Sit Spin Position and Femur Length (Kristina Anderson)

Figure skating strength and conditioning coach Kristina Anderson talks about how the relative dimensions of a skater’s body affect the ability of a skater to attain a “nice looking” sit spin position. In particular, the length of the femur is particularly important because it helps define how far the hips must sit behind the skate in the sit spin position. Many coaches mistakenly believe that all skaters should be able to attain a similar basic sit spin position. This is simply not realistic given the wide range of body types and dimensions. Kristina relates the sit spin position to the squat and ultimately highlights the need for unique or custom off-ice training for skaters that takes their body dimensions into account. This is a short but informative video covering a topic that is extremely misunderstood. This is a follow-up to Kristina’s earlier videos:

Off-ice Figure Skating Training To Lower Sit Spins

Off-ice Figure Skating Training To Lower Sit Spins – Part 2

Note: Skaters with short femurs and those with long torsos tend to have sit spins that look more upright. This upright body position has been adopted by many coaches as the ideal. Unfortunately this upright body position is simply not physically possible for skaters with short torsos or those with long femurs.