Fustration with my skating - Turns

[Hacker10]

I don't know what the heck is wrong with me, but I can't seem to do, what everyone else can.

I'm talking turns, not of the crossover variety. I'm talking your standard turn. I can turn using the outside skate, but for some reason I can't get the inside to join in at all. I don't know if it's my edgework sucking/I'm weighting the wrong skate or what.

I'm annoyed.

(If my explanation of what I am trying to do isn't good enough, let me know)

Click to read more...

 

[vapor11]

A) Make sure your skates fit properly(google)
B) Make sure your skates are sharpened
C) Make a topic like this

Actually cancel the last one

 

[Hockey Crazy]

I don't know what the heck is wrong with me, but I can't seem to do, what everyone else can.

I'm talking turns, not of the crossover variety. I'm talking your standard turn. I can turn using the outside skate, but for some reason I can't get the inside to join in at all. I don't know if it's my edgework sucking/I'm weighting the wrong skate or what.

I'm annoyed.

(If my explanation of what I am trying to do isn't good enough, let me know)

Make sure that you lead with your inside foot and that you keep your weight forward. If you feel like your edges are giving out, try a wider stance.

 

[Hacker10]

A) Make sure your skates fit properly(google)
B) Make sure your skates are sharpened
C) Make a topic like this

Actually cancel the last one

Done.
Done.
Sadly, done.

 

[Pajicz]

A) Make sure your skates fit properly(google)
B) Make sure your skates are sharpened
C) Make a topic like this

Actually cancel the last one

Why couldn't he make a thread to have some advice?

 

[vapor11]

Why couldn't he make a thread to have some advice?

My mistake..late night painting.. I had to lookup the definition of weighting.. I assumed he had ment he did not know if he was "wearing the right skate"

 

[Axman]

Done.
Done.
Sadly, done.

Get on the edges of your skates in the turn meaning dip the boots of your skates sideways. Lean into the turns and keep your weight to the inside.

 

[ponder]

Don't worry, this is an extremely common problem for most skaters. The problem is that you're comfortable on your inside edges, but not your outside edges, and to become a really good skater you have to be comfortable on all 4 edges. You're gonna have to do a bunch of edgework drills to improve on this. This video has some GREAT edgework drills:




My suggested progression through the drills would be:

1) Start with the figure 8s, focusing on really improving on your outside edge figure 8s. Backwards and forwards is good, but if you can only do forwards that's fine for now, you can work on your backward skating later

2) They show "1 leg weaving" next, but I'd actually have this as the last step of your progression, it's quite difficult. Once you have the figure 8s nailed on both inside and outside edges I'd suggest progressing to scissor skating, it's easier and the more natural next step. Again, forwards and backwards if possible, start with the wide/slow/exaggerated scissor skating and progress to the narrow/quick scissor skating

3) Once you've nailed scissor skating you should be decently proficient on your outside edges, and thus ready to learn tight turns, where both feet are really engaged. This is a pretty good video for tight turns:

The key is to lead with your inside foot, get the pressure slightly (but only slightly) towards the heel on your leading/inside foot, and make sure you really sink your weight into the turn, and get a lot of weight into that leading/inside foot. Play around with different ankle angles on that leading/inside foot until you get the angle just right. Eventually these tight, 2-footed turns will start to feel completely natural. Ultimately your weight should be pretty evenly distributed between both feet, but at first you're gonna be hesitant to put enough weight on your inside foot, so I'd suggest going overkill at first (putting as much weight as possible on your inside foot), then eventually backing off to a roughly 50/50 weight distribution as you improve

4) Once you've nailed tight turns, start linking them together slalom-style as shown in the last 2 drills of the first video. This will help you learn to generate power through the turn

5) Keep practicing tight turns, but with a puck. You'll probably have difficulty performing tight turns where you're carrying the puck on your backhand at first, but that'll come with time/practice too

6) Finally, try the 1 foot skating drill from the first video, it's quite tough but once you've mastered that, you've pretty much mastered your edges



Follow this progression and you'll become a much better skater. Don't expect it to happen over night, but with enough practice you'll be turning like a pro

 

[Hacker10]

...

Thanks. I've trying to get it going, I just seem to hit a wall when I try to improve. That's where most of the fustration comes in. That's my reward for not sticking with it when I was a kid, I suppose.

 

[ponder]

Thanks. I've trying to get it going, I just seem to hit a wall when I try to improve. That's where most of the fustration comes in. That's my reward for not sticking with it when I was a kid, I suppose.

No problem. Watch those videos (especially the first one) a bunch of times, follow the progression I laid out, and I'll bet by about 10-15 or so stick and puck sessions and/or free skates you'll at least be around step 3-4 (performing solid 2-foot/tight turns). Having trouble with these turns is really just a symptom of having poor edge control on your outside edges, which is very common, and by practicing these drills you'll just make yourself a much better skater and player overall. Do the drills in that order though, it's key to have decent edge control on all 4 edges before learning tight turns, that way you learn to really power through the turn instead of just coasting through it and developing bad habits.

