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Learn How to Stop On Ice Skates Perfectly – Figure Skating Universe

How to stop on ice skates
Written by Brian G Smith

Ice skating is fun, and a lot of us are interested in ice skating. Knowing how to stop on ice skates makes an important part of the sport. Stopping while ice skating is a necessary skill for ice skaters and it requires a lot of practice. There are mainly three techniques widely used to stop on the ice skates. The easiest one is the snowplow stop, and the intermediate technique is known as the T-Stop while the advanced one is called the Hockey stop. The snowplow stop does not require much skill. However, the hockey stop and T-Stop involves fitness and balance.

You have to remember one important thing is that, while ice skating you have to stop on the weaker side. It is essential to take time to learn various stopping techniques, and figure skaters should do it regularly. While in practice you should be aware of your body and arms positions and their carriage.  To stop correctly, you have to scrap the ice with the flat part of your blade to cause friction on the ice. This friction will cause stop.

This article represents some first stops which are done by figure skaters so that you can learn them with little practice. These are favorite stops in figure skating universe. So, if you are interested in ice skating and want to learn how to stop on ice skates, you may read more!

How to Stop on Ice Skates

The Snowplow Stop

The Snowplow Stop

This is the most fundamental and necessary stop for beginner figure skaters. You can use both of your feet or single foot to master this technique! However, you can try practicing your stop with one foot at first, because it is more relaxed and comfortable. You can use this technique for outdoor roller skates as well.

To perform the snowplow stop, push the blade forward to scrap the ice. Then, you should set one or both of your feet out, increase pressure on the blade, and bend your knees. It should create some snow and bring you a complete stop.

The T-Stop

How to Stop on Ice Skates

Snowplow stop is not entirely elegant, and for this reason, figure skaters try to perform more attractive stops. The T-Stop is little tricky to accomplish but looks beautiful.

To perform a perfect T-Stop, you have to make a “T” shape on the ice with your feet. You have to place middle of any of your blades behind another one to make a perfect “T” shape. The behind foot does the stopping. With its outside edge, it scrapes the ice, and the forward blade slides forward. You will stop completely when you complete the “T” position. For a beginner, it might seem difficult. However, with regular practice, you can master it effectively.

The Hockey Stop

How to Stop on Ice Skates

If you are wondering how to stop on ice skates more perfectly like a pro, Hockey stop comes around. As you learn more and build your skill and confidence, you will learn how to stop harder at more speed. Hockey stop is used by experienced ice skaters and professional hockey players. It is necessary to stop efficiently and quickly to carry on with the competition. However, if you are learning how to stop on ice skate as a beginner, you do not require mastering this skill.

Hockey stop involves balance and control. For this reason, figures skaters often do this on a single foot. To perform two-foot hockey stop, you have to press the front blade to the inside edge then fit the back foot on the outside edge behind your front foot. Bend your both knees and put pressure on the front side of your blades. Ride in this friction until a complete halt. Remember, only small part of your blade should be in touch with ice. It will minimize the friction and also stop you quickly.

The Front T-Stop

Another type of stop is performed incompletions which are similar to the T-Stop. The difference here is that according to its name the front foot is the stopping foot making a front “T” shape. Figure skaters often use this stop in finishing their stop in a competition. However, front T-Stop is more laborious and difficult to master compared to the T-Stop.

How to get Better at Breaking While Ice skating

Fix your posture

How to get Better at Breaking While Ice skating

The basic Ice-skating posture is nothing but a simple way to distribute your body weight evenly through your footballs. This posture involves bending your body at a 90-degree angle. Your knees should be directly above your toes and your shoulders over your hips.

Once you get the hang of maintaining the posture, you’ll see surprising results. Starting and stopping will be much easier once you learn to maintain your best posture.

Learn to balance on Ice-skating shoes

Learn to balance on Ice-skating shoes

Once you fix your posture, the rest will come comparatively easier. You have to get comfortable with your skating shoes. Try different postures like standing on one foot, the scooter push, and standing on a Bosu ball.

