need help with cross over.

[mew1838 0]

I can do right over left crossovers perfectly but everytime I do left over right, the outside edge of the right skate won't dig intothe ice. I have trouble with this and ended up doin the crossover with my right leg straight on the ice ( which of course slides and make me fall) I wonder if this problem is coming from my angle, can someone help me pls?

[beaver5 1]

im guessing your probably a right handed shot.

IM the same way, it just feels akward when you do it right?

just practice

[mnitishin 0]

maybe if you aren't digging into the ice you need a sharper cut. Also, trying getting lower and have your shoulder's parallel to the ice. But also just prctice.

[cause4alarm 6]

Maybe this will work:

Do this standing still on the ice. Very slowly, take a HUGE exaggerated step with your left foot over your right. If it helps, imagine that you're tipping over and falling to your right, but at the last second you're catching yourself with your left foot crossover. Complete your sidestep and correct your stance by uncrossing (bringing your right leg back from behind your left). Repeat this so that you train yourself to bend your knees more and get lower to the ice, which is good for balance. Hopefully, this will also help you develop a better feel for your right outside edge.

After you do this a few times, then practice this while gliding slowly. Don't worry about turning or changing direction just yet, that can come later--just practice the stepping over part.

Eventually you'll want to incorporate the pushoff from the bottom (in this case, your right) skate.

Let me know if this helps at all.

[biff44 0]

Do your skates fit properly? If the skates are too loose you may not be able to keep the edge on the ice. Try tightening them up really tight with one of those metal lace grabbers, and see if it is better. If so, get a smaller pair (of skates that is).

[Ogie 0]

Another thing that helps is this: take your stick and put it on the ice, across your body. So, if you're working on your crossover going around a faceoff circle, take your stick--with the left hand (rt. shot) and try and point the stick, on the ice, right at the face off dot while going around the circle. This will force our hips to turn more, making the crossover easier. And, be sure and bend your knees!!

[pantherfan 0]

I'd just practice using your edges

eg.

Push youself off the wall and turn 180 and go back

do this on your outside edges aswell

[biff44 0]

Look at another thing. How long can you skate on one skate? Push off and then glide on the right skate for 30 seconds. Then do the same and glide on the left skate for 30 seconds. Could you do it, or did you have to touch down on one of those? If you touched down before 30 seconds, work on that weak gliding skate (ankle exercises, one-legged squats, make sure that skate is tight enough...).

[thew 0]

just practise, practise, practise and if that doesn't work.............

[Badger 0]

I'm guessing that you learned to skate in a rink as it's very common for people who learn to skate in a rink(public sessions) to learn to skate in one direction as most rinks do not change direction during a session. My recommendation is that you practice your cross overs during pick up games and remember to push your "fixed" (non crossing over leg) against(opposite) your cross over leg. I have found that when crossing over during games or during pond hockey you just naturally find youself crossing over in both directions without even thinking about it.

[ktang 34]

You might not be bending your foot inwards enough on the inside skate when you are going to your weaker side.

Compare it to your good side.

If you don't get onto your outside edge enough on your inside skate it's difficult to maintain control when the outside skate is crossing over.

If you are a newer skater, it takes a "leap of faith" to force yourself to do this at first. It's the brain's way of protecting your body. You have to over-ride your brain.

[mew1838 0]

Thank you guys for the response, appreciate it.

[gavin 0]

If you shoot right, try some pickup hockey with a lefty. I shoot left but I decided to play pond hockey with a righty for an afternoon. Wow I improved my skating 100%... all the weak aspects of my skating were exposed and I worked on them. I have been skating all my life and that is the single most helpful thing I have every done to improve my footwork.

[sonsplayhockey 0]

I teach young kids to skate in practices.

This works good.

Progression, Work on one thing get good at it then move on.

one foot glide (someone already mentioned that). If you can't balance yourself and glide on one foot at least blue line to blue line, you need to work on that. You should eventually be able to do that and lift your leg forwards or sideways while doing it.

C cut One foot on the flats and cut with a C with the other foot.

C cut in a circle. Now, start going around a face off circle, c cut with the outside foot, keep inside knee bent. You can't help but work that outside edge if you are going in a circle. Plus, by doing a C cut, you will be stable.