 

[vapor11]

I played pickup hockey Monday night .. it was bothering me a bit that there was what looked like a Peewee house team practicing beforehand ..many of their skates were obviously too big for them..It is easy to spot if you look at the size of the body to the skate.. also some were ankle skating

I think back to my minor hockey days and I am just a little surprised at the lack of emphasize put on proper skate size growing up ... understandable at that age its not the coaches job or the league to tell you which equipment to wear and like most my skates were sized to grow into.. but watching them practice bothered me a little bit ..I can't stress enough how important proper fitting skates are especially for people developing skating skills

 

[Stickmata]

I played pickup hockey Monday night .. it was bothering me a bit that there was what looked like a Peewee house team practicing beforehand ..many of their skates were obviously too big for them..It is easy to spot if you look at the size of the body to the skate.. also some were ankle skating

I think back to my minor hockey days and I am just a little surprised at the lack of emphasize put on proper skate size growing up ... understandable at that age its not the coaches job or the league to tell you which equipment to wear and like most my skates were sized to grow into.. but watching them practice bothered me a little bit ..I can't stress enough how important proper fitting skates are especially for people developing skating skills

I coach a youth team and it bugs me to no end when parents buy their kids skates that are too big so they can grow into them and wear them for multiple seasons. Penny wise and pound foolish. Why spend all that money on a season of hockey and then ruin it for them by putting them on the ice in ankle breaker skates.

OP, find that video on here by that amazing russian power skating coach and follow his tip on tight turns. Rock on your ankles baby! I do it just like he says and I can make extremely tight turns. Don't lean back, rock your ankles quickly.

 

[hitmanjat]

Don't worry, this is an extremely common problem for most skaters. The problem is that you're comfortable on your inside edges, but not your outside edges, and to become a really good skater you have to be comfortable on all 4 edges. You're gonna have to do a bunch of edgework drills to improve on this. This video has some GREAT edgework drills:




My suggested progression through the drills would be:

1) Start with the figure 8s, focusing on really improving on your outside edge figure 8s. Backwards and forwards is good, but if you can only do forwards that's fine for now, you can work on your backward skating later

2) They show "1 leg weaving" next, but I'd actually have this as the last step of your progression, it's quite difficult. Once you have the figure 8s nailed on both inside and outside edges I'd suggest progressing to scissor skating, it's easier and the more natural next step. Again, forwards and backwards if possible, start with the wide/slow/exaggerated scissor skating and progress to the narrow/quick scissor skating

3) Once you've nailed scissor skating you should be decently proficient on your outside edges, and thus ready to learn tight turns, where both feet are really engaged. This is a pretty good video for tight turns:

The key is to lead with your inside foot, get the pressure slightly (but only slightly) towards the heel on your leading/inside foot, and make sure you really sink your weight into the turn, and get a lot of weight into that leading/inside foot. Play around with different ankle angles on that leading/inside foot until you get the angle just right. Eventually these tight, 2-footed turns will start to feel completely natural. Ultimately your weight should be pretty evenly distributed between both feet, but at first you're gonna be hesitant to put enough weight on your inside foot, so I'd suggest going overkill at first (putting as much weight as possible on your inside foot), then eventually backing off to a roughly 50/50 weight distribution as you improve

4) Once you've nailed tight turns, start linking them together slalom-style as shown in the last 2 drills of the first video. This will help you learn to generate power through the turn

5) Keep practicing tight turns, but with a puck. You'll probably have difficulty performing tight turns where you're carrying the puck on your backhand at first, but that'll come with time/practice too

6) Finally, try the 1 foot skating drill from the first video, it's quite tough but once you've mastered that, you've pretty much mastered your edges



Follow this progression and you'll become a much better skater. Don't expect it to happen over night, but with enough practice you'll be turning like a pro

Thanks for these tips! I have a similar problem the OP, and will start using the figure 8s.

 

[SouthpawTRK]

Thanks Ponder for the two videos on edge work! I really liked the second video since the instructor really explained everything in detail. Plus the fact that he showed things in half speed, full speed and with a puck was very helpful as well.

 

[sqweaf*]

Just wondering have you had your skates contoured? Were they bought brand new?

 

[Stickmata]

Just wondering have you had your skates contoured? Were they bought brand new?

This is a very good point. I went from a set of worn blades that had about a 7 radius and tons of rocker front and back, to new blades that were an 11 radius and almost no rocker and I literally could not even get the skates to turn. Really strange feeling; had no idea profile could make such a difference. Had them profiled to a 9' radius and contoured a little and voila.

 

[sqweaf*]

This is a very good point. I went from a set of worn blades that had about a 7 radius and tons of rocker front and back, to new blades that were an 11 radius and almost no rocker and I literally could not even get the skates to turn. Really strange feeling; had no idea profile could make such a difference. Had them profiled to a 9' radius and contoured a little and voila.

Awesome! I figured it might help. My skates were like an arch and I was skating backwards like a champion but overall it wasn't a solid feeling. Once I contoured them and took away a bit of the arch i was back to sniping goals.
Glad I could help