Advice: Getting back into ice after 16 years of inline-help!

[Ebolav]

Stopped hockey after tearing ACL @ 14, took up inline once I had it repaired @ 18. I've been intermittently doing so ever since (16 years), and figured I should try real hockey instead of just skating around for fun.

I joined a beginner league in MN, and by and large doing fine; I'm probably in the top 5 of the 34 people there for skating. Inside edge, crossovers, c cuts, one footed all come easily. Backwards isn't pretty, but functional/still better than most of the rest. Now stopping is another story.

Long story short-I think 16 years of stopping on wheels has ruined my ability to stop on blades. I can stop like I do on wheels, doing a really tight/fast pivot turn, on ice per my coach it looks like a sharp C-Cut. It works, but I end up turning 90 degrees or facing the opposite direction, probably not the best idea.

Per my coaches, it appears I spend way too much time on my inside edges, which apparently is common for inliners switching over? It's so bad that even holding the boards and trying to 'make snow' with the flat part by pushing my foot out is difficult. I can do it, but only with concentration. Otherwise, my blade 'digs in' too much and sticks. I cannot even snowplow for the same reason. This is because if I'm not deliberately concentrating on my foot, my ankles are turned inwards, I think related to inline muscle memory.

Anyone else have this transition difficulty? Suggestions? Are my skates not tight enough, thus ankles turning inwards? Do I need to have a wider hollow (5/8" or 3/4" instead of 1/2"), which I've read would be more forgiving/can help inliners transition over? Ankle support/taping? I have CCM U+ crazylight skates, used one season by a college hockey player. Coach felt they had plenty of life/support left in them. Thanks, I appreciate any advice.

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[I Am Score*]

Stopped hockey after tearing ACL @ 14, took up inline once I had it repaired @ 18. I've been intermittently doing so ever since (16 years), and figured I should try real hockey instead of just skating around for fun.

I joined a beginner league in MN, and by and large doing fine; I'm probably in the top 5 of the 34 people there for skating. Inside edge, crossovers, c cuts, one footed all come easily. Backwards isn't pretty functional/still better than most of the rest. Now stopping is another story.

Long story short-I think 16 years of stopping on wheels has ruined my ability to stop on blades. I can stop like I do on wheels, doing a really tight/fast pivot turn, on ice per my coach it looks like a sharp C-Cut. It works, but I end up turning 90 degrees or facing the opposite direction, probably not the best idea.

Per my coaches, it appears I spend way too much time on my inside edges, which apparently is common for inliners switching over? It's so bad that even holding the boards and trying to 'make snow' with the flat part by pushing my foot out is difficult. I can do it, but only with concentration. Otherwise, my blade 'digs in' too much and sticks. I cannot even snowplow for the same reason. This is because if I'm not deliberately concentrating on my foot, my ankles are turned inwards, I think related to inline muscle memory.

Anyone else have this transition difficulty? Suggestions? Are my skates not tight enough, thus ankles turning inwards? Do I need to have a wider hollow (5/8" or 3/4" instead of 1/2"), which I've read would be more forgiving/can help inliners transition over? Ankle support/taping? I have CCM U+ crazylight skates, used one season by a college hockey player. Coach felt they had plenty of life/support left in them. Thanks, I appreciate any advice.

Not super experienced here myself but these are definitley issues. For me at least it's super hard converting from ice to roller or roller to ice. I play roller with my buds occasionally and I try to stop the ice way and fall on my face.

I would definitley tape your ankles and switch to a different skate. I've heard the U+ CL is a pretty difficult skate and should be used for only high level competition per reviews. Some even say "how do NHL players use this?".

Also it is definitley that you are not used to the ice and it could also be your skates aren't tight enough. Some players tend to wear their skates loose and do well in them, but if you're starting out they need to be tight yet comfortable. When I first started out I bought some new laces and wore thick socks to keep my feet straight. You don't necessarily have to tape your ankles, whatever works for you. If you're doing some stick and puck or free skates, i'd definitley try thicker socks and a different skate.

