Learning to Skate Advice

[niagara66]

I've seen other posts on this so if this is redundant, please provide a link to it.

 

I moved away from WNY when I was young and didn't learn how to skate properly. I recently moved back and am inspired by some of the threads I read to improve my skills with a goal of playing recreational hockey next season. I've played a lot of floor hockey and stuff and am generally athletic and coordinated, i just can't skate (yet).

 

1. Where in BFLO and surrounding area is a recommended skating school for adults (I'm 40)

 

2. I've seen SDS, among others, mention videos that have skating drills I can do on my own to augment lessons. Which of these videos are the best for my purposes?

 

3. For Christmas I got a pair of Bauer NBH Supreme Select. They seem like good skates but what do I know...are these good skates for someone at my level (old beginner)?

 

Thanks for any advice you may have.

[Goodfella25]

I've seen other posts on this so if this is redundant, please provide a link to it.

 

I moved away from WNY when I was young and didn't learn how to skate properly. I recently moved back and am inspired by some of the threads I read to improve my skills with a goal of playing recreational hockey next season. I've played a lot of floor hockey and stuff and am generally athletic and coordinated, i just can't skate (yet).

 

1. Where in BFLO and surrounding area is a recommended skating school for adults (I'm 40)

 

2. I've seen SDS, among others, mention videos that have skating drills I can do on my own to augment lessons. Which of these videos are the best for my purposes?

 

3. For Christmas I got a pair of Bauer NBH Supreme Select. They seem like good skates but what do I know...are these good skates for someone at my level (old beginner)?

 

Thanks for any advice you may have.

 

I remember a few years back Brighton and Lincoln arenas offered a learn to skate program for adults. Not sure if that's still going on but you might try there. Also check out the Pepsi Center in Amherst, and also take a look at their open skate schedule http://www.amherstpepsicenter.com/calendar.pdf or call the general information line 716.631.7555 ext. 29 they can probably point you to the right place.

 

Buff State, Rotary Rink (DT Buffalo), and Holiday Rinks are other places that have open skates.

 

I learned to skate when I was 15, which is late in hockey terms. As far as the videos go, they might help you a little but the only way is to just go out there and practice, practice, practice. Once you get your feet under you, the hardest thing to do is probably the "hockey spray stop" and once you have that you can play. Hope that helps a little.

[bg17]

Lots of good video clips at these two sites:

 

www.robbyglantz.com

www.edgeofexcellence.com

[niagara66]

I remember a few years back Brighton and Lincoln arenas offered a learn to skate program for adults. Not sure if that's still going on but you might try there. Also check out the Pepsi Center in Amherst, and also take a look at their open skate schedule http://www.amherstpepsicenter.com/calendar.pdf or call the general information line 716.631.7555 ext. 29 they can probably point you to the right place.

 

Buff State, Rotary Rink (DT Buffalo), and Holiday Rinks are other places that have open skates.

 

I learned to skate when I was 15, which is late in hockey terms. As far as the videos go, they might help you a little but the only way is to just go out there and practice, practice, practice. Once you get your feet under you, the hardest thing to do is probably the "hockey spray stop" and once you have that you can play. Hope that helps a little.

 

Yeah, I can skate reasonably well up around the rink but the spray stop is what I never quite got. It seems different than with skiing and I feel like my ankles are going to buckle and I wimp out. I was doing it wrong obviously. I googled it and Buff State appears to have good beginner and intermediate level classes. I'll call them this week.

 

I think they have free outdoor skating in downtown BFLO by some fountain or something where I think I'll be able to "practice. practice, practice" the drills I learn in lessons and on any recommended videos. I'm kind of excited, as I've regretted not being able to skate properly for a long time.

[bob_sauve28]

Yeah, I can skate reasonably well up around the rink but the spray stop is what I never quite got. It seems different than with skiing and I feel like my ankles are going to buckle and I wimp out. I was doing it wrong obviously. I googled it and Buff State appears to have good beginner and intermediate level classes. I'll call them this week.

 

I think they have free outdoor skating in downtown BFLO by some fountain or something where I think I'll be able to "practice. practice, practice" the drills I learn in lessons and on any recommended videos. I'm kind of excited, as I've regretted not being able to skate properly for a long time.

