Level 3: Edges and stops
Hockey stop (ice)
For: Ice skates
Cues
- Glide forward with knees bent.
- Turn both skates sideways quickly while your shoulders stay facing forward.
- Push the blades into the ice and lean back slightly to scrape to a stop.
Drill
Practise half-turns at slow speed first, then both feet; both directions.
Ready when
You can stop sideways on both feet from a steady glide, both directions.
This one is for ice skates. On wheels, practise the T-stop or, on inline, the heel brake.
General practice cues written for Open Skates. Not coaching, not a safety guarantee. Wear a helmet; on wheels add wrist guards and knee and elbow pads; follow the rink's rules and the type of session you are in. These cues are our own plain summary, not taken from any coaching programme: if you keep falling, feel pain, or a skill feels beyond you, stop and ask a qualified coach at your rink.