How To Hockey Stop
The hockey stop is a key skill in any skater’s arsenal. It allows you to quickly change direction and maintain control of your speed while looking cool. Whether you’re an experienced ice skater or just getting started, mastering the move can add a layer of finesse and control to your game. Let’s look at how you can learn this invaluable skill.
Step One: Prepare Your Skates
Preparing your skates is the first step in learning how to do a hockey stop. This includes lacing up your skates tightly and ensuring they are properly sharpened before each use.
Make sure that the blades are at least four inches apart from one another to ensure that you have enough space for your feet when stopping. If your skates are tight enough to keep control when performing a hockey stop, it will be easier for you to keep control.
Step Two: Preparing Your Body
Before attempting the hockey stop, make sure you are prepared mentally and physically for the task ahead. This means understanding the basics of skating—including proper posture and balance—so that you can move confidently across the ice and into a hockey stop without losing momentum or control of your body.
Make sure to practice basic movements like crossovers, turns, and glides to get comfortable with controlling your speed when skating on ice before attempting a difficult maneuver like a hockey stop.
Step Three: Executing the Hockey Stop
First, pick up some speed by pushing off with both feet as hard as possible while leaning forward slightly. When ready, put both feet together on one side of the line (left foot in front of right if going left).
Place equal pressure on both feet while bending your knees into an almost squat-like position with toes pointed outwards away from each other for maximum stability.
Pointing your toes will help bring down your speed more quickly and provide additional support when stopping suddenly so that neither foot slides out from underneath you on slippery ice surfaces.
After completing this motion, relax and let yourself glide until coming to a standstill.
Conclusion
Learning how to do a hockey stop is essential for any serious skater who wants to take their game up a notch. The key is preparation while executing each step correctly while maintaining balance throughout the entire process until coming to a complete standstill at the end.
It may take some time, but this important technique will eventually become second nature.
