Guide for a beginner - step by step - ?

[GoRo]

Hi
I am a beginner skater from Istanbul, Turkey. As I said I am a newbie :) I wanna be a hockey style skater, not a figure skater.
I am able to do forward strokes ,glide, some simple turns and snowplow..

I still couldn't consider when I should practise backwards or crossovers. What should I do next?

I ask your help for a step by step guide which explains me the thecniques I have to practice one by one..

Can you write me in turn ?
For example ;

1-Skate with little steps
2-glide
3-do simple turns
4-be able to do snowplow and hockey stops
5-skate backward
6-?
7-?
?
?


Thank you

[Skate@Delaware]

If you don't have access to a coach you will have limited gains from distance learning. Here is a good hockey skating resource:
http://www.hockeytutorial.com/

I suggest you take lessons in the figure skating style until you are good at basic skills, then you can cross over to hockey skating-the basic skills are the same.

Good Luck!!

[Mrs Redboots]

The basic skills are the same across all disciplines of skating, so if you can find a learn-to-skate class where you live, then enrol.

Don't rule out learning at least some figure-skating skills - you can do both, you know! But for now, enrolling in a learn-to-skate class is the way to go.

[GoRo]

thank you for your answers but I don't want to pay money for learn-to-skate classes. I think I am ok on my own. but you please put me in an order the exercises. Please tell me "first you learn .... then you learn... blablabla" "and if you able to do these now you can learn ...." ..... Is there anyone to help?

[sk8rdad59]

GoRo my beginners guide is quite simple.... Get lessons... Adult beginner group lessons are typically inexpensive and there is no way to replace the valuable insight a trained professional can give you with advice on a forum like this.

[Skittl1321]

Basic skills lessons are inexpensive and will help you from forming bad habits that will cost a lot of money to correct if you decide to stick with the sport.

In the United States, the "Basic 8s" are a skating curriculum that have a figure skating focus, but are also used to feed into the Basic hockey instruction. Here is the order they are taught in: http://www.sk8stuff.com/f_basic_ref/lts/basic_eights.htm

[kayskate]

As someone who teaches beginner, I really think it is best to take a class. I have spent lots of time trying to correct mistakes and bad habits people learn by teaching themselves. If you want to go out on a public session and just skate around, it might not matter. But you mentioned skating backward. That sounds like you have goals beyond just slopping around on a public. Get some lessons. Groups are usually cheap. If you have access to group classes, find out about the cost. it may be more affordable than you think. And it will definitely help you learn more quickly the right way and allow you to advance toward your goals.

Kay

[Kat12]

Some of this stuff you can learn on your own. But eventually you will probably get to the point where you're saying, "I don't quite understand how to do this, so I need to ask an instructor," or "I don't know if I'm doing this right; I need to have an instructor watch me.

Heaven knows I'm well aware of the constraints of money, and I don't know how often one finds a skating class in Istanbul, but I think you'll find that at some point you either hit a wall learning on your own (I know, because I did), or you pick up a wrong way of doing things. Maybe you don'' intend to use this to actually play hockey, I don't know. But even if you don't and only plan to show off your skills at public sessions, it will be obvious to the other skaters if you're not doing something correctly...I've seen it a million times myself at my rink, with both hockey and figure skaters.

[Pandora]

Can you skate backwards now? If not, practice pushing youself backwards by bending your knees and using your inside edges (both feet on the ice). Let your legs go out to the sides (not too far, just about under your shoulders). And then bring them back in back together. Keep your arms out for balance. Do this several times in a row. Then, when you are comfortable with this, try to do back crossovers in which you bring the trailing leg over the top of the leading leg (which you should have all of your weight on). It will be important to be able to do this in both directions.
If you like, I could make a quick video and post it for you. Let me know....

This lady gives pretty good advice. Definitely check out her videos. She can really help you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSEzs9F8bM8 If you follow her directions, you should be fine.:D

Here is a hockey player explaining it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTyj_m0CWJQ

The most important thing about skating (the BIG SECRET) is to keep your shoulders over your hips and to bend your knees. (This will keep you straight and give you stability.) This is the key to just about everything in skating from beginner moves to quad jumps. It will also work for hockey. ;)

After you have the idea of forward/backwards skating in both directions and turns down (in all directions). Then there are a lot of hockey moves videos on youtube that you can start practicing. :D

[Skate@Delaware]

If you don't want to take classes, you might be able to learn some skills on your own. But they may not be 100% correct and it is at the basic level that learning skills correctly is important. If you don't want to take formal classes, hire a private coach for what you need and learn that way. If you want to learn for the purpose of eventually skating on a hockey team, you will need a solid foundation of skills-a class or some sort of coaching is vital.

