL! That's the spirit! But seriously, after the initial pain of watching yourself on video, you'll find that there's nothing that helps you progress faster. Your coach can tell you something over and over, but there's no substitute for actually seeing it for yourself. And just like competition nerves, the pain of watching oneself on video never goes away completely.
BTW, it's possible that the shape of your belly could affect your sit spin, especially since you need to arch your back and press your belly forward to attain the right position. Try this and see if it helps: Once you get down into your usual sit position, keep your back arched and start pushing your chest and free leg forward while lowering your butt and free leg. When you can actually feel the calf of your spinning leg pressing against the inside of the thigh of your free leg, that means you are low enough. You might want to first try attaining that position on a back shoot-the-duck until you get the feel of it, then try it in the sit spin. Focus on staying on the ball of the blade.

[Aussie Willy]

Thanks for all the great responses.

Just to confirm I am a man, but if it makes my skating look better i'm willing to wear a skirt

Actually, getting over the intial shock of my "sit" spin, it does mean I have genuine goals I can set with my coach about getting lower...i have joked several times with her about how I can't get any lower with my belly in the way, but in all seriousness I don't think it helps! The thought got me through the weekend without being as bad food wise as I otherwise am at the weekend!

So I will persevere and film it again in a month or so to see how i'm doing.

The question now is - do i film myself jumping now or will that be too much tough love (as someone beautifully put it up thread) to deal with all in one go. Perhaps it would be good to see everything in one go and start monitoring it?

Oh come on - give it a go. Particularly if you are into masochism (you know the one where you like to punish yourself).

[antmanb]

LOL! That's the spirit! But seriously, after the initial pain of watching yourself on video, you'll find that there's nothing that helps you progress faster. Your coach can tell you something over and over, but there's no substitute for actually seeing it for yourself. And just like competition nerves, the pain of watching oneself on video never goes away completely.
BTW, it's possible that the shape of your belly could affect your sit spin, especially since you need to arch your back and press your belly forward to attain the right position. Try this and see if it helps: Once you get down into your usual sit position, keep your back arched and start pushing your chest and free leg forward while lowering your butt and free leg. When you can actually feel the calf of your spinning leg pressing against the inside of the thigh of your free leg, that means you are low enough. You might want to first try attaining that position on a back shoot-the-duck until you get the feel of it, then try it in the sit spin. Focus on staying on the ball of the blade.

Thanks for a great post - not only encouragement but some great tips for the sit spin - i will try them at the rink tonight and see how far i get. I actually managed the position off ice a couple of months ago without any problems but once i got down i rolled back onto my butt. I'm guessing it's easier to hold the position while spinning. I think stretching forwards and lowering will be key since everytime I try to go lower my weight shifts to the heel of the blade, or my weight drops inside and i start drawing huge circles on the ice instead of spinning.

Oh come on - give it a go. Particularly if you are into masochism (you know the one where you like to punish yourself).

I think i may join the masochists tomorrow night when i skate with friends who can film me again!

[skatefan]

... When you can actually feel the calf of your spinning leg pressing against the inside of the thigh of your free leg, that means you are low enough.

If I got that low down I'd never get back up again

[LilJen]

Actually, getting over the intial shock of my "sit" spin, it does mean I have genuine goals I can set with my coach about getting lower...i have joked several times with her about how I can't get any lower with my belly in the way, but in all seriousness I don't think it helps! The thought got me through the weekend without being as bad food wise as I otherwise am at the weekend!

Heh, the stress on my knee during a sit spin is about the only thing motivating me to try (again and again) to lose 15 lbs. No one but a fellow skater would understand. . .

[Doubletoe]

If I got that low down I'd never get back up again

Not true! It's a completely different thing to get that low while keeping your heel down and weight back (*very* hard, and hard on your knee) vs. lifting the heel and pushing your weight forward. Continue to push your chest forward as you stand up out of it and it's definitely easier.

@Antmab - Yes, the centrifugal force of the spin does make it easier to get up out of it, but you will be better able to isolate the balance and position from all the other aspects of the spin by first doing it as a back shoot-the duck (on the ball of your blade, with a tiny bit of scraping on the bottom toepick). This "calf pressing against the inside of the thigh of the free leg" tip was the breakthrough that gave me a legal sitspin position in just 5 minutes after struggling for two years!