Skating is the one skill all players need to develop to become good young hockey players.

Below are a number of basic skating skills you will need to understand and develop.

Skating Stance

Skates should be hip to shoulder width apart, with your knees flexed forward beyond your toes.

Your weight is equally balanced on both blades prior to skating.

As you begin skating your body weight shifts from the stroking or pushing leg to your gliding leg, the one now supporting your body weight as you move/glide forward.

Forward Skating

Stance, feet are hip to shoulder width apart, this will provide you with better balance and stability.

Knees are always slightly bent and flexed forward ahead of and beyond your toes.

Never lock your knees or skate straight legged, always keep them flexed forward.

Bend your body at the waist and lean slightly forward as if pushing a chair. Head leaning forward.

“C” Stroke or push 45-degrees to the outside and push backward with one skate, like the letter “C” and your other skate will glide straight ahead forward.

Push outward, using the inside edge of your stroke skate, pushing through the ball of your foot.

Power is generated from your thigh down through your knee and calf to the ball of your foot.

The stroke leg is bent close to 90-degrees at the knee and is pushed to its full extension 180-degrees.

The glide skate will move forward then it becomes the stroke/pushing skate. Repeat the sequence.

Power “V” Forward Starts and Inverted “T” Forward Starts

To start skating forward push outward and backward using the front 1/3 of the inside edge of the stroking blade pushing into the ice.

The forward power and movement is generated through this pushing action from the ball of your foot.

The blade angle is close to 90 degrees to the direction you wish to go using the inside edge of your stroke skate.

There are 2 general start positions for skating: The Power “V” start for more experienced skaters/players and the Inverted “T” start for young players or beginners.

The first 4 starting steps are critical to generate power and to get up to top speed quickly. Push hard and fast.

Your knees must be deeply bent/flexed forward and skates positioned close to 90-degrees during all starts.

The Inverted “T” start, place your back foot 90-degrees and behind your glide skate and to the direction

you wish to go, then push, push, push. Your glide skate will move straight ahead in a forward direction.

When using the “Power V Start” place both your skates in a 45-degree “V” position and stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, alternating both skates quickly, there is no glide in “V” starts until after the 4^th or 5^th stroke.

Rhythm of Skating

After your first 4 start steps the rhythm of skating is simply, Stroke and Glide, Stroke and Glide.

The faster your pushing foot speed, the faster you skate.

Alternate each stroking skate and gliding skate quickly at the start of the stroke, then lengthen your stride and glide after your 4th or 5th stroke.

Your body weight shifts from one leg to the other with each alternating stroke.

Try to maintain your balance as you glide smoothly over the ice.

Strides

The first few starting steps or strides are short and choppy.

You then lengthen your stride to get into a smooth and fluid skating motion after the first 4 or 5 strides.

You should reach top speed after 5 or 6 strides.

Your skating stride is a lot like marching. What I mean by that is your left arm should be moving forward as your right skate is extended backward to its full stroking extension. And vice versa, your right arm is moving forward as your left skate is pushing backward to its full extension. This coordinated arm and leg movement increases skating speed and provides some upper body weight balance.

Forward Stops

To stop moving forward, try to shave a very thin layer off the top of the ice using 1 or 2 skate blades.

For basic Snow plow stop uses 1 or 2 feet, turn your skate at a 45-degree angle using your inside edges.

For Inverted T stops, turn your back foot 90 degrees to the forward direction by using it’s outside edge.

For Parallel stops, use 2 feet, turn your upper body, then both feet 90 degrees to the forward direction.

Use the inside edge on your outer skate, & the outside edge on your inner skate
 to come to a stop.

Parallel stops are the most difficult for a beginner to master so practice them every chance you get.

Backward Skating

Stance, feet are hip to shoulder width apart for better balance and stability.

Knees always flexed forward, and they should protrude in front of and beyond your toes.

Your seat/bum should be in a semi sitting position with your upper body leaning slightly forward.

Cut the letter “C” using the inside edge of your stroke skate. Push outward at the top of the C to create backward motion in one skate and your other skate, the glide skate, will move backward automatically.

Push hard using the strength in your leg and continue pushing downward through the ball of your foot.

Rotate each hip inward in a semi circular motion, left or right with alternating strokes to increase speed.

C stroke and glide, C stroke and glide, alternating each skate quickly for backward speed.

Backward Stops

Use the one foot 45-degree snowplow stop to the backward direction by using your inside edge.

Or, the 2-foot, 45-degree snowplow “V” stop, place both heels inward about 45-degrees to the backward direction using both inside edges and push into the ice using the front 1/3 of the blade.

Use the inside edges to shave a thin top layer of ice to come to a complete stop.

Bend your knees deeply forward when stopping and lean your upper body slightly forward to help maintain your balance and to keep you in a starting position ready to skate forward.

Backward Angling

A defenceman must be able to angle the puck carrier toward the boards while skating backwards.

S/he must be able to lift your outside foot up and off the ice, then turn your on ice skate and body about 135 degrees toward the boards and quickly go from backward skating to forward skating to angle the puck carrier to a bad shooting angle into the corner or along the side boards.

180-Degree Pivots

Both forwards and defencemen, must be able to go from forward skating to backward skating,

and from backward to forward skating many times during the game. They must be able to turn and complete 180-degree pivots to change their direction quickly with different changes of possession of the puck.

To do this, lift one skate up off the ice and turn the on ice skate and your body 180-degrees to the new skating direction. Plant your elevated skate down and start skating in the new direction.

Crossovers

Used for quick 180-degree change of direction starts and to initiate sharp turns.

To change direction left or right quickly, players will have to stop, then cross one foot over top of their other foot several times while maintaining their balance to go in the opposite direction.

To complete sharp turns simply cross one foot over top of the other as you enter the turn.

Skate the 5 on ice circles using crossover steps during practice drills to develop your left and right turns.

Change of Pace

Just like a baseball pitcher, players will have to change speeds and go from coast or glide speed to all out blazing fast speed in a split second to get to open ice to receive a pass, to beat a

defenceman to his outside while carrying the puck, or on a breakaway to pull away from a backchecker.

Use short “V” strokes, with knees deeply bent to increase your speed to pull away from any opponent.

John Shorey

Author- “Hockey Made Easy”

www.HockeyMadeEasy.com