I started learning to skate about 9 months ago and now I'm really getting it down. I'm 39 and never really skated much before, but now I play hockey 3 to 4 nights a week. My advice would be:

 

1) I don't know much about your skates you got for Christmas, but make sure they are the correct size. Bad fitting skates will make you feel like you are doing something wrong. Getting the right skate is REAL important. I had an old pair to begin with then bought a real nice pair and the difference in my skating was huge.

 

2) Pratice every chance you get. You will only learn and play hockey if you really go out and work at it. Most important thing is to skate well, so go to open skates and just skate. It's extremely good exercise, so that's a side benefit.

 

3) How I learned to stop. I started going into turns and letting my skates gradually bite at the ice more and more. So I would already sort of be in the stopping motion but I got my legs use to the feeling of the skate digging into the ice. Eventually I learned to turn my skates fully into the ice and stop. First to the right, and later to the left.

 

Good luck with it and let us know how its going

[niagara66]

I started learning to skate about 9 months ago and now I'm really getting it down. I'm 39 and never really skated much before, but now I play hockey 3 to 4 nights a week.

 

 

Awesome! So now I know it's not too late (it never is), and that joining a league next year is a reasonable goal to shoot for. I'm in. Lessons at Buff State and open skating around town for practice.

 

Thanks all. I'll post updates.

[GrimFandango]

Good Luck to you. I am in the same boat and am going to work on my skating starting thursday when i get back to DC. Now i just need a pair of skates. Damn Great Skate for not being open today for some reason. Keep us (or me at least) on how quickly you learn to do a hockey stop. I am a bit fearful of that over the next week or two as well.

[SDS]

Laura Stamm's Power Skating DVD is what you want. She is the gold standard in power skating instructors.

 

Skates are hard to find. Expect to buy two pair. Your 1st pair and a pair one year later when you realize how they should really fit. Did you personally try on these skates and buy them or were they a gift? If they were a gift - then expect to return them because there is a slim chance they actually fit correctly. I tried on a dozen different brands before I just found a pair that I think will fit (CCM Vector 6.0). My current Nikes are horribly oversized.

 

Make sure these skating lessons are power skating lessons and not some uber basic adult skate that won't prepare you for what you really need to do on your feet.

 

As for hockey stops - wear a helmet! I can stop very well to my left. When trying to learn to my right - I caught an edge so bad that if my helmet wasn't on I think I would have died on the ice. I never hit my head so hard in all my life. If you could swing me by the feet like a hammer - that's how hard I hit. Scared the living hell out of me.

 

One technique to learn the hockey stop is this:

 

While skating slowly, just turn one ankle out and scrape the ice until you come to a stop. Don't turn your body. Keep doing this until you get used to the feel of shaving the ice. Soon, you will feel more comfortable turning your hips as you scrape. It will really get you past that 1st stumbling block.

 

BTW, DON'T keep practicing your hockey stop to one side and not the other. I did that and to this day I can't stop to my right. Force yourself to learn both sides - it will be easier than trying to pick up the other side later.

[niagara66]

Laura Stamm's Power Skating DVD is what you want. She is the gold standard in power skating instructors.

 

Skates are hard to find. Expect to buy two pair. Your 1st pair and a pair one year later when you realize how they should really fit. Did you personally try on these skates and buy them or were they a gift? If they were a gift - then expect to return them because there is a slim chance they actually fit correctly. I tried on a dozen different brands before I just found a pair that I think will fit (CCM Vector 6.0). My current Nikes are horribly oversized.

 

Make sure these skating lessons are power skating lessons and not some uber basic adult skate that won't prepare you for what you really need to do on your feet.

 

As for hockey stops - wear a helmet! I can stop very well to my left. When trying to learn to my right - I caught an edge so bad that if my helmet wasn't on I think I would have died on the ice. I never hit my head so hard in all my life. If you could swing me by the feet like a hammer - that's how hard I hit. Scared the living hell out of me.

