how to skate backwards?

[ouijaouija]

okay ive spent he last two day trying it a lot and i can't get the hang of it. so far learning has been fun but this is demoralising.

I am placing my weight backwards, but still i can't keep creating enough force to keep going, i slow down, and i watch other peopel barely goofin their butt out and they go fast!

is it all in the legs or something?

am i supposed to use the inside blade edge when skulling backwards?

please help!

[sue123]

I don't think you're supposed to have the weight on the back of the blade when you're skating backwards (correct me if I'm wrong). Granted, I don't really think much about it, but I seem to remember my coach telling me to stay on the ball of the foot, behind the toepick. If the weight is in back, you'll go falling backwards.

[DallasSkater]

Wonderful to see your enthusiasm for skating! If I recall correctly, you posted that you just started skating about a week ago. I adore that you are so rearing to go with the skills! But I would also strongly advise waiting for your class to cover backward skating. For now concentrate on forward skating with good balance and contact with the ice. It will prepare you for backwards skating that will come very quickly when you have forward down well. It will also give you the opportunity to learn correct form to reduce your risk of injury. I would not recommend leaning back with your weight on your skates...that is a great way to take a nasty spill.

Good luck with all you are doing!

[flippet]

It's all in the wiggle.

:)

(Sorry, I just had to put in a little bit of Dust Puppy (http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=19980213&mode=classic) in there.)


But seriously--

Yes, you're supposed to use the inside edges when swizzling. (If you're using the outside edges, you're pretty flexible. Or something.)


With your feet more or less together (i.e., not glued together, but not a mile apart), 1) BEND YOUR KNEES, 2) bend at your hip, 3) DO NOT bend at your WAIST.

Start with your toes slightly pigeon-toed. Press outward with the balls of both feet--your feet will start to separate. As they do, draw your heels together (staying on the balls (or 'sweet spot') of your blades). You'll be drawing facing half-circles on the ice. As your heels come together, separate them and press out with the balls of your feet again. Keep doing that and voila! You're swizzling backwards.

If you break at the waist and lean forward, you'll scrape your toepicks and stop--the same will happen if you aren't bending your knees enough. Rule of thumb....bend your knees until you think you can't bend them any more---and then bend them some more. That will be approaching an acceptable knee bend. :lol:

[ouijaouija]

wow thanks people. Bend my knees, I tried that swizzle thing, its when i bring them together again where i lose speed!

As for skaitng forwaord, I can do it kinda well, one worry is that everyone seems to be going fater than me, effortlessly but i am just learning one foot glides it feels good yeah!

So yeh, second week in, last week I went 5 times plus a lesson! this week, probably the same! I had my first lesson last week, the man talked to me about having to turn with my feet close together rather than wide apart, so I am learning that.

thanks, the knee thing, i will work on the backward thing. I have never fallen backwards when trying to skate, luckily. Ill post how it goes after tomorrow, but the rinks very busy I have to keep looking for space to practise, because today there were like, 150 people or something

not only that, i havent seen one male with figure skates apart from me, i've seen a few girls with white figure skates, but the majority of people who have their own skates have hockey ones

tomorrows going to be the hottest day of the year, so maybe a lot of water puddles, like the other day!

ive ordered a few books as well, so waiting for them to arrive!

how much do you spend a week? I'm spending overa week so its not very cheap, its roughly £6 a session, and then lessons are £16! pockets are empty

[AndreaUK]

hi

bend ur knees, swizzle backwards, one foot then the other, make sure you dont have your feet too far apart.

Andrea xx

[Mrs Redboots]

Also, you know how when you're skating forwards you turn your toes out? When it's backwards, you turn them in!

I took forever learning to skate backwards; I think I spent all of June 1995 just pushing myself along by the boards desperately trying to move backwards under my own steam! And even now I have issues with backwards skating - like this morning I was getting very irritated as I could not stop a hint of toe-rake involvement on my left back outside edge. Just a tiny hint, but it was there, and it was annoying me!

