How to NOT get your foot stuck doing turns on floor?

[Megz]

This might be a silly question but bear with me lol

I find that when doing spins/turns/pirouettes on floor, my foot gets "stuck" and stops spinning after about a 1/2 turn. My toes get caught and it just stops the rotation completely.

I can do double turns easily on other surfaces (like carpet at people's houses, lino, ground outside etc etc) but somehow I keep getting stuck when I try it on the gymnastics floor.

Does this happen to you? Am I doing it wrong? Help!

 

[Maya]

This is just a random idea but you could try putting chalk on the bottom of your foot, I don't know if it will work though... I haven't tried it.
Good luck and hey, maybe you could tell me if it works

 

[tumblerK]

As you're turning, think about lifting your toes up so just the ball of your foot is touching the floor.

 

[Linsul]

The most likely culprit in this situation is your heel, not your toes! When too much of the foot is making contact with the floor, you just feel that tangle-toes sensation because they have a greatest range of motion. If you try a flat footed pirouette with enough force, your whole foot will turn...but it will leave your toes where they started. Just guessing here, but I'm 99.9% sure that the issue is releve position either being too low to start with, or dropping as you turn.

A proper releve for a turn has the ball of your foot and your toes in contact with the floor. The ball of the foot is for weight bearing, and full contact of the area includes the toes. They turn very easily with the foot when there's only a small area of friction, and can aid in balance through the turn.

I would practice snapping to a releve from whatever position you like to start in and holding it for five seconds without turning. Doing this you'll feel just how much you use your toes to balance! You can also put your hands on a beam, releve, bend your knees, and pull your heels up as high as you can. That can give you a feel of truly being on the ball of your foot without having to worry about balance. Just lift those heels and make sure your toes are all on the floor. If you have a mirror that's great too, so you can see if your releve is high. The higher it is, the less friction to slow your turn. When that's simple, try simple one quarter turns. You'll find them REALLY easy, then go to half turns, then full. With good foot position it's almost impossible not to do a full turn.

 

[triptwister]

Getting your turning foot stuck on pirouettes can have several causes.
Sometimes its more than just getting up as high as you can onto the ball of the foot.

Please make sure that the rise to a releve is brisk. You should not be turning while you are still on the way up to the highest point of your releve. By making your releve quick (similar to a jump but do not leave the floor) then you may be able to be weightless on the floor at the moment that you start the spin. The more weightless you are during the pirouette then the less friction your foot has against the floor. You do not want to look like your pirouette is heavy or beleaguered.

Please make sure that the turn begins after you are fully escalated to the highest point of your releve. The releve needs to be fast and lifted to the highest point before the turn begins. It is possible to be slow and turn while you are coming up on the releve but this is not ideal.

Please make sure you are keeping your posture firm. If you are allowing your hip and/or knee to turn in during the pirouette then this will slow down or stop the pirouette from spinning.

Please make sure you are keeping your foot (ankle) firm. If you are allowing your foot to turn in during the spin then the foot will slow down or stop your pirouette at that moment.

Arms can affect what happens during a pirouette. Your arms should remain steady usually overhead in 5th position. If the arms are loose and/or sloppy then they may also cause the pirouette to slow down and/or stop.

Speed can also affect whether you get stuck turning a pirouette. The faster the spin is executed usually means that your body will have enough momentum to make it around without slowing down or stopping.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

 

[triptwister]

Torque or the force you apply that creates twist in a pirouette is also a factor that can affect whether your turning foot gets stuck. Both the leg in the air and the arms as well as the shoulders and head can contribute to the forces that make you spin.

Generally, going from wide to narrow with the arms and with the leg in the air will speed up and force your spin. The key is to create a twisting force or torque and add enough momentum to the resulting rotation that the spin does not stop until you complete the turn. This action should be controlled and aimed in the direction you wish to spin.

 

[kflipz]

This is just a random idea but you could try putting chalk on the bottom of your foot, I don't know if it will work though... I haven't tried it.
Good luck and hey, maybe you could tell me if it works

That is a great idea, I had the exact same problem when i was on beam, and I tried chalk and it works!