 

One technique to learn the hockey stop is this:

 

While skating slowly, just turn one ankle out and scrape the ice until you come to a stop. Don't turn your body. Keep doing this until you get used to the feel of shaving the ice. Soon, you will feel more comfortable turning your hips as you scrape. It will really get you past that 1st stumbling block.

 

BTW, DON'T keep practicing your hockey stop to one side and not the other. I did that and to this day I can't stop to my right. Force yourself to learn both sides - it will be easier than trying to pick up the other side later.

 

Happy New Year...

 

Laura Stamm. Thanks, that's what I was looking for..

 

Not sure what the lessons entail, they have beginner and intermediate classes at Buff State. What I'm looking for is to learn proper technique so I don't practice bad habits that I later have to try to relearn. I'll talk to the instructors.

 

The skates were a gift. They seem to fit good, but I'll definitely get that checked out.

 

Helmet. Check. Also knee and elbow pads, I'm thinking. I plan to fall repeatedly.

 

Here's two questions

 

1. I've looked at some other sites and seen it recommeded that, as a beginner learning stops, I should have my skates sharp but not razor sharp until I have the technique down a little better. Apparently this makes it easier to break traction (less ankle impact at first) and reduces the likelihood of the hammer-head effect you so vividly described. Thoughts?

 

2. When I've tried it before I stand up straight on my blades (like on my skis) and try to turn my lead skate, but wimp out when I feel the outward ankle pressure (probable because I have less surface area and lack the slope of the hill to assist the turn). I've read that my weight should be on my toes/balls of my feet instead of directly under me. This seems to make sense as it would increase the angle of attack. Where should my weight be when beginning the stop i.e. getting the blade to initially break traction with the ice.

[Kevbeau]

I started learning to skate about 9 months ago and now I'm really getting it down. I'm 39 and never really skated much before, but now I play hockey 3 to 4 nights a week. My advice would be:

 

1) I don't know much about your skates you got for Christmas, but make sure they are the correct size. Bad fitting skates will make you feel like you are doing something wrong. Getting the right skate is REAL important. I had an old pair to begin with then bought a real nice pair and the difference in my skating was huge.

 

2) Pratice every chance you get. You will only learn and play hockey if you really go out and work at it. Most important thing is to skate well, so go to open skates and just skate. It's extremely good exercise, so that's a side benefit.

 

3) How I learned to stop. I started going into turns and letting my skates gradually bite at the ice more and more. So I would already sort of be in the stopping motion but I got my legs use to the feeling of the skate digging into the ice. Eventually I learned to turn my skates fully into the ice and stop. First to the right, and later to the left.

 

Good luck with it and let us know how its going

 

Great advice and I would stress the first point. Sizing and shape differ from brand to brand, so make sure you're comfortable with your chosen pair. For example, I use CCM's simply because they tend to be a little wider and fit my foot better. Also, don't worry about how "good" your skates are. I'm not familiar with the NPH Supreme Selects, but Bauer makes great skates and if it works for you than they are the "best" skates. A lot of people get caught up in the high end skates (myself included) and honestly they are probably the worst skates to learn on.

[SDS]

Happy New Year...

 

Laura Stamm. Thanks, that's what I was looking for..

 

Not sure what the lessons entail, they have beginner and intermediate classes at Buff State. What I'm looking for is to learn proper technique so I don't practice bad habits that I later have to try to relearn. I'll talk to the instructors.

 

The skates were a gift. They seem to fit good, but I'll definitely get that checked out.

 

Helmet. Check. Also knee and elbow pads, I'm thinking. I plan to fall repeatedly.

 

Here's two questions

 

1. I've looked at some other sites and seen it recommeded that, as a beginner learning stops, I should have my skates sharp but not razor sharp until I have the technique down a little better. Apparently this makes it easier to break traction (less ankle impact at first) and reduces the likelihood of the hammer-head effect you so vividly described. Thoughts?

 

2. When I've tried it before I stand up straight on my blades (like on my skis) and try to turn my lead skate, but wimp out when I feel the outward ankle pressure (probable because I have less surface area and lack the slope of the hill to assist the turn). I've read that my weight should be on my toes/balls of my feet instead of directly under me. This seems to make sense as it would increase the angle of attack. Where should my weight be when beginning the stop i.e. getting the blade to initially break traction with the ice.

