Learning to Use Your Inline Skate's Edges Will Make You A Better Player!
Turning, cross-overs, pivoting from foward-to-backward skating, quick stops and shooting all require edge control for maneuverability and balance. A little knowlege, and some practicing of the drills in this quick tip and in the Bobby Hull Instructional Inline Skating DVD will make you a better Inline hockey player.'
Edging:
Edging defined: The ability to put the skate(s) at an angle to the ground to effect progress, direction and speed. Edging can be accomplished with one or both skates. Inline skates have 3 edges: inside, outside and center. These edges correspond with places on the foot - inside length of the foot, outside length of the foot and the center of the foot. The more forces (gravity, speed, centripetal, momentum) acting on your body, the greater the edge angle to offset those forces and stay in balance.
Turning:
To make a strong, quick inline hockey turn, your entire body should be used and your skate's wheels will travel on the outside rim of the circle. One skate will use the outer edge and the other skate will use the inner edge. Your body will ride slightly inside the rim, although not leaning so far in that you will fall. Your lower body (feet, knees and hips ) should press toward the center of the circle, while your upper body should be more upright so you can make a play. Depending on the demands of the situation, using your ankles is quick and efficient. To make a right parallel turn, you would feel for the inside ankle on the left skate and the outside ankle of the right skate. All of these turning powers are physical movements that work to "edge" the skates.'
To improve your inline hockey edging, try some of these drills:
- Single-leg push off: skate in a large circle, keeping your right skate on the ground while pushing with the left skate (using your inside edge). As you approach the apex of the turn, feel for balance on the outside edge of your right skate, while still pushing with the left. Practice on both sides.
- Experiment with inversion and eversion of the feet and ankles. Press your ankles to the inside, then press them to the outside.'
- Now try adding slight lateral knee movements to compliment ankle movements. Try this coasting forward with equal weight on both skates (center edges) to start. Notice how your edges cause you to change direction.
- Practice edging on one foot at a time.
- With a hockey stick as the fulcrum (blade on the ground in the middle of the circle), do cross-overs around it. See if you can increase the edge angle by letting your center of mass fall deeper into the inside rim toward the stick.
- Practice turning around an object. Keep your knees bent and use your entire body to lean into the turn, using your edges.
Learn more on how to master your inline skating and inline roller hockey skills with the