Overall:

Get a different skate
Tighten your skates
Possibly wear thicker socks
Possibly tape your ankles

And practice your forward stride AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Make sure you keep the blade flat on the ice when extending your front leg. Eventually it'll re-train your brain to keep your skates flat on the ice.

 

[Ebolav]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have somewhat wide feet (skate is a 9.5 E), so I'm hoping taping from ankle up would suffice? If the boot part is too tight I quickly get shooting pains on the outside part of my foot halfway down (where an avulsion fracture happens for the 5th metatarcel). Makes sense, since that is technically the widest part of my foot.

Re: skate, I had no idea some skates are more 'difficult' than others-how so? I bought it b/c I was told it was really good quality, and they were only $209 (new are like $600?).

Thicker socks makes sense, I will try that. I feel like if it were as easy as 'just keep your ankle straight' I would have already. This has been going on for all 4 weeks of the league.

 

[AIREAYE]

Not to be rude or anything Brad, but jumping to conclusions like that isn't going to help him.

The skates need to fit, and should be snug giving you optimal support and heel lock. Given the OPs level of ability, having a used pair of top end skates seems like a good investment provided they fit.

Do not resort to thicker socks, which could hinder feel and comfort, it's not needed and won't help your skating in any way.

Taping shouldn't be necessary either, the skates should give you enough ankle support laterally without restricting forward lean.

Ebolav, if the skate feels a bit tight on you, go get them baked. The reactivity of that skate in particular should help in it forming around your hotspots.

Also, you say the blade feels like it digs in the ice too much? What sharpening hollow did you have put on your skates?

 

[Ebolav]

I had them baked when I bought them, sorry forgot to mention that. I knew nothing about hollows prior to a week ago, so they're what I believe is 'standard' 1/2". I have read second and third hand from people that some people find that going to a 5/8" or 3/4" hollow, OR a flat bottom v (90/50 or 90/75) can ease the transition from inline to ice. I didn't want to do anything drastic though, especially if that's not the core of the problem.

It seems like I have two problems:
1-blade does bite too easily, I cannot even make snow while standing still unless I *really* focus on it
2-Related to # 1, some/much of that may be because I tend to bend my ankles inward. The coach noticed I start turning my ankle a split second before I even enter my stopping motion, thus the sharp C cut is the best I can do at that point. I can keep my ankle straight if I think about it, but this seems like pretty chronic muscle memory I'm up against here. Therefore, I'm wondering if taping my ankle for example, at least in the short term, might help prevent me from engaging in that bad habit, until I learn new muscle memory.

 

[ponder]

If your skates fit well, I wouldn't be worrying about the gear or taping your ankles, it's almost certainly technique that is holding you back. Everyone feels like the blades are too bitey when first trying to stop, they end up catching edges or doing those super choppy stops. It's very common for beginners to have trouble making the stopping motion even when holding onto the boards. Just keep at it. There's really no secret to learning to stop, just keep trying to scrape the ice while holding onto the boards, then when you have that down keep trying to stop until you get it. Make sure your knees are bent.

As for you spending way too much time on your inside edges, your outside edges are probably just way weaker than you think they are. Even if you can do crossovers, your outside edges can still be super weak. I've posted this before, I think it's a great drill progression for getting truly comfortable on all 4 edges:

This link has terrific edgework drills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Vyw_X04Y8

The only thing I don't like about it is the order they're presented in, they have the 1-footed skating drill early on, when it's the toughest skill to master. My suggestion would be:

1) Start with the 1-footed figure 8s, on both your inside and outside edges, do these until you're very comfortable on all edges
2) Progress to scissor skating, again until you're very comfortable, doing it both slowly and quickly, and getting lot's of pressure/power out of all 4 edges
3) Progress to crossovers (slow crossovers, really focusing on form). Lateral step drills can help here too (walking along the blueline by crossing your legs over each other, facing the end boards)
4) Progress to 2-footed turns (with basically equal pressure on your inside and outside edges). Start coming into the turn slowly, then practice coming in with more and more speed
5) Try the 1-footed skating drill to really perfect your technique

Ideally you will do this whole progression going both forward and backward, but obviously it's much tougher going backward. One last tip is to keep a nice deep knee/ankle bend, too many newer skaters skate really upright, which hurts your balance and ability to generate power.