 

 

Fitting skates - start here:

 

http://www99.epinions.com/content_3832651908

 

Then go to your LHS and let them fit you. If they are your current skates then fine, but I seriously doubt someone blindly found the right skate for you. That is literally a needle in a haystack. For instance, I just bought a pair that I am ready to get baked and the they are 2.5 sizes smaller than my shoe size! No one would ever have purchased that skate for me - not even me - until I tried it on.

 

Your questions:

 

1. Really sharp skates (which means a deep hollow - check your skate blades and you will see they have a concave shape to the edge) IMHO are really for advanced skaters because they really dig in. I would stick with a standard sharpening and a standard hollow (7/16?).

 

2. If you don't get on your toes you will wipe out. You pivot more to the front of your blades and then when turning your heels swing out and then the middle part of your blade digs in as you push down. Try the technique that I mentioned earlier and you will get it. Your skates will look like this:

 

| \

 

when you do this drill (except the turned skate will be turned a little more than the keyboard shows). Learn to scrape the ice. This will get your right foot on the ball because it is pivoting and it will teach you the feel of the scrape w/o risking injury. It is VERY effective and the quickest route to point B. I tried for weeks/months and couldn't get my weak side AT ALL, until an instructor showed me that. Within 15 minutes - I could do a slow, methodical stop that I was unable to come close to after weeks of trying on my own. And that is with knowing how to stop very well on my strong side!

[niagara66]

Terrific stuff. Thanks all.

[bg17]

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/movies/hockeystop.mov

 

Note the deep knee bend. With all the good advice, you should be laying down a stop like this in no time. Or not.

[Trey]

I've been skating for a year now and I still can't stop on my left side. It's very frustrating, but I know it will come some day. I should be practicing with SDS ;)

 

Just recently I had a former Olympian coaching our team and he really helped a lot an all aspects of our game. However, the reason I bring it up is for one point he made that I believe helped the team more than any other. It is all about your form. Knees bent, chest & head up. It's very uncomfortable, kind of Yoga like, but what a difference it makes. I can only do it for the first 10 minutes of our games before I just give out, but for those 10 minutes I feel like an NHLer (except I still can't stop on my left).

 

Anyway, just wanted to pass it along. Knees bent, chest & head up.

[SDS]

I've been skating for a year now and I still can't stop on my left side. It's very frustrating, but I know it will come some day. I should be practicing with SDS ;)

 

Just recently I had a former Olympian coaching our team and he really helped a lot an all aspects of our game. However, the reason I bring it up is for one point he made that I believe helped the team more than any other. It is all about your form. Knees bent, chest & head up. It's very uncomfortable, kind of Yoga like, but what a difference it makes. I can only do it for the first 10 minutes of our games before I just give out, but for those 10 minutes I feel like an NHLer (except I still can't stop on my left).

 

Anyway, just wanted to pass it along. Knees bent, chest & head up.

 

:thumbsup:

 

absolutely. Beginners will see this in Laura's video. If you stand straight up, you can only push a small amount backward because your leg will only go a few inches behind you. You have to get a deep knee bend, so that when you stride you have plenty of push distance. Plus, keeping your knees bent helps your stability tremendously. Everyone is wobbly when skating around straight up and down - it is like balancing a toothpick on end.

[RayFinkle]

Honestly, if I knew how to skate...and coach...I would open up a school for adult hockey in WNY strictly for beginners. Older guys who want to give the game a try but are too embarrassed to go to a local rink because they have no game. I bet somebody would make a good buck if they did.

[SDS]

Honestly, if I knew how to skate...and coach...I would open up a school for adult hockey in WNY strictly for beginners. Older guys who want to give the game a try but are too embarrassed to go to a local rink because they have no game. I bet somebody would make a good buck if they did.

 

that is what I attend in MD. They charge $20 a session (drop-in). At 15-20 skaters a session - it is a nice chunk of change for the instructors.