[Query]

I'd bet most figure skating publications are minimally useful to hockey skaters, and figure skating lessons probably aren't the most efficient introduction to hockey skating, no matter what figure skating coaches would have you believe. This board is mostly figure skaters, like me.

If there is a hockey club in your area, go to one of their games or practices, and ask someone there who to take beginner (group) lessons from.

Around here, some beginner hockey clubs offer cheap beginner lessons, once you join. A lot of rinks also have beginner lesson programs. So you can also ask around your local rinks.

You might ask the clubs and rinks about the costs of equipment, and of joining a local skating club, including typical travel costs, or (if applicable) of going to pick-up hockey sessions at the local rinks. I'm told hockey is sometimes expensive, and if you join a traveling club, there is also a lot of travel time. That's why very few skaters do both figure and hockey.

Here is one skills list for hockey skating

http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Education_and_Training/skill%20progressions%20handbook.pdf

but I don't see how you could figure it out without lessons.

You can see a lot of free video lessons if you go to
http://youtube.com
and search for
hockey skating

But when it comes right down to it, self evaluation in any sport is very hard, especially at the beginning, when you have no basis. Lessons help a lot. And how can you watch youtube videos while you are trying to skate?

If you find english hard to understand, maybe you can search for similar turkish resources.

[sk8rdad59]

I'd bet most figure skating publications are minimally useful to hockey skaters, and figure skating lessons probably aren't the most efficient introduction to hockey skating, no matter what figure skating coaches would have you believe. This board is mostly figure skaters, like me.

If there is a hockey club in your area, go to one of their games or practices, and ask someone there who to take beginner (group) lessons from.

Around here, some beginner hockey clubs offer cheap beginner lessons, once you join. A lot of rinks also have beginner lesson programs. So you can also ask around your local rinks.

You might ask the clubs and rinks about the costs of equipment, and of joining a local skating club, including typical travel costs, or (if applicable) of going to pick-up hockey sessions at the local rinks. I'm told hockey is sometimes expensive, and if you join a traveling club, there is also a lot of travel time. That's why very few skaters do both figure and hockey.

Here is one skills list for hockey skating

http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Education_and_Training/skill%20progressions%20handbook.pdf

but I don't see how you could figure it out without lessons.

You can see a lot of free video lessons if you go to
http://youtube.com
and search for
hockey skating

But when it comes right down to it, self evaluation in any sport is very hard, especially at the beginning, when you have no basis. Lessons help a lot. And how can you watch youtube videos while you are trying to skate?

If you find english hard to understand, maybe you can search for similar turkish resources.

Actually many of the hockey associations in Canada recommend the Canskate and CanPowerSkate programs to beginning skaters since they teach you how to skate without having to worry about pucks and sticks until you have some competence with basic skating skills. At the beginner level what type of skate you wear doesn't matter and the skills are basically identical.

[Kat12]

^ Having seen kids at the rink who can barely skate without falling down yet who are trying to muck about with hockey sticks, I have to second this. There've been a couple times when I've wanted to say to the instructor, "will you teach him to SKATE first???"

[Skate@Delaware]

^ Having seen kids at the rink who can barely skate without falling down yet who are trying to muck about with hockey sticks, I have to second this. There've been a couple times when I've wanted to say to the instructor, "will you teach him to SKATE first???"
We have a really good instructional program installed at our rink now; the kids wanting to skate hockey progress through the learn-to-skate program until they can demonstrate proficiency. This does frustrate the parents who expect to throw their dear ones right into the games off the bat (the kids can barely stand up in skates, let alone show any skills). And they are taught wearing figure skates in the beginning. Genius, pure genius!

[Kat12]

LOL, I love it!

(It should be noted that I've also seen similar in figure skating classes as well--you get kids that can barely skate, and next thing you know they're trying to spin and such. I understand that little kids wanna learn that stuff, and that at the end of the class they might enjoy seeing the instructor demonstrate some of that stuff, but it just sounds to me like a disaster actually trying to teach them to do it before they're ready...)

[Skate@Delaware]

LOL, I love it!

(It should be noted that I've also seen similar in figure skating classes as well--you get kids that can barely skate, and next thing you know they're trying to spin and such. I understand that little kids wanna learn that stuff, and that at the end of the class they might enjoy seeing the instructor demonstrate some of that stuff, but it just sounds to me like a disaster actually trying to teach them to do it before they're ready...)
The best 8O I've seen? Kids teaching their friends how to do "tricks" yet they themselves can barely skate! Talk about perpetuating bad habits!!!! Then they come to class and we have to un-do these things.....