[Rusty Blades]

I took forever learning to skate backwards

Me too, but then I am almost as old as Boots ;) It took 6 months before I started to get the hang of backwards (which has just happened in the past week) - finally getting comfortable and getting some speed on the backward stroking and just started doing backward edges yesterday (albeit better than I expected).

When you're as old as Boots and I, things take awhile 8O

[skating_life]

okay ive spent he last two day trying it a lot and i can't get the hang of it. so far learning has been fun but this is demoralising.

I am placing my weight backwards, but still i can't keep creating enough force to keep going, i slow down, and i watch other peopel barely goofin their butt out and they go fast!

is it all in the legs or something?

am i supposed to use the inside blade edge when skulling backwards?

please help!
I dont know about the wieght on the back of you blades, but i do know bending your knees helps the kids that i teach.

[garyc254]

Definitely keep your weight on the balls of your feet when skating backwards. If you have your weight in the center or toward the back you're asking for a goose egg on your noggin'.

Another thing that seems to help skaters learning to go backward is to keep your arms a little more forward say about halfway between straight out and straight in front. You can adust that after you get the feel for going backward.

Don't fret about your speed. That will come with time. You're still developing the balance, coordination, and leg strength that skaters get from much practice. At 52 my quads are stronger than they were at 18.

And the most important thing to remember is practice, practice, practice.

And did I mention practice.

8-)

[phoenix]

how much do you spend a week? I'm spending overa week so its not very cheap, its roughly £6 a session, and then lessons are £16! pockets are empty

Okay, typically I don't look at this in the full light of day, but for you.....

Weekly shelling out:
$100.00 for lessons
$50.00 for ice time

Feel better? I don't!! 8O 8O

[BlueIcePlaza]

I practise going backwards at each session - and have been practising this fo about 6 weeks. Definately -

Place your weight on the balls of your feet.

Bend the knees.

Keep the upper body straight (bottom in, and straight spine), and keep your head level, or even look up slightly. Arms out, as usual, for balance.

For backwards stroking, stand with the feet quite close together, toes pointing towards each other (and heels facing away from each other) to form a loose triangle. Taking it in turns, begin to take small steps backwards - and then try to take small strokes backwards. After each step, or stroke, bring the foot back into its original position and angle.

It feels wierd, but wonderful. I find just doing a few minutes (or short interludes) at each session is best - going faster, and for longer each time.

[Hannah]

I'm going to copy and paste what Isk8NYC said when I asked pretty much the same question. It was extremely helpful- before I did this though, I pushed myself off the wall backwards about 100 times just to feel where I had to put my weight.

Push off the wall backward and glide. Do backward swizzles. Then do 3 swizzles followed by a glide with your feet together. Feel what happens as you shift your weight from one foot to the other - get used to the feeling.

Next step is 3 swizzles followed by a glide where one foot "trails" the other. You have to bend your knees really deeply to make this happen. (Think of having uneven feet - not next-to-each-other.) Your weight is on the leading foot, not the trailing foot.

Now, start doing swizzles with one foot - the trailing foot. Your leading foot "rides" and carries your weight while the trailing foot does these little swizzles to push you along. The motion should be from the farthest point, out (heel first) to make a curve, then d-r-a-w the trailing foot to the toe of the leading foot. The shape should be like a question mark (or the mirror of a question mark.) At no time (unless you're resting) should your feet be even. Okay? Now you're ready to try the backward stroking.

Do the question mark swizzles, keeping your weight on the leading foot. As you bring the trailing foot around the swizzle, LIFT it up in front and close your legs. (To make it look nice, hold the free foot in front of the other foot and turn so the skate is "presented" prettily.) Ta Da! You be stroking, dude. Remember to bring both feet together and then switch to the uneven stride on the other foot, shifting your weight accordingly.

[VegasGirl]

Weekly spendings:

$7 ($3,50 per 1 1/2 hour session including donuts & coffee :) )

Haven't found a coach yet up here so no money on lessons.

[Isk8NYC]

I'm going to copy and paste what Isk8NYC said when I asked pretty much the same question. Ta Da! You be stroking, dude. I used the word "Dude" in a sentence!?!? Very out of character for me. ROTFL