[will]

not to get away from the hockey stop advice, but after 6 lessons, i am still having trouble putting my weight on the outside edge of my inside leg when doing circles. did that make sense? i consistently feel as though i'm either a) not going fast enough to stay upright after transfering the weight (which still hasn't happened), or b) the edge won't hold, and the skates will slide right away from me. am i col. sanders, or is there some trick or indicator that i'm missing?

 

niagara66, the knee pads might be cumbersome and unnecessary, but the elbow pads are a must. i still have slight soreness after landing on an elbow twice, hard, my first week out. never hit a knee, though.

 

even with all of my worrisome blather, i am loving it. $42 for skates, and $160 for 9 lessons, best money i spent in '06. will probably pick up that stamm video after the lessons run out and look for open skates to improve and maybe join a novice league in late '07. thanks for the tips so far.

[niagara66]

Honestly, if I knew how to skate...and coach...I would open up a school for adult hockey in WNY strictly for beginners. Older guys who want to give the game a try but are too embarrassed to go to a local rink because they have no game. I bet somebody would make a good buck if they did.

 

Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm......

[SDS]

not to get away from the hockey stop advice, but after 6 lessons, i am still having trouble putting my weight on the outside edge of my inside leg when doing circles. did that make sense? i consistently feel as though i'm either a) not going fast enough to stay upright after transfering the weight (which still hasn't happened), or b) the edge won't hold, and the skates will slide right away from me. am i col. sanders, or is there some trick or indicator that i'm missing?

 

niagara66, the knee pads might be cumbersome and unnecessary, but the elbow pads are a must. i still have slight soreness after landing on an elbow twice, hard, my first week out. never hit a knee, though.

 

even with all of my worrisome blather, i am loving it. $42 for skates, and $160 for 9 lessons, best money i spent in '06. will probably pick up that stamm video after the lessons run out and look for open skates to improve and maybe join a novice league in late '07. thanks for the tips so far.

 

I had crossover problems to my weak side and had similar lack of confidence issues with my right outside edge. Here is what I did to solve it. Instead of doing crossovers to turn - do them while skating straight ahead, snaking down the ice - that way you will get the feel of your feet moving over each other w/o worrying about your edges at 1st. Then I used to do this stupid embarrassing little drill where I pretended like I was dancing while skating and just transfering my weight from L-inside edge/R-outside edge to L-outside edge/R-inside edge in an S pattern down the ice (w/o crossing my feet). That taught me to feel my edges w/o having to worry about turning or crossing my feet.

 

After that I was able to combine the two and crossover to my weak side and still have enough confidence that my edge would hold. Bent knees with a forward lean is a must!

[bg17]

not to get away from the hockey stop advice, but after 6 lessons, i am still having trouble putting my weight on the outside edge of my inside leg when doing circles. did that make sense? i consistently feel as though i'm either a) not going fast enough to stay upright after transfering the weight (which still hasn't happened), or b) the edge won't hold, and the skates will slide right away from me. am i col. sanders, or is there some trick or indicator that i'm missing?

 

 

If you can put the bulk of your body weight over your feet you'll have better luck. The idea is to break at your waist so that your legs are leaning into the turn but the upper half of the body leans out. This can be practiced by placing your stick over your shoulders (behind your head). At a minimum your stick should be parallel to the ice surface. Better yet is for the inside end of the stick to be elevated somewhat. This should help get your body weight over your feet. Maintain as deep a kneebend as possible and shorten your stride in crossovers by half.

[will]

wow, those last two comments (sds, bg17) were not anything i would have considered. thanks a ton! will try both on sunday.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Laura Stamm's Power Skating DVD is what you want. She is the gold standard in power skating instructors.

 

Skates are hard to find. Expect to buy two pair. Your 1st pair and a pair one year later when you realize how they should really fit. Did you personally try on these skates and buy them or were they a gift? If they were a gift - then expect to return them because there is a slim chance they actually fit correctly. I tried on a dozen different brands before I just found a pair that I think will fit (CCM Vector 6.0). My current Nikes are horribly oversized.

 

Make sure these skating lessons are power skating lessons and not some uber basic adult skate that won't prepare you for what you really need to do on your feet.

