Level 1: Find your feet
Plow (snowplough) stop
For: Ice skates, Inline skates, Quad (roller) skates
Cues
- Glide slowly on two feet with knees bent.
- Push both heels out so your toes point slightly in.
- Press out evenly until you slow down and stop.
Drill
From a slow glide, press out to a stop; ten times, getting a little faster each time.
Ready when
You can stop from a slow glide in a straight line without grabbing anything.
On inline skates many people use the heel brake first; the plow stop works on all three types at low speed.
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.