when skaters do spotting

[zilam98]

isnt it the standard that when you're in a rotating element (spin, rotational lift), you are trained to do spotting to prevent dizziness? how come that when ice dancers do their twizzles or some of their rotational lifts (e.g. meryl in d/w's rotational split lift) or singles skaters doing their spins, spotting is less obvious or none at all (at least apparently to me)? sometimes, when i see a skater do spotting, it distracts from the element and slows them down. the element seems to flow better when they dont do the spotting. when do skaters do the spotting and otherwise not?

i apologize if this post seems so ignorant, but im uninformed on this thing. im really curious about it.

[misskarne]

I tried it once, nearly fell over, tried it again, and found that I just couldn't turn my head fast enough to keep up with the spin. I think it's probably to do with the speed of the spin, and also stability.

[triple_toe]

1) You turn way too fast, much faster than a dancer. Hopefully.
2) You can't spot in positions like laybacks, camels, or sitspins, so it's best not to spot at all, otherwise you only spot half the time which gets confusing.

[floskate]

Pair skaters use spotting in sbs spins to help with synchronicity. Not in camel positions but you still see it in sit spins and uprights. Also singles skaters would sometimes spot on the first few revs of scratch spins to get their centre before pulling in but then stop spotting. Some skaters also use spotting in jumps. KVDP does this and Larissa Selezneva also used to go half revolution spots on her jumps and throws. I don't see how that would help though - if anything it would slow down rotation.

[antmanb]

I've always been told to avoid spotting in spins. Its the trying to look for something that makes me dizzy when i spin, if i keep my eyes unfocussed I don't tend to get dizzy.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Skaters, generally, are not taught to spot. We spin too fast to spot. The spotting would slow us down.

[aliceanne]

I have never been taught to spot either. You just get used to the dizziness and learn to orient yourself after a spin in spite of it.

That is the reason that skaters do their fastest spin at the end of the program. They need a few seconds to recover.

[ks777]

Kevin VP used to do this when jumping I thought.

[Aussie Willy]

I find it amazing that skaters can close their eyes and spin. Slutskaya I think was one who did it.

I can voucher is it too difficult to spot in a spin - just way to fast.

[rosebrallier]

Evan Lysacek mentioned once that he gets more dizzy from footwork than from actual spins or jumps.

[essence_of_soy]

Matt Savoie had a similarly staggered jump air style to KVDP. I'm wondering if he spotted too?

[johndockley92]

Pair skaters use spotting in sbs spins to help with synchronicity. Not in camel positions but you still see it in sit spins and uprights. Also singles skaters would sometimes spot on the first few revs of scratch spins to get their centre before pulling in but then stop spotting. Some skaters also use spotting in jumps. KVDP does this and Larissa Selezneva also used to go half revolution spots on her jumps and throws. I don't see how that would help though - if anything it would slow down rotation.

They definitely do spot in camels.