Backskating

[Whiplash27]

I can't backskate fast if my life depended on it. Anyone got any tips to improve? I watched a power skating video that said get low, make your back straight, tighten your muscles in your stomach and kinda bend your knees outwards and make half moon shapes or something. I'm gonna try fool around with it, but I wanna know if anyone else has some tips.

What works for everyone else. I don't wanna look like I'm break dancing out there when I try to backskate. I wanna try defense but I know I can't keep up when I turn around, so I don't bother.

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[Wachovia Center]

I can't backskate fast if my life depended on it. Anyone got any tips to improve? I watched a power skating video that said get low, make your back straight, tighten your muscles in your stomach and kinda bend your knees outwards and make half moon shapes or something. I'm gonna try fool around with it, but I wanna know if anyone else has some tips.

What works for everyone else. I don't wanna look like I'm break dancing out there when I try to backskate. I wanna try defense but I know I can't keep up when I turn around, so I don't bother.

The video is pretty much right. Just keep trying it.

Practice is really the only way to get good at these things.

 

[MacBeatsPang]

I'm OK at it and I think the keys are similar to skating forward -- the proper knee bend/hip tilt. You need to get your knees low over your skates to take full strides, really exaggerate a squat. I do think, though, that most people never will be able to skate as fast going backwards as they can going forward. That's why it's important when defending to know when to turn around and pursue the puck carrier or other opposing player with forward strides. You can get away with weaker backward skating by having superior positioning and timing -- taking away the inside, forcing guys to the boards and giving them enough, but not too much, of a cushion as they attack.

 

[Keetz]

Sounds funny but when I first started. My D partner told me to run backwards up hill to practice with balance and trusting your feet. It helped. He said if you can't run backwards don't expect to be able to skate backwards.

 

[Greeneye]

I can probably skate better backward than I can forward. It's hard to describe what to do though. Here are a few things you can practice;

Get in your hockey stance with your knees bent and do backwards Swizzles.

Or get in your stance and place one foot straight ahead and place the other foot perpendicular to it. Drive yourself backward with the foot that is pointing sideways. You keep your other foot straight.

Hope that helps.

 

[94now]

Use stairs. It is the best thing for practice after ice. In some respect it's even better. Go up backwards and you will see an improvement it your backward skating. Go up side wise and your cross over will get better. Always bend your knees as much as you can.

 

[Keetz]

Use stairs. It is the best thing for practice after ice. In some respect it's even better. Go up backwards and you will see an improvement it your backward skating. Go up side wise and your cross over will get better. Always bend your knees as much as you can.

Cool

 

[Whiplash27]

Use stairs. It is the best thing for practice after ice. In some respect it's even better. Go up backwards and you will see an improvement it your backward skating. Go up side wise and your cross over will get better. Always bend your knees as much as you can.

I think there should be a disclaimer for this...

Do not attempt to do this going downstairs! I can just imagine someone trying to run downstairs backwards and falling straight down.

 

[Greeneye]

I think there should be a disclaimer for this...

Do not attempt to do this going downstairs! I can just imagine someone trying to run downstairs backwards and falling straight down.

Running backwards down stairs can only help your balance...

 

[Whiplash27]

Yeah after you cut your head open after falling a few times

 

[Keetz]

I think there should be a disclaimer for this...

Do not attempt to do this going downstairs! I can just imagine someone trying to run downstairs backwards and falling straight down.

Maybe common sence is'nt so common any more I assumed he ment running up stairs.

 

[Whiplash27]

lol, common sense is long gone my friend .

 

[Greeneye]

this is a darwin award waiting to happen.

 

[Whiplash27]

lol, a lawsuit against Hockey's Future for some jackass falling down the stairs backwards. They'll claim HFboards.com told them to do it.