Skate spinner

[j-daria15]

Hi everybody!
I am planing to buy for my daughter the skate spinner, so she could work on her spins at home.
She is on FS 5. Can anyone suggest what kind of spinner is the best for use at home?
Does it really help skaters to improve their balance?

[overedge]

I have heard better things about this one
http://skatespinner.ca/
than about the one that is a flat metal rotating plate on a stand. The skate spinner is a little trickier to use because the bottom is curved, not flat, so it is more like spinning on a blade and is a little harder to balance on. But it seems to simulate the "feel" of spinning on a skate, as much as you can if you're not actually on the ice.

[Spazactaz]

^I have that one and I love it. As for how much it actually helps, I'm not sure lol.

[LilJen]

I third the recommendation for that particular spinner thingy. For me spinning has been a struggle, and it's been all about parts of my body ending up in the wrong places and making it hard to do much. This helps me get a little more time in with correct positioning, posture, arms, shoulders, hips, you name it.

[j-daria15]

Thank you to all of you guys. I ordered her this curved one to try.

[Aussie Willy]

I tried a skate spinner one day and promptly fell off.

[leafygreens]

I have not tried the plastic one, but it looks better than the flat lazy-susan style that I have. That thing is dangerous, and doesn't seem like it helps very much because you can't rock like on a blade. I would imagine the plastic style has more of a true to blade feel.

[skatemommy]

^agreed. The one with the ball bearings in it spins too darn fast. I felt like I was going into orbit! (and then fell off) The plastic one simulates the rocker of the blade AND the friction of the ice.

[AndyWarhol]

Spinners have got a lot more high tech compared to my day!

[leafygreens]

I tried a skate spinner one day and promptly fell off.

[antmanb]

I have both the flat plate spinner and the plastic curved one and I don't think they help with spins at all. For starters, on the ice i can comfortably spin forward in both upright and camel positions and an adult sit that wouldn't count as a sit spin for not being low enough. I can't get more than one or two revs out on either off ice spinner spinning forwards. I can backspin all day long on the both metal and plastic spinner but can't really even begin to get a backspin started on the ice so It really does not help me in the slightest.

From using both I would say that the palstic curved spinner makes for many near miss accidents when using it. I was using it in one of the studios at my gym which had much less objects around than I would find in my house, for example, but still had several spins go wrong that results in me flying off the spinner, or having it skid out from underneath my foot. I decided that the high likelihood of injuring myself, coupled with the seeming lack of transferable-to-the-ice skills it wasn't worth the risk.

[FigureSpins]

I don't think spinners help skaters who have difficulty with spins; they're more useful as training tools in mastering more advanced spins and as jump trainers. Unless you learn how to use them from a coach or experienced skater, it's really better to just use socks on an open, smooth-floored area. Save your money. Most beginners who buy them end up getting frustrated and pitching them into closets or skate bags to gather dust. (Which is really bad for the ones with the ball-bearings.)

The plastic rockered ones are excellent for practicing one-foot turns, however. Threes, brackets, rockers, and counters benefit from applying pressure and feeling the "rock over" of the edges. You can't quite lean as much as you can on the ice, but it does improve lower leg strength and control.

I have both the plastic rockered spin trainer and a square metal plated one. I like the metal one for spins better.