Am I damaging my turntable?

I would say that it is a bad idea as it would significantly change the load on the belt. Is there much resistance when you do it. It likely will wear the belt faster and possibly load the motor beyond what it was designed for.

You should definitely NOT do that with your Rega, but there is an easy solution. The felt mat on the Rega will allow the record to slip, so with the platter rotating you can just grab the record with both hands by the outer edge and lift it off the platter. You can then place the next record over the rotating spindle and drop it on the platter and you're ready to go!

Definitely no on a belt drive table. I would also avoid doing this on the SL-1200, unless you use a felt slip mat, which will allow the platter to turn while the record stays in place.

It is easy to pick up a spinning record off the turntable.
I am 64 and can barely pick up a spoon.. yet manage to slip the lps off and on the spinning platters of both my Kuzma and Rega.

Elizabeth. Love your posts. Always to the point with a little acerbic wit.

The Sl-1200 has a brake. Hit the button and turn it over!

I use both an Aries 2 and an SL-1200; I flip with the VPI while it spins (there is no contact with the platter because the record releases from the clamp and contacts only the washer), and I hit the stop button on the Technics to flip. That's what it's there for.

No big deal.

I use both an Aries 2 and an SL-1200; I flip with the VPI while it spins (there is no contact with the platter because the record releases from the clamp and contacts only the washer), and I hit the stop button on the Technics to flip. That's what it's there for.

No big deal.

Thanks for the responses, folks! I figured it was a bad habit!

agree with Elizabeth, just pick it up. I use a maplenoll with a very heavy platter. Once spinning, i never stop it until the listening is over.

Elizabeth... my distance vision is so poor I can't even find the spoon.

The other consideration when flipping the record on the rotating platter is the possibility of scratching the record, especially putting it back on the platter- there is inevitable, however small amount of slippage, before the record catches on to the rotating platter.