How to learn to skate backwards step by step. How to learn to skate backwards

In this article you will learn how to learn to skate backwards. Let's look at all the main points and mistakes. Let's start with the skate stance. Knees forward, pelvis over skates, shoulders down, back slightly tilted forward, feet shoulder-width apart. We shift the body weight slightly to the front of the skate.

The exercise in our lesson is a flashlight facing backwards. We took the stance mentioned above. Turn your toes towards you and draw a circle with your skates, skating backwards. It is very important to keep the body in one position. Do not peck forward or straighten your back completely. We press on the front of the skates. We try to push our knees forward. Do not roll your ankles inward. We try to roll the skate on two edges.
The exercise is called a push with a leg lift and a backward roll. We need to take our stance. Rotate one skate 45 degrees. Toe towards you and push. Taking this foot off the ice. The center of gravity is on our other leg. We need to make sure that the middle of the chest is under the skate, where our center of gravity is. Let's not take this skate off the ice. And place it exactly in the direction of movement. Do not roll the ankle inward and move the knee forward.
The next exercise in the lesson is called back-to-front semi-flashlight. The principle is the same as in the previous exercise. We shift our body weight onto one leg. Make a semicircle back with your other leg. We monitor the position of the body. Let's not fall forward. The middle of the chest is under the skate where the center of gravity is. We don’t put the ankles in X.
Exercise - half lanterns with two legs. We make a semi-flashlight first with one leg, then with the other. Alternately. We transfer our body weight from one leg to the other.
Balance exercise for skating backwards. We reach for the skate with our hand opposite legs . Try to push your knees forward as much as possible. Don't lean your back down. Be sure to ensure the level position of your ankles. Another good balance exercise is rolling backwards on one leg. We pick up speed backwards using the floor lamps and stand on one leg. We move the middle of the chest over the skate on which we are skating.

We hope that the tips were useful to you. About how to skate backwards. And you will definitely use them in your training. If you still have questions about how to learn to ride backwards, then write to us by email or call the number provided. We will be happy to answer your questions. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Confident skating doesn't always mean top-notch skill. Not all people who move quickly on an amateur ice rink can perform such a simple action as skating in reverse. Indeed, fast movement backwards is, if not the highest indicator of skill, then certainly one of the reasons to believe that the skater has a high potential.

How to ride in reverse?

Surely, everyone who has gone to the skating rink knows that riding for the first time is rarely successful. The same applies to driving in reverse. Don't be too confident that success will come to you the first time.

In order to achieve the shortest possible time in training it is necessary:

Don't be afraid

Excessive fear will not only interfere with the quality of training, but can also bring it to nothing. Be bolder, but in moderation. Even if you feel like you're doing well, don't be too ambitious: riding fast for the first time is fraught with falls, and in the worst case, injuries.

Choose a skating rink with fencing

It would be better if there were also benches and high walls. Also pay attention to the number of people skiing: you should not go during rush hour, a large number of people will interfere with your training. On the contrary, a large number of places to lean on will give you confidence and allow you to relax.

This is what concerns the choice of a skating rink, but when it comes to skating itself, then:

Facing the fence, push off from it and roll a little. Slow, short movements will give confidence and make it possible to carry out training more calmly.
Select your starting position. Ideally, you stand straight, with one foot half a shoe forward, and your knees slightly bent.
Inspect your intended driving location. Despite the fact that it is advisable to choose skating rinks with “rest areas”, the route must be completely clear of all kinds of obstacles.
Place the leg that will be used to push on the ice at an angle and push off. Movements should be arched. Remember how you move when moving forward and work in reverse.
Watch your center of gravity. It should be located approximately between the legs.
Look around. It is important to control what is happening behind your back. Any awkward movement will cause you to fall, and if you collide with another person, it could result in injuries for both of you.

Remember: when learning to skate backwards, it is important to strike a balance between reasonable fear and courage. Training should not be carried out to the point of exhaustion, but to the best of your ability. Learn gradually, avoiding too much stress.

We asked Sergei Novitsky, the European figure skating champion, to tell us what you need to do to confidently skate and feel like a queen or queen on the skating rink.

1. Choose the right skates

If you want to confidently cut across the ice on skates and develop your skills, then you won’t be able to get by with rental skates. You need to get your own, and besides, the assortment in stores allows you to choose the optimal model that will fully meet your goals (that is, hockey skates are not suitable for regular ice skating). The main thing in this matter, of course, is not to make a mistake with the size. Always focus on the insole of the skate - it should be half a centimeter larger than the foot. And be sure to fully lace up your skates before purchasing and walk around the store wearing them. The most common mistake is that many people choose skates that are a size larger than they actually need - while moving, the leg bends and the foot moves back a little. Skates need to be laced in the same way as shoes - with a cross-shaped overlap. Make sure that the ankle is secured - the boots should be an extension of the leg.