Standing cross overs (like mentioned).

Now your ready to do some cross overs. Wear Elbow pads (and maybe your pands) for confidence (you'll probably fall on your inside elbow some). Better to fall on your arm than your hand and sprain a wrist.

On cross overs, if you feel your inside foot is not getting the outside edge, its cause your not committing your body to the cross over. Your probably not leaning into it.

Proper cross overs, your looking at the center of the faceoff dot with your shoulders parallel (not at an angle) to the ice. Your lower body is leaning. As you get better, work on keeping your upper body quiet (not using it for balance), that way you'll be able to stick handle.

I find shorter steps on the cross overs add mobility to my game.

[mew1838 0]

I teach young kids to skate in practices.

This works good.

Progression, Work on one thing get good at it then move on.

one foot glide (someone already mentioned that). If you can't balance yourself and glide on one foot at least blue line to blue line, you need to work on that. You should eventually be able to do that and lift your leg forwards or sideways while doing it.

C cut One foot on the flats and cut with a C with the other foot.

C cut in a circle. Now, start going around a face off circle, c cut with the outside foot, keep inside knee bent. You can't help but work that outside edge if you are going in a circle. Plus, by doing a C cut, you will be stable.

Standing cross overs (like mentioned).

Now your ready to do some cross overs. Wear Elbow pads (and maybe your pands) for confidence (you'll probably fall on your inside elbow some). Better to fall on your arm than your hand and sprain a wrist.

On cross overs, if you feel your inside foot is not getting the outside edge, its cause your not committing your body to the cross over. Your probably not leaning into it.

Proper cross overs, your looking at the center of the faceoff dot with your shoulders parallel (not at an angle) to the ice. Your lower body is leaning. As you get better, work on keeping your upper body quiet (not using it for balance), that way you'll be able to stick handle.

I find shorter steps on the cross overs add mobility to my game.

good advice

[kmatt333 0]

Threads like this one make me love this board....I just wish I'd found it about three years ago when I was (re-)learning to skate. Great advice.

[yzvlad 0]

Everybody has a weak side and a strong side. You have to work twice as hard on your weak side in order to get it on par with your strong side. From my experience, the muscles on your weak side are under developed and you have to work them in order to strengthen them. In otherwords, when you do your workout, warm up on the strong side, then work the weak side hard. I found this worked for me. My weak side still feels a bit awkward, but it is affective.

[gavin 0]

Everybody has a weak side and a strong side. You have to work twice as hard on your weak side in order to get it on par with your strong side. From my experience, the muscles on your weak side are under developed and you have to work them in order to strengthen them. In otherwords, when you do your workout, warm up on the strong side, then work the weak side hard. I found this worked for me. My weak side still feels a bit awkward, but it is affective.

Very eloquent. That is what I meant but skating with a right handed stick... it will force you to constantly use your weak side. After 2 hours of pickup at Chris Pronger's outdoor rink, playing with a righthanded stick, I was feeling sore in muscles I didn't know existed! But it gave me HUGE confidence skating crossovers on ackward angles and using my inside edge on my right skate (always a weak spot for me).

[hapamatt122 0]

my left outside edge is my weak spot.. especially hockey stops to the right, pretty much use 80% right inside edge.. I know this is a xover thread but I figured while on the topic of weakspots.. my backwards crossover to the right (left foot over right) is pretty weak.

[The Playoff Beard 0]

I'm the same way, since I'm right foot dominant I was using my right foot to do everything. I thought I was tearing it up until a guy at the rink was noticing and asked me to stop with my left, and crossover left-over-right. Now I spend 2 days a week working out my weak side.It's really hard and discouraging, but the improvment has been tremendous.

[domileafs28 0]

this is what works for me on crossovers.. i too am weaker with the left over right cross... the best thing is to roll your right ankle and get on an outside edge with weight on the heel and get that edge "set". then pick up the left foot and cross over as you roll forward onto the middle of the right blade, then as your left foot comes down explode off your right toe. works pretty good for me...

[nsa97531 0]

You probably arent bending your knees enough if its that you have edge control problems skate around the circles making sure to use correct form until you have some muscel memory ive done that since mites and im very good at crossovers try not to worry to much about PERFECT mechanics but more of being comfortabe crossing over full speed