Previously we’ve created multiple tutorials on How To Hockey Stop, this new article featuring a video guide shows you how to overcome the main problems skaters and hockey players face when learning how to stop on the ice. We’ve also included a new approach to learning the stop. Instead of focusing on a list of rules to follow and praying you stop before smashing into the barriers, I’ve set up a few drills you can practice.
The nature of these drills is designed to replicate the same techniques and skills required to preform the hockey stop. So by performing these drills, you’ll subconsciously be developing the skills required to perform a hockey stop.
So what are the main problems skates face when learning the Hockey Stop ?
“My skates dig into the ice when i try and stop”
“I always loose my balance and fall back/forward”
“I find myself turning in circles or spinning when i try and hockey stop”
How to overcome this ?
To over come the skates digging into the ice, you normally find that the skaters are applying to much pressure or weight on the their skates edge, resulting in it getting stuck in the ice and you falling over. They might also not be leaning on the edges correctly (using the wrong edge) or using the wrong angle.
Overcoming balance issues will normally always be a result of no knee bend when stopping, you need to have your knees bent, shoulders and chest square to the and head up. Resolving the turning problem is a case of skates not being shoulder width again, no knee bent and also the skater performing a turning motion rather than moving the skates 90 degrees from the direction of travel. You need to be sure to have a good knee bend, skates shoulders width apart, keep your toes pointing forward (this controls the turning motion). remember which edges you’ll be using when you stop, this is a another main reason skaters will turn instead of shave the ice. If you stop to the left (opposite to me) you’re left skate will be on its outside edge and your right skate will be on the inside edge.
- Be sure your skates are shoulder width apart
- Have your knees bent over the toe caps of your skates
- Keep your chest up, shoulders square to the ice and head up
- Lean back slightly when performing the stop
Be sure to watch the video above which overs all of these different hockey stopping or shaving the ice issues you may face when learning how to stop.