By just practising crossovers, you'll eventually get decent at them, but I think to become TRULY comfortable on all 4 edges, so you can really generate a tonne of power on those outside edges, you need other drills to (like the ones listed above).

Once you get truly comfortable on all 4 edges, I think you'll find that a lot of other skating issues will disappear.

In terms of the skates themselves, can you describe the fit in detail? When your skates are laced up and you're in a skating stance, how much room is there between your toes and the end of the toe cap? Through your foot in general, does it feel like it's being held snugly, squeezed really tight, or loose/sloppy? When your skates are laced up, are you able to lift your heel at all within the skate, or does it feel firmly locked in place?

One last question, are you actually skating like a "bender," with your ankles literally bending in? For example, skating like the guy in this picture:

If so, you really just need to concentrate on keeping your ankles straight, it will come with time. That's not to say that your ankles always have to be straight, sometimes to generate power (for example on crossovers) it can be good to bend your ankle to get an even steeper angle with the ice, but your standard "gliding" ankle position should be straight. If you continue to have problems with this even after lots of practice, insoles like Superfeet might help to keep your foot in the proper position.

 

[JR97]

I was a long time inline player as well. Holding the boards and scraping ice didn't jack squat for me. What worked was just doing what I did to learn to stop on ski's. Stem christy pizza wedge/snow plow stops. Bend those knees, get your butt down, and focus on the ball of your foot. Inline stopping is more about pressure towards the mid and back of the foot. Which on ice just makes you turn. You do want to turn, but you want to slide and not grip which means mid to front pressure.

 

[ds4130]

I came from inline to ice and am a decent skater except I can't stop to save my life on ice. I had the same sharp c-cut problem as you. I went from 1/2" to 5/8" and I started to get that slide at the end of the c-cut that I don't purposely try to do so it's starting to turn into a stop. I haven't been able to get on the ice in 6 months though so I couldn't really practice but I'd definitely try a more shallow hollow.

 

[I Am Score*]

Not to be rude or anything Brad, but jumping to conclusions like that isn't going to help him.

The skates need to fit, and should be snug giving you optimal support and heel lock. Given the OPs level of ability, having a used pair of top end skates seems like a good investment provided they fit.

Do not resort to thicker socks, which could hinder feel and comfort, it's not needed and won't help your skating in any way.

Taping shouldn't be necessary either, the skates should give you enough ankle support laterally without restricting forward lean.

Ebolav, if the skate feels a bit tight on you, go get them baked. The reactivity of that skate in particular should help in it forming around your hotspots.

Also, you say the blade feels like it digs in the ice too much? What sharpening hollow did you have put on your skates?

Thicker socks can help players work on their technique although they do hinder skating ability. It's a good way to develop your skills and keeping the blade flat on the ice before switching over.

I'm just saying i've heard the Crazy Lights are absolute crap to skate on. I'd go for a lower line Nexus if you can or a lower priced model that might fit better. Too many people saying the Crazy Lights are uncomfortable and annoying to use.

Like I said you don't have to tape your ankles, but I would definitley wear thicker socks or performance socks at least on SEVERAL free skates. I did this a long time ago and it works like a charm. Not going to lie, when I was a kid I was a total bender (I hate using it, but its true).

Overall, practice practice practice and do alot of free skates. Work on your edges and you will become more comfortable with your skates.

 

[Ebolav]

If your skates fit well, I wouldn't be worrying about the gear or taping your ankles, it's almost certainly technique that is holding you back. Everyone feels like the blades are too bitey when first trying to stop, they end up catching edges or doing those super choppy stops. It's very common for beginners to have trouble making the stopping motion even when holding onto the boards. Just keep at it. There's really no secret to learning to stop, just keep trying to scrape the ice while holding onto the boards, then when you have that down keep trying to stop until you get it. Make sure your knees are bent.

