Beginner's skating question

[fullclip]

I'm pretty new to ice skating and I've been having this same problem ever since I started. My right leg/skate is fine but on my left my ankle keeps tilting outwards so that I'm on my inside edge. I can skate ok forwards, but my foot starts to hurt after a while. I've only worn these skates like 4-5 times max so is this a problem with breaking them in? If not, is there something I can insert on the left side of my left skate to keep my ankle straight? Thanks in advance for the help!

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[canuck44]

Sounds more like an ankle issue. Could be that you just need to build up the ankle muscles, or you just need a small insert. I've had injuries to both my ankles so I probably don't have the best ankles but in one of them I kept rubbing the outside part of my leg just above the ankle against the skate and it was rubbing the skin off if I skated too long in one session. I ended up putting a small foam insert on one corner under the insole to help offset this issue.

I would say try to work on that foot to see if it gets better, but if it doesn't try putting a piece of dense foam (think like a piece of those big foam things you place on the ground that fit like puzzle pieces) under your insole.

 

[Axxion89]

How does your foot fit in the skate, could be the wrong size

 

[beth]

Also make sure your edges are even on that skate. My brand new skates got such an awful hack job on them, but I was new so I wasn't sure if I should blame the edges or not. I finally took them to a sharpener who was astonished that I was skating on them like that. Things were much better after he fixed them!

 

[fullclip]

Sounds more like an ankle issue. Could be that you just need to build up the ankle muscles, or you just need a small insert. I've had injuries to both my ankles so I probably don't have the best ankles but in one of them I kept rubbing the outside part of my leg just above the ankle against the skate and it was rubbing the skin off if I skated too long in one session. I ended up putting a small foam insert on one corner under the insole to help offset this issue.

I would say try to work on that foot to see if it gets better, but if it doesn't try putting a piece of dense foam (think like a piece of those big foam things you place on the ground that fit like puzzle pieces) under your insole.

Maybe your right because I really have to strain to keep my left ankle in the proper position. Are there exercises I can do to strengthen that area? I have some foam that I'm going to cut and try inserting in my skate. I'm going to try that tonight, hopefully it works. I've been having the same problem that you described, but I don't think I've been skating hard enough for it to weak down the skin. But it sounds like the exact same spot. I've never had any major ankle injuries before though.

How does your foot fit in the skate, could be the wrong size

I wear a size 9-9.5 shoe size and the skate is sized 8EE. Not sure what that means exactly. The skates are Easton Synergy 900s and I have superfeet insoles in them. Like I was saying my right foot is fine and my ankle/leg stays straight but my left tilts outward so that my left skate is tilted on its inside edge. I'm hoping some kind of insert can fix this.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[fullclip]

Also make sure your edges are even on that skate. My brand new skates got such an awful hack job on them, but I was new so I wasn't sure if I should blame the edges or not. I finally took them to a sharpener who was astonished that I was skating on them like that. Things were much better after he fixed them!

Hmmm, that could be it too. I'll go get them sharpened just in case. Thanks!

 

[Steelhead16]

Your ankle is tilting outward and making you skate on your inside edge? I'm not visualizing what that looks like. Being born with weak ankles is as big a myth as Santa Claus (sorry if you still believed) so if your skates lean to the inside edges it is either bad technique or bad fitting skates or bad edge sharpening. (your skates should be able to stand on their own on a level surface if they are sharpened correctly)
Most everyone has a "weak" side when they learn how to skate (I don't mean strength weak, I mean a side they need to work harder on to get the proper technique).
Most new hockey skates are very stiff and will always be very stiff. They aren't like shoes anymore where you break them in and then they bend and flex like leather skates used to do. Now more than ever your edge control comes from your hips and your shoulders. There are a few things that you can try that may slove your problem. I suggest that you try them first on your "good" side so that you understand what should happen and what it feels like when you do it correctly. If you start on your "bad" side you may start down the wrong path and waste a bunch of time.
Start by gliding on your right foot in a straight line with your knee bent at about a 45 degree angle. Strighten up to about a 10 degree angle and turn your shoulders to the right. Your hips will follow and you should turn to the right on your outside edge. Do this until you can make a "U" turn in the space between the faceoff dots and the boards. Then do the same thing in the opposite direction so you are turning on your inside edge. Try and get to a point where you feel like only the middle 2 inches of your blade is touching the ice. (not on the balls of your feet or on the heels).
After you get this down move to your left skate. When you first do it you will probably just go straight. Just keep working on your shoulder turn and it will come to you. Whatever your shoulders do your hips will do and thus your legs will do. Try and do it with your feet next to each other but if you need an extra boost to turn your body try an put your right foot out in front a foot or so to help open your hips. When you feel off balance your hips will try and fight your shoulders so forcing your hips to open will help.
I promise you that it will be frustrating but once it clicks you will be good to go forever so just keep working at it.
I am assuming that you are doing this without a stick but once you do have stick hand positioning on your stick can help as well.
You Tube "ice skating school figures" if you want some visuals of people using their shoulders to control and change edges.

Hope this makes sense. Good luck.

 

[beth]

Hmmm, that could be it too. I'll go get them sharpened just in case. Thanks!

You can check it yourself, just get a straight edge to lay across the blade perpendicular and if it doesn't sit squarely, then you'll know the edges aren't even.