2. Dress for the weather at the skating rink.

If the temperature at indoor skating rinks is quite high, then for outdoor skating you need to be thoroughly prepared and dress for the weather. The ideal option is three layers of clothing. The first layer, also known as the bottom layer, absorbs sweat and quickly evaporates moisture, saving you from hypothermia - cotton underwear is perfect for this. The second layer is responsible for keeping you warm - choose soft sweaters and warm, comfortable trousers (ski pants are also suitable). The top, third layer protects from wind and snow - a light down jacket will not hurt. In any case, the main requirement for clothing is comfort; it should be quite tight, but not restrict movement. Plus, on an open skating rink there is a high probability of getting frostbite, so don’t forget about gloves, a scarf (it shouldn’t be long so as not to accidentally get caught on something) and a hat. But you should not wear socks that are too thick, as your foot must feel the skate, otherwise problems with control may occur.

3. Before going on the ice, do a warm-up

Since skating is characterized by movements that are not the most familiar to a person, be sure to warm up all your muscles before going out on the ice. This warm-up is not much different from what you do or. From top to bottom, starting from the head, work the shoulders, arms, pelvis, knees and ankles. These five minutes will be enough to protect you from unnecessary injuries and sprains. Skating is a fundamentally complex coordination sport that requires good athletic skills such as balance and coordination of movements. To ride correctly and confidently, you must develop flexibility and endurance, know your body and listen to your own feelings. Plus, of course, you need muscles. Very strong muscles.

4. Maintain correct body position when riding

The two most common mistakes when skating are straight legs and sticking your butt out backwards. So, instead of sliding, a person begins to walk. The correct body position is the one in which you are used to feeling yourself. Imagine you have two shoulders and two hip bones, together they form a square, and your task is not to break such a square while skating. At the same time, constantly monitor your knees - they should always be bent. Your arms should also not dangle idle - they help maintain balance, so it is better to move them to the sides. Do not place your toes parallel to each other, on the contrary, spread them slightly outward so that the angle of 45 degrees is maintained when moving. Try to push off with the inner edge of the skate blade (not the outer edge or tooth) and alternately shift your weight from one leg to the other, straightening and bending your knees. It can take years to develop an ideal sliding step - you need to practice regularly, do special exercises on the floor that simulate skating, and learn to balance, in particular, transfer the center of gravity from one leg to the other.

5. Master proper turning technique

In fact, learning to turn is not so difficult; to do this, you need to understand what kind of turn you want to make - back or forward. If you are turning from forward to backward, try to rotate your heel by pressing your foot closer to the front of the boot. And if we are talking about turning from a backward stroke to a forward stroke, press closer to the heel, turning the tooth of the skate, and not the entire blade. At the same time, try not to twist your body.

6. Learn to brake

There are several braking options, the simplest is heel braking. To do this, place your feet parallel to each other and lift the toe of one foot towards you. There are, of course, more complex methods of braking, for example, with the letter “T” - move one leg forward, and move the blade of the second skate across, the braking leg can be either behind or in front. Here it is important to hold your foot with your ankle and not place your skate on either the outer or inner edge - otherwise you may fall.

7. Fall correctly

If you fall, first of all save your head: you need to group yourself, press your chin to your chest and put out one arm - use only the hand and in no case the elbow. While riding, tilt your body slightly forward, this will reduce the risk of falling on your back, which is the most dangerous. If you haven’t been on the ice for a long time, then at first additional protection will not hurt you. In the USA and Europe, in principle, it is customary to ride in helmets and knee pads, but here this practice has not yet taken root.

8. Find a good trainer

Purely theoretically, you can master the correct technique on your own, but in any case, you need to at least occasionally contact a specialist who can look at your movements from the outside and make adjustments if necessary. Still, learning a technique does not mean mastering it, much less correctly. If a person skates and doesn’t fall, this does not mean that he is doing everything right. And if you want to not only develop your skills, but also improve them by mastering complex technical elements, then you simply need a coach, since one incorrect movement can lead to serious injuries. At the same time, remember: skating twice a month in order to learn how to skate confidently and make progress is not enough, but 3-4 hour training sessions a week will be just right.

All beginners who start skating for the first time worry only about staying on their feet. But over time, our legs stop moving in different directions, and we want to not only hone our skills, but also master a new technique. Therefore, sooner or later, each of us has a natural question about how to learn to skate in reverse.

What do you need to know about equipment?

Before you focus your attention on practicing a new technique, you need to take care of purchasing good equipment. Shoes should fit exactly your size, and clothing should be comfortable enough and not restrict movement. Carefully laced boots should fit as tightly as possible to the foot. This will help ensure the necessary speed and smoothness of movements. Before learning how to skate in reverse, it is advisable to purchase protective equipment. If you do not have the opportunity to buy such equipment, then you can rent it. It is not recommended to skimp on your own safety, because protective equipment will protect you from possible injuries.

How to prepare for training?