As for you spending way too much time on your inside edges, your outside edges are probably just way weaker than you think they are. Even if you can do crossovers, your outside edges can still be super weak. I've posted this before, I think it's a great drill progression for getting truly comfortable on all 4 edges:

Once you get truly comfortable on all 4 edges, I think you'll find that a lot of other skating issues will disappear.

In terms of the skates themselves, can you describe the fit in detail? When your skates are laced up and you're in a skating stance, how much room is there between your toes and the end of the toe cap? Through your foot in general, does it feel like it's being held snugly, squeezed really tight, or loose/sloppy? When your skates are laced up, are you able to lift your heel at all within the skate, or does it feel firmly locked in place?

One last question, are you actually skating like a "bender," with your ankles literally bending in? For example, skating like the guy in this picture:

If so, you really just need to concentrate on keeping your ankles straight, it will come with time. That's not to say that your ankles always have to be straight, sometimes to generate power (for example on crossovers) it can be good to bend your ankle to get an even steeper angle with the ice, but your standard "gliding" ankle position should be straight. If you continue to have problems with this even after lots of practice, insoles like Superfeet might help to keep your foot in the proper position.

Wow lots of suggestions/advice, so the least I can do is answer all the questions

Paragraph 1-are you saying then that it's normal to be able to scrape snow, even without holding onto the boards/while concentrating, but then when focusing on anything else I immediately lapse back into ankle-turning mode?

# 2-I agree my outside edges are weak/neglected, I was the same way on wheels. I will definitely check out that video, thanks!

Re: skate fit. Toes barely scrape the toe cap, feels right there. None of the things you mentioned seem to be an issue, it's just that it feels too easy to wiggle my ankle back and forth, moving the boot with it. Not sure if that makes sense, but my ankle isn't wiggling independently of the skate, there's not extra room like that, it's just like my ankles are too flexible in this situation. Oh, and I bought superfeet last weekend, not sure if they helped like you said, but my feet do feel more comfortable/supported.

The picture you attached-I'm not sure/wish I could videotape myself. I definitely don't have it turned inwards as bad as his right foot, but may be like his left, at least when stopping/turning.

I know I turn my ankles in for crossovers, etc., and I get what you're saying in terms of how that's helpful. I think I just do it all the time/probably learned to inline improperly way back when. That's why like DS's post, I'm thinking a wider hollow, and possibly giving my ankle more stiffness/support may help...

 

[Ebolav]

Thicker socks can help players work on their technique although they do hinder skating ability. It's a good way to develop your skills and keeping the blade flat on the ice before switching over.

I'm just saying i've heard the Crazy Lights are absolute crap to skate on. I'd go for a lower line Nexus if you can or a lower priced model that might fit better. Too many people saying the Crazy Lights are uncomfortable and annoying to use.

Like I said you don't have to tape your ankles, but I would definitley wear thicker socks or performance socks at least on SEVERAL free skates. I did this a long time ago and it works like a charm. Not going to lie, when I was a kid I was a total bender (I hate using it, but its true).

Overall, practice practice practice and do alot of free skates. Work on your edges and you will become more comfortable with your skates.

I hadn't heard anything negative about those skates, and in fact several people have commented on how good they are. I don't think it's the skate here, to be honest. Not sure how they could sell new for $600 if they're that bad to skate on. But your suggestion re: thicker socks is well taken.

 

[AIREAYE]

ponder nailed it.

Why encourage him to rely on crutches???

Skates should fit, the hollow shouldn't be the problem.

 

[I Am Score*]

I hadn't heard anything negative about those skates, and in fact several people have commented on how good they are. I don't think it's the skate here, to be honest. Not sure how they could sell new for $600 if they're that bad to skate on. But your suggestion re: thicker socks is well taken.

Yup, like mentioned before the skate is up to the person but i've heard better things from other high end skates.

Like I said, crutches aren't necessarily bad. Similar to learning to ride a bike, you need to ease your way into it. It's up to the person what method they want to use, I used thicker socks.