Once you are comfortable with your shoes, ice-skating will become a lot less scary and you’ll start to enjoy the fun.

Watch video tutorials

This might be true that some tasks are better to practice hands-on. However, watching a visual representation can help you prepare mentally. There are thousands of free video tutorials, tips, and tricks available online. Feel free to choose a video and replicate the process on your own.

This is a good tutorial if you are interested:

However, you need to be careful and sensible about this. There are also a lot of fabricated videos out there that are tricky and even can become dangerous to perform for newbies. You need to learn your limits and filter out the overly edited videos.

Practice more

Practice makes a man perfect – I’m sure you’ve heard this many times throughout your life, and for good reasons. Doing something over and over again will help both your brain and body to get used to the procedure until it becomes second nature.

Practicing at least once a week in the summer season or regularly during the winter will help you get more and more familiar with the steps and before you know it, you’ll become a pro at stopping.

Remember, persistence is the key.

Practice with experienced Ice-skaters

Practice with experienced Ice-skaters

What’s better than practicing alone? It’s practicing with friends. This can turn out even better if the person(s) accompanying you is experienced in Ice-skating. That way, you’ll be able to learn the ABCs of Ice-skating firsthand.

You can also ask them to record your moves for later improvement purposes. If you are skating outdoors, try to team up with other skaters. This will also help you to build a community of like-minded people. Most people will be happy to help.

Take professional Ice skating lessons

Take professional Ice skating lessons

You can also get professional training from expert skaters. There are many online/offline courses and training sessions that you can access to improve your skating skills. However, these lesions can be costly and not everybody can access them.

Contact your local Ice-skate park to find out if they offer any professional training services. If you have a budget for that, feel free to opt in for some professional skating lessons.

Be positive

How to get Better at Breaking While Ice skating

I may sound like a broken record to you, but trust me, keeping a positive attitude really helps to get through the tough times. There will be days when you’ll want to quit or feel not motivated to do anything.

Nothing flourishes overnight. You will need a bit of dedication and a lot of will and practice to become a pro at Ice-skating. However, once you start to enjoy skating over ice, the adrenalin rush you’ll get will help you to keep on track.

Final Words

Ice skating is enjoyable as long as you know how to stop on ice skates correctly. To master a stopping skill, you need to practice it regularly.  Be aware of wearing skate helmets, because you may fall and get injured. Choose wisely your accessories and skates, as Mens ice skates are different than women’s.  Try to wear comfortable skate pants, as you will bend and stand too often. You should be more aware while ice skating with high top skate shoes. It is more challenging to stop on high top skate shoes than regular ones.

For more information and queries about skateboards, scooters, reviews, and accessories, you can write back to us. Finally, find a perfect skating place and start practicing. Happy Skating!

FAQs

1. Does breaking in skates hurt? 

Ans: A little, Yes. Everyone’s feet are unique and skating requires many fine-tuned muscles in your feet to work in harmony. Additionally, your skating shoes shouldn’t be too tight or loose. It’ll hurt a bit at first but you’ll quickly adjust and the pain will be gone.

2. How tight should I tie my ice skates?

Ans: You’ll need to fill the boot’s as much negative space as possible with your feet. Adjust your skates in a way your heel is firmly locked into your boot. You should have just enough room to wiggle your toes and no more.

3. Do you need strong ankles to ice skate? 

Ans: Technically, yes. Strong ankles will help you to perform ice skating tricks, achieve smooth push/glide motions, and most importantly, enjoy the session. Even if you don’t have strong ankles at first, skating will strengthen your ankles over time.

About the author

Brian G Smith

“Hey, are you out of your mind?” - this is what I often hear when people see me performing some really dangerous stunts. While most people use scooters to commute, I use mine to hone my stunting skills. Yes, that’s me, Brian Smith. I’ve a small group of like-minded people in my team that love to do all sorts of stunts with their kick scooters and skateboards. My fans also ask me to teach them a thing or two every now and then. This is why I am here. In my leisure time, I like to write about what I do with my scooters and what I am going to do next. One thing I want to say to all my fans - Don’t hit the streets without proper information and training..

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