Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections
Please teach us how to ice skate!
1  2  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 12:58 pm
Please do not answer if you do not ice skate WELL. please only answer if you are a good enough ice skater that skating comes as naturally to you as walking, you can easily lean on your edges and skate around, stop etc with no balance issues.

So my husband, my kids and I all dont know how to ice skate and we all decided to start. We were advised not to use rental skates because theyre not sharpened enough, so we bought new ones and got them properly fitted.

Id rather not spend money on lessons if I dont have to. Besides for "just keep practicing, eventually youll get the hang of it", is there any advice you have on what to do? What kind of movements should we practice? How do we really get our balance? Our goal is not simply to be able to "skate" across the rink like all the people do on their annual chol hamoed trip to the rink. We want to eventually be able to glide around gracefully, like ice hockey players and figure skaters who can skate as well as walk. No tricks or spins, just plain skating.

Youtube hasnt really been too helpful...


Thanks in advance!!
Back to top

watergirl




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:15 pm
I know this isnt what you want to hear. But this is something you need to learn while doing and no youtube video or paragraph here can teach you. Practice is honestly required. How do you think the hockey players and figure skaters learned?

Why would you invest in good skates and then not be willing to pay for lessons or just practice?
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:20 pm
watergirl wrote:
I know this isnt what you want to hear. But this is something you need to learn whime doing and no youtube video or paragraph here can teach you. Practice is honestly required. How do you think the hockey players and figure skaters learned?

Why would you invest in good skates and then not be willing to pay for lessons or just practice?


I think you misunderstood me, or maybe I wasnt clear enough, sorry.
Obviously we intend to practice. A lot. As much as it takes.
Im asking if anyone has suggestions for specific excercises or drills to do, while we practice. Any specific thing to do to help things along, anything specific to practice, any technique to do or not do? In other words, any suggestions on HOW we should practice?
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:22 pm
I got a hug? Seriously? Rolling Eyes
Back to top

amother
Red


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:22 pm
Can you book one family lesson? There's really no way to tell anything in a way that is anywhere as effective as being shown and taught on the ice. Book an instructor. Take videos of what he or she does. Get a feel for the ice, and for what it means or feels like to be on the inside or outside edge, to lean forward or back or to either side, or to center your weight. You have to see and feel what a stop should be.

After that, it's all about practice. The fluidity comes from the time spent doing it. If you feel you need more lessons and guidance right away, ok. If not, just keep going back. You can book another lesson afte a bit to see how you're doing. You will want to learn crossovers and different stops, which need to come once you have the basics down, and you can schedule a lesson for that then.
Back to top

amother
Green


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:28 pm
How much ice time have you had to date?
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:29 pm
amother wrote:
Can you book one family lesson? There's really no way to tell anything in a way that is anywhere as effective as being shown and taught on the ice. Book an instructor. Take videos of what he or she does. Get a feel for the ice, and for what it means or feels like to be on the inside or outside edge, to lean forward or back or to either side, or to center your weight. You have to see and feel what a stop should be.

After that, it's all about practice. The fluidity comes from the time spent doing it. If you feel you need more lessons and guidance right away, ok. If not, just keep going back. You can book another lesson afte a bit to see how you're doing. You will want to learn crossovers and different stops, which need to come once you have the basics down, and you can schedule a lesson for that then.


Thank you. I was considering doing something like that. We arent complete beginners, and we have a general feel of the skates, but have rarely gone skating and dont have a good balance at all.
I was hoping to save the money from lessons because for a family they can get REALLY pricey, but if I need to do that then I will.

I thought if asking for some tips because I asked so many people who I saw skating beautifully, how they got to this point, and they all said they just kept skating and practicing until they got it. No lessons ever.

So I was just wondering if anyone out there knew of some tips of what to do while practicing.

If it doesnt work ill do lessons, but if so many people say they learned without lessons if like to give that a try first
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:32 pm
amother wrote:
How much ice time have you had to date?


The kids hardly any.

Me and my husband went occasionally growing up, like once a year or so, enough to be able to get around the rink, but still not at all comfortable leaning on outer edges or anything
Back to top

amother
Taupe


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:34 pm
I think it would be worth learning properly how to skate. As with any sport/excerise there are safety techniques that should be learned which will make you a better skater and you‘ll have much more fun!
Back to top

amother
Pumpkin


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:36 pm
Definitely spend a while getting comfortable on skates before bothering with lessons. It’s a matter of getting used to it and practice. Then u can invest in some lessons- skating backwards is really smooth and can feel amazing but that’s down the line. For the beginning it’s really about being out on the ice.

The fitter u are the easier and the smoother skating will be.

Make sure u bring ur feet to standing pushing out one side at a time, aiming for longer strides in between pushes....

And group lessons really should not be that much, research around. Might be more worth it for the younger ones who may not be as intuitive on the ice.

- a former figure skater:)
Back to top

amother
Seashell


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:38 pm
I never took formal lessons, but I learned from a hockey player. We had the rink to ourselves.

I gave my kids lessons. One advantage of lessons is the relatively empty ice. One DC didn't want any lessons beyond the first. He is a natural and goes skating weekly. A different DC needed a lot of lessons.