I re-taught myself at 14 after I broke my arm years earlier. It sucks sometimes but more practice is the only way to get through it. Muscle burning, if you have that consistently, is completely normal. I suggest using the lines on the ice or the faceoff circles for stopping as you're skating and then stopping. Work on technique slow at first and speed it up. Just try not to go feet first into the boards

 

[Ebolav]

ponder nailed it.

Why encourage him to rely on crutches???

Skates should fit, the hollow shouldn't be the problem.

I feel like the skates *do* fit, not sure if I have weak ankles, 16 years of muscle memory of turning them inwards too often, etc. I get the concern over a crutch in the sense of learning to do something incorrectly can be harmful in the long run, but I'm thinking being forced into doing something mechanically correct could at least retrain muscle memory so I eventually don't need the crutch.

I think I'm going to try 5/8" and ankle support at a free skate this weekend, will let post about how it goes, as I'm sure you're all holding your breath

 

[Jarick]

Let's back up here.

First, welcome! Good to see another MN guy. We're taking over!

Second, I've known guys who came from skating shinny or inline to ice and starter in beginner league and TORE UP. You'll probably be moving way up the food chain in the next year or two. Keep at it.

Third, how do the skates fit? Is the heel locked into place or does it move around? Does the foot rotate in the boot or is it locked in? It sounds like the skate fits fine. You want it to fit like an extremely rigid glove so that you can transfer all your power to the blades and have the most control over the edges. Any movement within the boot can rob you of both.

Fourth, when you say you can't scrape the ice to make snow, is it just that the edge digs in too much? How often do you get the skates sharpened?

I hate to be obvious, but the angle of the skates to the ice is important, as is your lean. Ideally you want to keep your ankles straight so your boot is in line with your leg rather than ankles bent in or out (see the picture Ponder posted).

So when you stop, you want to lean "away" from the stop. That might help.

To be honest, I've never heard of anyone using thick socks to learn to skate or to tape your ankles. You just need to learn to feel the edges and how they interact with the ice. There's no substitution for putting in the hours and getting comfortable.

Just keep scraping the ice, learn what it feels like, and push yourself to scrape into a stop instead of a quick turn.

I will say don't sleep on that quick turn either, if you're strong enough and in good shape, you can keep your feet moving and your momentum while other guys are wasting time stopping and starting.

 

[Jarick]

Ponder linked a great video I just wanted to put it up again. I worked on this outside a few years ago and it really helped. I need to do it again as I've gotten lazy.

 

[Ebolav]

Jarick-I'll post twice, first in reference to the video (great resource, thanks)

1-No problems with inside or outside edge figure 8, weaving, slalom (obv better w/o a stick).
2-Scissor skate is fine too, but I wonder if the ankle bend that comes while doing that is similar to what I do as I start my stopping motion?
3-Others are definitely above my skill level, but they're mostly backwards/things inline people never have to do at the casual level. But I'm motivated, so once I can reliably stop properly Ill move onto those.

 

[Ebolav]

Let's back up here.

First, welcome! Good to see another MN guy. We're taking over!

Second, I've known guys who came from skating shinny or inline to ice and starter in beginner league and TORE UP. You'll probably be moving way up the food chain in the next year or two. Keep at it.

Third, how do the skates fit? Is the heel locked into place or does it move around? Does the foot rotate in the boot or is it locked in? It sounds like the skate fits fine. You want it to fit like an extremely rigid glove so that you can transfer all your power to the blades and have the most control over the edges. Any movement within the boot can rob you of both.

Fourth, when you say you can't scrape the ice to make snow, is it just that the edge digs in too much? How often do you get the skates sharpened?

I hate to be obvious, but the angle of the skates to the ice is important, as is your lean. Ideally you want to keep your ankles straight so your boot is in line with your leg rather than ankles bent in or out (see the picture Ponder posted).

I will say don't sleep on that quick turn either, if you're strong enough and in good shape, you can keep your feet moving and your momentum while other guys are wasting time stopping and starting.

Jarick-Thanks for helping out, been here in MN since '09, Chicago before then, but grew up most of my life in suburban detroit/lifelong Red Wings fan.