 

As for hockey stops - wear a helmet! I can stop very well to my left. When trying to learn to my right - I caught an edge so bad that if my helmet wasn't on I think I would have died on the ice. I never hit my head so hard in all my life. If you could swing me by the feet like a hammer - that's how hard I hit. Scared the living hell out of me.

 

One technique to learn the hockey stop is this:

 

While skating slowly, just turn one ankle out and scrape the ice until you come to a stop. Don't turn your body. Keep doing this until you get used to the feel of shaving the ice. Soon, you will feel more comfortable turning your hips as you scrape. It will really get you past that 1st stumbling block.

 

BTW, DON'T keep practicing your hockey stop to one side and not the other. I did that and to this day I can't stop to my right. Force yourself to learn both sides - it will be easier than trying to pick up the other side later.

 

 

That is such great advice... I have been figuring it out slowly and filling in the blanks from what I know about skiing... I really think it is all about ice time too???

 

I gather... Just as you have four edges on the snow... Same goes for your skates... And you want to keep your whole upper body static and isolated from your lower body...

 

I wasn't gonna comment in this thread... And just grab the info... But, what you said makes perfect sense.

 

I have been skiing for about 30 years now... Never really skated except a few times a year... I can "skate" on skis, even ski and skate backwards down the hill... I consider myslef and expert skier that can ski all terrain... It drives me nuts that I am not as prolific on the rink!

 

Know my son (8) really wants to learn to ice skate... And I am not that strong of a ice skater... I have only been out maybe 10 times in five years...

 

Things I want to work on and learn are:

 

Skating backwards

Hockey stop going left... I am starting to get it going right and just stumbled onto the technique you explained...

 

If I can do that I would feel complete where I can "grow." M crossover and power I feel is awesome... I would really like to get rolling, but feel uncomfortable during open skates with lots of "traffic" around... I go 6'3"... 235... And I don't want to take anybody out... I don't have an issue with speed... I love to get rolling and work the crossover... That is fine in both directions...

 

Right now, I use a pair of Mission Amp 3's that I purchased back in 2001... I never really skate alot and feel I over bought... They fit good, but seem too narrow (D width... I have a bit wider foot)... I think they may be TOO stiff and was thinking about getting more of a rec skate and saving the Amps for when I get better... They also have a heat mold feature that seems to be getting better with time (never strapped it to the heat machine though)

 

Just as in skiing... The "transmission" seems to be all boot and fit...

 

I really want to progress and get prolific on the ice... Again it is driving me nuts and want to feel as home on the rink as I do with my son on the slopes...

 

KeavBeau... I know you ski, do you have any suggestions?

[ExiledInIllinois]

Wow... Just reading through this thread and realizing what great advice everyone is giving!

 

I have never taken skating lessons... Yet, I have taken skiing lessons for years and years...

 

I apply the same drills and techniques that I learned on the snow to ice... I always felt that I may be way off... But, after reading this thread... It doesn't seem so... I do all the silly little drills yet, always feel funny during "open skates"... I really wish I had some private ice time for a week... I know that is dreaming...

 

On the topic of skates... My shoe size is a 10-10.5... Actually when I had my ski boots custom fitted, I found out that normally everybody has a foot that is 1/2 size bigger or more... My ski boots are a 9.5 and are custom molded to my foot... My Mission Amp's are a 10D (really a 9D under the foot bed)... Toe wise they fit fine... Just width gives me concern... Again, I never "baked" them... The material will bake themselves around your foot over time if you choose not to throw them in the skate baker...

 

Any advice with these skates before I move on to another brand/type?

 

Should I "skate bake" them"?

 

Are they above my skill level?

[niagara66]

 

On the topic of skates...

 

Check out the link SDS provided in post 11. Really in-depth explanations. Plus everyone elses comments on the importance of proper fit. It was funny reading the story about having skates that are too big, compensating with extra socks, and then skating with your ankles bent....That was me as a kid. New skates too.

 

I imagine I'll be trading my Christmas skates in this week. Getting the proper fit seems to be all-important.

 

Also, the additional links at the bottom of the page cover stick buying, etc. Reading all this great advice is really getting me psyched up.