It's kind of hard to explain skating. It's like trying to learn to balance by watching videos. You must do it.
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:42 pm
amother wrote:
Definitely spend a while getting comfortable on skates before bothering with lessons. It’s a matter of getting used to it and practice. Then u can invest in some lessons- skating backwards is really smooth and can feel amazing but that’s down the line. For the beginning it’s really about being out on the ice.

The fitter u are the easier and the smoother skating will be.

Make sure u bring ur feet to standing pushing out one side at a time, aiming for longer strides in between pushes....

And group lessons really should not be that much, research around. Might be more worth it for the younger ones who may not be as intuitive on the ice.

- a former figure skater:)


Thank you, this was helpful!
Back to top

Chayalle




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:45 pm
I don't skate well, but my girls look like ballerinas on ice (do I sound like a proud Mamma?) I do think they have some natural ability, which they definitely did NOT inherit from yours truly...the grace and dancing abilities come from their father.

But there's no substitute for lessons, OP. Most rinks offer them, for a reason. It's the best way. You don't need alot of lessons, but there's nothing like learning from the experts. I signed my girls up for a set of lessons - I think it was a set of 8 - and they went from zero to twirls in that space of time - also included additional practice time on the rink after the lessons. Or you can hire an instructor to teach your family together, one lesson at a time, as needed. You need to learn the steps from the swizzle up thru crossovers, etc....there are no shortcuts really.

My girls have their own skates, but I actually think the rentals are probably better, stronger, and more sharpened. Maybe this varies by location. I recently signed up my youngest for the same course her older sisters took a few years ago, and I plan to use the rink's skates (included in the price) for now, and will get her better skates when she knows how to use them.
Back to top

amother
Green


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:45 pm
amother wrote:
The kids hardly any.

Me and my husband went occasionally growing up, like once a year or so, enough to be able to get around the rink, but still not at all comfortable leaning on outer edges or anything


This guy is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....Ypewi
Back to top

Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:51 pm
(No experience here)
After practicing a lot and getting some basic comfort, an instructor can help show you where you are weak and how to make your movements smoother.
Then again, starting with lessons reduces bad habits from forming.
Back to top

amother
Oak


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 1:55 pm
amother wrote:
This guy is good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....Ypewi


Thank you for this! I skimmed all his videos and theres one great one about understanding edges-in one quick video I learned that all the times ive been skating ive been pushing my legs totally wrong....I just learned that my front gliding leg is always supposed to stay straight, and not go out to the side. Whaddya know
Back to top

amother
Hotpink


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 2:10 pm
amother wrote:
I think you misunderstood me, or maybe I wasnt clear enough, sorry.
Obviously we intend to practice. A lot. As much as it takes.
Im asking if anyone has suggestions for specific excercises or drills to do, while we practice. Any specific thing to do to help things along, anything specific to practice, any technique to do or not do? In other words, any suggestions on HOW we should practice?


This probably isn’t what you want to hear either: not everyone can be good at all sports they want to be. Practice doesn’t always make perfect with sport. If you are naturally gifted at a certain sport, then practice might make perfect. I personally wouldn’t have purchased new skates in your position. I would have first had some casual skates with the whole family, see who likes it, see who doesn’t. See who is naturally good, see who isn’t etc. Then those who want can maybe have a group lesson. If after many practices your instructor sees potential, then think about purchasing skates. As to specific drills, it is better to get confident on the rink first/have a private lesson where the instructor gives you drills/tips specific to you after seeing you skate. I don’t think asking generally is that helpful. I also think you are making a big assumption that your entire family will want to continue skating. If it is you who want to skate, then maybe get private lessons for yourself. It is hard as a parent to develop your skating while also monitoring your kids on the ice.
Back to top

amother
Hotpink


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 2:13 pm
Chayalle wrote:
I don't skate well, but my girls look like ballerinas on ice (do I sound like a proud Mamma?) I do think they have some natural ability, which they definitely did NOT inherit from yours truly...the grace and dancing abilities come from their father.


The bolded is the natural ability I alluded to in my last post. Please don’t underestimate this.

P.S. Does anybody like the “I Tonya” movie as much as I do?
Back to top

studying_torah




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 2:15 pm
Read in a story about skaters that you also need to learn how to fall without damaging yourself.
Back to top

amother
Hotpink


 

Post Thu, Jan 03 2019, 2:24 pm
studying_torah wrote:
Read in a story about skaters that you also need to learn how to fall without damaging yourself.


The only surefire way to do that is fall a few times and work out what works best for you when you fall. Or even better never fall! 🤣
Back to top
Page 1 of 2 1  2  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections

Related Topics Replies Last Post
How to teach children not to talk to strangers
by amother
4 Yesterday at 3:49 pm View last post
Can I buy ice cream store hot choc fudge
by amother
6 Thu, Mar 21 2024, 3:14 pm View last post
What to give for MM with a long thin sparkling ice soda?
by amother
1 Tue, Mar 19 2024, 9:43 am View last post
1-2 lines for ice cream and purim
by amother
0 Mon, Mar 11 2024, 10:39 am View last post
Slushy Ice Coffee machine rental
by amother
3 Fri, Mar 08 2024, 9:18 am View last post