I do think purely from a skating standpoint, I'm the best one out there, not necessarily in muscle strength, but in precision/turning. I can hold a one footed inside edge, very sharp angle crouched down, around the circle pretty much perfectly, for example, while many of them wobble all over the place and are rigid as a board. I feel like I've spent 16 years on my inside edge (wheels) and so if anything it's too comfortable for me, in terms of stopping.

Skate fit-From what I read it fits fine lengthwise. I bought a 9.5 E CCM because I'm pretty sure I have slightly wider feet than average. Got them remeasured last weekend at a different shop, and he said I could get away with a normal width skate, but that I'm basically right on the fence between D/E. So maybe my ankle bend while stopping is the fact I'm not a full-fledged E width?

Ice scraping-yes, when I do that my ankle habitually turns inward, unless I 100% concentrate on not doing so. This is the same reason I can't snowplow. Coach pulled me with both of us holding the same stick, and she kept pointing out every time I started leaning on the inside edge. It was a LOT.

When you start a hockey stop, what is actually keeping your ankles straight? The natural inertia of the movement would lend itself to bending, no? So is it a deliberate resisting of that force? If so, that's why I'm wondering if taping would help, as another layer of resistance to that momentum.

Your last comment was the first time I've thought of this habit as a positive on ice; I always thought it helped me on wheels, as I never had to come to a complete stop, thus could get a head start on going the other direction. I think the lack of hockey stopping is mainly a detriment in situations where I'm going too fast to do a c-cut, or too close to the boards/other people.

 

[OpenIceHit42]

I took 7 years off from ice (a couple pickup games here and there) before seriously getting back into it and took me about a month to get "comfortable" again. I then stopped playing inline for about 9 months and recently gotten back into it, now I feel like a noob playing inline because I can't stop to save my life.

 

[ponder]

I'll go into more detail later, but:

- Re: the thicker socks comment, this will only help if you have loose, poorly fitting skates. If you have skates that fit properly (and it sounds like the OP's skates fit reasonably well), then thick socks are not necessary or even a hindrance. This is something that little kids do when their parents purposefully buy skates that are too large for them, so they can grow into them. It's not something you should do as a fully grown adult, you should just buy skates that fit properly

- Re: the U+ CLs, they're excellent skates. If they fit you properly, you really should not worry about them at all

- Re: ankle support in general, as long as your heel is locked down, that's really all that matters. You want to be able to flex your ankles both forwards and side to side. You actually need to be able to bend your ankles side to side to skate at a high level, it's what allows you to be a really agile, mobile skater, as opposed to a stiff skater. For example watch Subban's ankles here:


When I stand in my skates, I can easily flop my ankles from side to side, and they fit more or less perfectly. This is the case with all skates, they're designed that way on purpose. It's definitely you who keeps the ankle straight, not the skates. Again, this is something that will simply come with time. If your skates fit reasonably well, and you don't have serious pronation issues with your feet in general (i.e. while running, not just while skating), then any ankle bending issues are purely related to technique. Again, this is an incredibly common problem with new skaters, their ankles bend and flop all over the place, but with time and practice you learn to control them without even thinking. To further nail this idea home, just look at speed skating skates:

These guys skate great with literally zero support above the ankle. Skates are meant to be very snug below the ankle, but to allow for mobility above the ankle, they aren't meant to fit like ski boots.

Taping your ankles is a crutch, it might help with ankle stability at first, but it cuts down on much needed mobility, ultimately you want to be able to skate (and stop) with your ankles untaped. The odd pros tape their ankles, but they don't do it for support, they do it for extra power. They have super strong legs, and they'll tape the tendon guard to the front of their shin pads to force the whole boot to flex when they bend forwards at the ankles. For almost all skaters this tape job would make us very stiff, awkward, inflexible skaters who wouldn't be able to get a nice forward ankle bend, but for the odd super powerful pro skaters who use this technique, they're so strong that they can easily flex at the ankle anyways. The point is that this is an advanced technique for super strong skaters, not something that newer skaters should try.

