Ever thought of playing more? If you are in Melbourne, the Docklands rink is great to play on.
Anyone here play hockey?
- Thread starter AllenJakovich13
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Ever thought of playing more? If you are in Melbourne, the Docklands rink is great to play on.
I'm a long way from Melbourne, but it wouldn't matter. I'm almost 60 & walking is hard enough, much less skating.
60yr old was top scorer in our league last season haha!
That is great!! Hope for the aged!
Now if I could only overcome a massive distance to Melbourne.
Thanks for making me feel less ancient, if only for a few minutes!
I'm 44, fat, unfit and have never tried to skate before.
I've admited to my limitations and offered my services to our local AIHL team as a volunteer instead ... but I might take my children skating in the holidays and join in
I've admited to my limitations and offered my services to our local AIHL team as a volunteer instead ... but I might take my children skating in the holidays and join in
I was s**t scared on my first go at ice skating- whole first session I was holding the wall-damn daughter and kids make it look all too easy
Hard to remember skating as a beginner, but to start moving well and find balance there's a few important points. Maybe they are for further down the track but it doesn't hurt to know what you are aiming for, because often half the difficulty once you get some balance is in the technique.
Firstly, skating is about moving your weight. You should always be balanced, and to be that way you transfer your weight first rather than try to push yourself there with your feet. Power comes from the core and hips. To turn, your weight shifts first. When on one foot in any motion your weight is balanced over it rather than falling into things. Figure that one out early and your skating will advance quickly.
Secondly, you should always have one of the edges on your skate engaged with the ice (except maybe when stopping). Play around with the edges and find when they feel clean and silent. Generally, your weight should be forward of the centre of your foot and tilt the skate blade to either side to choose an edge. If you hear grinding, you're not on the edge properly which wastes energy and makes you work harder.
Thirdly, to generate speed you want to be pushing across the blade (if the blade is on the edge properly it's near frictionless in the forward-back direction). In a normal skating stride your front foot goes forward at around 30 degrees to the side and you transfer weight over it from your back foot. The push on the back foot to do this is more sideways than backwards. If you push straight backwards you leave the back foot behind and your weight with it. The push is across the blade as said above. You are now balanced over the other foot ready to do the same again and transfer your weight to the next foot. Unless you are going really hard, this feels near effortless once you are used to it. The movement of weight is probably closer to a sprint start than a skateboarding push. You are using the back foot as solid balance point on the ground to transfer/propel your body forward onto the front foot, rather than just balancing on the front foot and pushing off with the back.
When your foot comes through after the push try to have it under the centre of your body or weight. If you keep it wide then you get no power and throw yourself off balance each stride. Also a bit like a longer swimming stroke generates more power, a longer push as you transfer your weight does too. If you leave your foot wide then there's nowhere for it to go so you do a little push and get no power.
For cross steps the trick is to learn to be balanced on your outside edge. Its hard to start with, but is almost a more natural balance than on your inside edge once you are used to it. Once you can balance well then it's just a matter of transferring your weight and stepping in whatever direction you need.
Firstly, skating is about moving your weight. You should always be balanced, and to be that way you transfer your weight first rather than try to push yourself there with your feet. Power comes from the core and hips. To turn, your weight shifts first. When on one foot in any motion your weight is balanced over it rather than falling into things. Figure that one out early and your skating will advance quickly.
Secondly, you should always have one of the edges on your skate engaged with the ice (except maybe when stopping). Play around with the edges and find when they feel clean and silent. Generally, your weight should be forward of the centre of your foot and tilt the skate blade to either side to choose an edge. If you hear grinding, you're not on the edge properly which wastes energy and makes you work harder.
Thirdly, to generate speed you want to be pushing across the blade (if the blade is on the edge properly it's near frictionless in the forward-back direction). In a normal skating stride your front foot goes forward at around 30 degrees to the side and you transfer weight over it from your back foot. The push on the back foot to do this is more sideways than backwards. If you push straight backwards you leave the back foot behind and your weight with it. The push is across the blade as said above. You are now balanced over the other foot ready to do the same again and transfer your weight to the next foot. Unless you are going really hard, this feels near effortless once you are used to it. The movement of weight is probably closer to a sprint start than a skateboarding push. You are using the back foot as solid balance point on the ground to transfer/propel your body forward onto the front foot, rather than just balancing on the front foot and pushing off with the back.
When your foot comes through after the push try to have it under the centre of your body or weight. If you keep it wide then you get no power and throw yourself off balance each stride. Also a bit like a longer swimming stroke generates more power, a longer push as you transfer your weight does too. If you leave your foot wide then there's nowhere for it to go so you do a little push and get no power.
For cross steps the trick is to learn to be balanced on your outside edge. Its hard to start with, but is almost a more natural balance than on your inside edge once you are used to it. Once you can balance well then it's just a matter of transferring your weight and stepping in whatever direction you need.
Last edited:
AbleLimit649
Draftee
- Nov 14, 2018
- 3
- 2
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Played as goalie two years ago in local team.Not sure if theres an old thread on the subject but I'm interested in who plays or has played before? and what position you play/played?
