Need advice on how to stop using my "weak side" foot

[pisani34 10]

i used to play hockey as a kid, id say from 8 yrs old to 13ish, never organized, just shinny at a local outdoor rink in winter. I then stopped playing, and finally got into organized mens hockey at 18. i've had the same stopping problems forever. its not a foot thats weak, moreso just 1 edge. i can stop with either foot leading, but its when my left foot leads, that my right outside edge really sucks. i always end up doing 1 foot stops on my left whenever i have to do that side. I did have ankle and knee injuries on my right leg, but i feel that this problem is more in my mind than physical.

[wildebeest 0]

Crossover to the left issues? Go to public skate! ;) I always wondered why they never reversed directions every hour or something.

I always thought that, too. Every time I've gone to Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale they bring the zamboni out halfway through, then switch direction. I've even heard a few guys complain that they can't crossover after the switch :lol:

[Jarick 5]

Is stopping on two feet good or bad? I see it in videos, but I only use one foot, the other seem to be for stability.

To the OP, what I did was think "turn and squat" and slide out the outside foot:

Stand still with your feet shoulder width apart, then bend your knees like you're doing a barbell squat (back straight). Slide your weak foot outward as you squat. What you want to do is angle your foot slightly inwards and feel where that inside edge is on the ice. Keeping your skates tied snug (not too tight) and wearing thinner socks helps. When you feel that inside edge, you should visualize scraping the surface of the ice.

Once you can do that, start skating very slowly, then turn your body sideways, then do the squat and push out the foot. Pretty soon you should be able to put more and pressure on that foot as you get more comfortable with your edge, and that pressure is what "digs in" to the ice to stop you.

I've read on here that there's no such thing as weak ankles, you just have to know your edges. I'd say that's very true. Outside of the initial discomfort of wearing skates and moving around the ice, it's mainly knowing where your edges are, feeling them as you skate, and knowing how to balance on them and use them to your advantage.

[sabreshockey 0]

Try strengthening the ankle muscles. Among other exercises, just balancing on one foot for a minute or so at a time does wonders. One trick is to always tie your shoes while balancing on the other foot.

I've been doing balancing exercises for about a week and it is much easier to balance on my dominant foot (left) than it is on my right foot. So obviously I have a balance issue on my weak side foot. I've been balancing on 2X4's, on stairs, while doing dishes, etc. I probably look like an idiot but I do feel as if my balance is improving. Hopefully this will transfer to the ice and help me stop.

I could only stop on my right foot for the longest. I made it interesting to shot since I'm a right handed shot.

Same thing with me...I can stop on my left foot but I am a left handed shot.

What you want to do is angle your foot slightly inwards and feel where that inside edge is on the ice.

When I stand against the boards and push my right foot out I cannot feel the inside edge. But I will try your suggestion and see if that helps.

[Taoism 0]

I taught myself to skate doing public skating a cpl hours a week. Needless to say I am sure I have some bad habits and terrible form, but I do alright.

Most rinks go counter clockwise and occasionally they switch it up for some portion of the session and gp clockwise. If they don't try asking them to do so. most places will humor you(Gives the employees a good laugh at all the people who suddenly can't skate cause they don't know how to turn right).

I figured out my inside edge on my left and outside edge on the right by learning backwards crossovers while the motion was counter clockwise and forward crossovers while going clockwise. As you get the hang of the edges your confidence builds as well as strength of unused(previously)muscles. this also helps developing the muscle memory of the foot/leg/body positioning to get those edges.

[ramensandwich 1]

i also learned by myself at pub skate, and just like taoism, i got IR and OL going forwards, and the IL and OR going backwards during a counter-clockwise skating session. if you are fortunate enough to have a rink that switches directions after each cut (our new rink does yay), you can get great practice at right and left crossovers both forwards and backwards.

the right foot also took me a bit to learn. the problem i had, which i imagine you are having is that you don't trust your weight on the right foot, so you're not totally comitting. you're not making a full 90 degree turn, its more like 70 degrees, so instead of stopping, you just get a tight turn or a fall.

heres a suggestion to help you get the feel for stopping on that edge. skate forwards on one foot (right foot), and do a bit of a hop (but not enough that your skate leaves the ice, just enough to take some weight off), then while the weight is off, turn 90 degrees, then come back down and put your weight into the edge and stop. also, try to hold your skate as close to vertical as possible, so you get the least possible bite with the edge, making it easier to start sliding. after you get the hang of it, you can put more edge into the stop.