 

[ponder]

Some more ankle tips:

- When gliding your ankles are kept straight, like this:

- When really striding/pushing out with your inside edge, your ankle should bend slightly towards the ice, like this, to allow you to push at a sharper angle:

Note that the GLIDING ankle is straight, while the PUSHING ankle is angled towards the ice a bit.

- Likewise, when really striding/pushing off your outside edge, your ankle should again bend slightly towards the lice, to allow you to push at a sharper angle:

- When turning sharply using both feet, both ankles will bend slightly towards the ice:

Most experienced skaters do this as second nature, they don't even think about it, and may not even realize they're bending their ankles like this when striding/turning, but it's how you stride/turn effectively. Also note that the angles are pretty subtle, your ankles never bend much, they just bend a bit to help you turn sharper and stride out harder.

I will admit that I'm ever so slightly unsure about why I do with respect to ankle bend when stopping. I *think* I keep them stright, but next time I go to the rink I'm going to pay more attention to what my ankles do when stopping to make sure.

 

[Ebolav]

The speed skating picture helped me immensely, I was starting to think I shouldn't be able to bend my ankles at all. Am I correct, then, that skates without proper ankle support allow the ankle to turn independently of the boot (i.e. too big) OR are too soft/give way to easily, collapsing instead of holding the ankle through the bend? Because if so, then I finally get it, at least for this, and it means my skates do fit.

The attached pictures-outside edge is still pretty bad for me, but I get what # 17 in green is doing there. The other pictures I feel like I am doing properly. The video is sick, wow, I can do what he does *maybe* 33% as well *forward only*. But that's why I'm in a scrub pickup league

I do run, and I'm assuming if I had structural issues with my foot, I would turn my ankles inwards then too, and thus get sore while running in my ankle tendons, etc. But I don't/can go 5+ miles no problem, so that's probably not an issue...?

So I think that rules out a lot of possible problems, except for the hollow. I can't remember where (here maybe?) but I seem to recall that some former inliners found 5/8" or 3/4" or 90/50 FBV hollows easier to stop on, as the inliner tendency to turn the ankle inwards during the stopping motion would then be partially offset by the 'looser' grip on the ice. Am I getting that correctly?

Other than that, off to free skate this weekend, and Happy Holidays to everyone, I really appreciate the lively discussion, it's reignited my passion for this game I had when I was a kid.

 

[Ebolav]

Some more ankle tips:

-I will admit that I'm ever so slightly unsure about why I do with respect to ankle bend when stopping. I *think* I keep them stright, but next time I go to the rink I'm going to pay more attention to what my ankles do when stopping to make sure.

Thanks, that would be awesome of you to do. I'm going to see if I can drag my wife out at least for a few minutes to videotape me so I can see what my feet are doing...

 

[ponder]

One last point about stops vs. turning. When turning, you often get your weight more on your heel, and you look in the direction that you turn (i.e. you look to the left to turn to the left). When stopping, get your weight on the middle of your blade, and keep looking forward. DO NOT start turning into the stop, just quickly rotate your skates 90 degrees while keeping all of your momentum moving forward.

This video isn't the best example, as he's super choppy on his outside edge, but you get the idea. You don't start turning, you just rotate your blade and scrape while keeping your momentum going forwards:

 

[Ebolav]

One last point about stops vs. turning. When turning, you often get your weight more on your heel, and you look in the direction that you turn (i.e. you look to the left to turn to the left). When stopping, get your weight on the middle of your blade, and keep looking forward. DO NOT start turning into the stop, just quickly rotate your skates 90 degrees while keeping all of your momentum moving forward.

This video isn't the best example, as he's super choppy on his outside edge, but you get the idea. You don't start turning, you just rotate your blade and scrape while keeping your momentum going forwards:

Eureka I think I figured out another missing piece-I'm pretty sure that's what my coach actually meant when he said I start turning my ankles before I stop, that I'm actually turning into it before I do it, thus the sharp C-cut, usually ending up 90 degrees rotated from where I was facing to start. Thanks!