Those who want to know, in reverse, should understand that before starting classes, you need to do at least a five-minute warm-up. To do this, you can perform several arm swings, body rotations or squats. Before you start mastering a new technique, you need to thoroughly consolidate the basic techniques of moving on ice in a straight line. The training should take place in a fairly spacious and fenced area. It is advisable that at this time there are fewer other athletes there who can unwittingly interfere with your activities.

How to fall and brake correctly?

Not a single novice athlete has ever managed to avoid awkward movements that lead to falls. Therefore, before learning to ride backwards, you should understand safety issues. To stop quickly and safely, you need to connect your legs together and sharply turn them in a direction perpendicular to the line of movement. If the weight is transferred correctly and the force is distributed, braking will occur almost instantly. When falling, you do not need to put your hands up. Otherwise, trying to soften the fall may result in injury to the shoulder joints or wrists.

Having realized that a fall is inevitable, you need to try to make sure that the main blow falls on the area of the tense arm bent at the elbow, thigh and buttock. In this case, it is recommended to turn the body towards the ice surface and help yourself with your free hand. This will help not only avoid injury, but also get you back on your feet immediately. This is the rule that most professional skaters use when performing complex spins and jumps.

When falling backwards, you need to use a different method. In this case, you should arch your back and press your chin tightly to your chest. Straightened and outstretched arms should be slightly ahead of the body. When falling, you cannot relax your back and bend your elbows. It is desirable that the incidence vector be at an acute angle relative to the ice surface.

First of all, you should understand that everything is not as simple as it may seem to an ignorant beginner. Therefore, there is no need to rush. For those who want to understand how to learn to skate in reverse, at first it is recommended to simply try to push off from the side of the rink and skate backwards a little. This will allow you to capture the new sensations that accompany this, still new, type of riding.

After this, you need to take the correct and most stable position and make sure that there is no one behind your back. The legs should be half bent at the knees, and one of them should be half a shoe in front. To master a new technique, you need to stand with your back to the direction in which you plan to go. With your pushing leg at a slight angle, push forward with it. The body weight must be transferred to the other leg. The pushing movement must be done in an arc. Gently push forward in front of you with each leg at a time. When moving, the legs need to be straightened and accelerated due to the pushing force. The main weight of the body weight should be transferred to the front part of the skates.

Don't get distracted and remember to watch exactly where you are going. When skating backwards, you need to look over your shoulder. Those who have already figured out how to learn to skate in reverse need to be patient, since no one can guarantee that the first attempts will be crowned with success. With proper persistence, you will be able to master a new technique.

How to skate backwards: main lessons, simple exercises. The beautiful patterns that experienced skaters create on the skating rink certainly include skating backwards. Yes, and just moving back a little without turning around is simply necessary.

Seeing how easily others roll in reverse, beginners certainly try to do the same. However, they immediately discover that this is not easy to do. For some reason, the skates rest against the ice from behind and try to throw the skater onto the ice.

Meanwhile, just three easy exercises will help you quickly learn how to skate backwards. Of course, experienced skaters would name many other ways to learn how to skate backwards, but for beginners it is better to master simple options. Therefore, you need to consistently, slowly, work through three simple movements for this exercise:

push from the barrier;
"lemon" movement;
C-shape movement

First lesson

To practice the first movement, you can use not only a barrier, which not all skating rinks have, but also any stationary object, or use the help of another person. Facing the barrier and holding on to it, you should slightly bend your knees and lean forward slightly, transferring your center of gravity to the front of the skate blade.

In this case, the skates will not rest on the ice when riding backwards. During this movement, the body weight can be evenly distributed between both legs.

Skates can be held parallel, shoulder width apart. Next, you need to easily push off from the barrier and slide back, remembering the position of the body and studying the sliding resistance, depending on the change in the center of gravity.

Many people make the mistake of leaning forward too much and extending their arms. To avoid this, it is recommended to place your hands on your knees. Then you should repeat this exercise until you roll back confidently enough.

Second lesson

The second slide is called “lemon”, since the skates describe rounded elongated lines. To perform this movement, you need to place your skates at a slight angle to each other so that your toes are closer and your heels are farther away. Your feet should also be kept approximately shoulder width apart. If you then press the toes of your skates forward and outward, your body will easily move backwards, and your skates will begin to move apart, describing smooth curves.

Then the socks need to be smoothly turned outward. The skates will begin to converge again, describing a lemon-shaped figure on the ice. Let us remind you that the center of gravity should still be shifted forward, and the body itself should be tilted forward. Thanks to this exercise, you can easily learn to skate backwards. This is exactly how hockey players roll back before playing the puck. During this skating, the person’s weight is also evenly distributed between the skates.

Third lesson

The third lesson allows you to learn how to roll backwards, shifting your body weight alternately from one leg to the other. The C-shaped movement looks beautiful and is often used by figure skaters. You need to practice it after you have mastered the “lemon” movement well.

Before you start sliding, you need to place your skates in the same way, with your toes slightly inward. However, you need to redistribute your weight, transferring approximately 30% to the pushing leg. Then you need to smoothly push off with the skate of your pushing leg, forward and outward, describing the letter C with your skate.