Does figure skating help?

[<TJ> 0]

Hi,

I've read in a few places that taking figure skating lessons is great help for improving hockey skills, mainly when it comes to balance issues and that sort of things. I think I even heard that the Niedermayer brothers took figure skating as kids (and I think Scott is a bit more than just a decent skater). So... my question is: Can it really help? Has anyone tried it?

Regards.

[furlanitalia 1]

My first skating lessons was through a canskate program. I think I was 6. It taught forwards and backwards skating as was sort of an intro to basic skating techniques that could be used in hockey or figure skating. The basics are the same, and I don't think it's that uncommon for kids to take figure skating programs when then start as the basics are the same.

[zebra_steve 11]

If you can find someone to teach you patch, which is all balance and edge control, then yes. For hockey you will probably be just as far ahead with a good multi-week power skating class (ie: class for two hours then practice it on your own all week and repeat for several weeks). The other way figure skating may help is that the long tail and the toe pick will not let you get lazy with your stride, position, and balance. If you get on the heel or toe you will get "immediate feedback".

And truthfully, proper form is proper form whether you are on figures, hockey, or speed skates. You still need the balance, the knee bend, the proper extension on your stride and power skating is just teaching you proper form and balance to best utilize your edges.

[Chadd 916]

You will learn more from a figure skating instructor than a hockey instructor 95% of the time when you are starting out.

[chk hrd 164]

You will learn more from a figure skating instructor than a hockey instructor 95% of the time when you are starting out.

I have always said a good figure skating coach is a big asset to anyones skating ability regardless of thier level. Watch a figure skater, they have the best edge control, balance and body awareness. Backwards, forwards, one leg or two the control they have can only make you a better skater.

[Law Goalie 147]

Figure skating may very well provide the best general skillbase for any skating sport. As Chadd suggested, the instructors are also, typically, far more knowledgeable about skating technique than hockey instructors and, almost as a rule, better teachers as well.

Personally, the best skating coach I ever had was a figure skater. I learned more from her about movement from her than any of the occasional 'goalie coaches' I had, most of whom wouldn't have known a T-push from a T-nut.

One of the goalies I was coaching this year was an eleven-year old who had about two months of experience in net, a year of experience in hockey generally, and four years previously as a figure skater. He wasn't the best kid out there, but he improved faster in fundamentals than any goalie I've seen. It was just a matter of teaching him a slightly different skating stance, changing the focus of his edgework, and teaching him how to do it while wearing giant pads and skates that slip out at about 50-degrees.

One of these days, I think I'll go back and take lessons from a figure skating coach so I can harvest some teaching points. As long as I explain about the cowlings in the first five minutes, I shouldn't edge up splitting my head open.

[coryroth24 15]

Figure skating won't help, but a figure skating coach will. Like some of the guys said before, they are the best at teaching you about your edges and balance. I took once a week lessons every hockey season when I was between 7 and 12. It appears to have been well worth it...

[RadioGaGa 162]

Just a thought: But, I would think that the benefits of figure skating training would come earlier as you are first learning to skate...to try FS after having already played hockey, you will have the issue of "unlearning" bad technique or poor habits.

But I suppose that is very individual too...so you might still get something from in regardless of age/skating experience.

[mnpucker 33]

You will learn more from a figure skating instructor than a hockey instructor 95% of the time when you are starting out.

I agree with this statement. I have a case in point, I grew up playing with and against Brett Hedican. I have been on the ice with a good number of NHL'ers but in my opinion Brett had the smoothest stride and cleanest edges of all of them. The summer between leaving College and Brett entering the NHL I played against him in a Summer College league. He was coming down on me on a one on one, I had him lined up, I took a quick look to my right to see if I had backchekers on the backside. The moment I peeked I heard two noises that I remeber to this day.

The first was the sound of his blades digging into and throwing ice up as he made 3 strides the sound went by me so fast it was like listening to something whiz by in stereo - the second sound was the thunderous laugh from my dad in the stands as he watch Brett burn me. I had him lined up at about the red line after three strides he was at teh top of the circle and i was still at teh blue. The good news is Bretss hands did not even come close to resembling his feet, that is why he played D I think...... no goal he did not bury it. Great guy though a couple years later he won the NHL fastest skater competition. His kids will be amazing skaters he married Kriti Yamaguchi.

After that game my dad was still laughing, what are you gonna do he is an NHL'er right. The explosion of speed was amazing I was not embarassed I was in awe. So anyway what does this have to do with figure skating? Brett started out figure skating and gives the lessons learned there a lot of creit in his development as a player. Chadd is right I believe sound edgework can be more refined earlier (in the beginning years of skating) than years of hockey skating camps once a player is older.

[Jordan 13]

We have had several threads about this before, nonetheless, I will throw in my 2 cents.

I have a 13 year old daughter who is a fairly accomplished competitive figure skater and a 10 year old son who plays AAA hockey.

Having witnessed a ton of figure skating instruction/coaching and ton of powerskating/hockey intsruction I would say without hesitation figure skating coaches are infinitely more technically competant to help you skate better.

My honest way to assess this question is the following: I have NEVER seen even a moderately skilled figure skater with a funny stride or a discernable good/bad side with crossovers.

I certainly have with hockey players..even in the NHL. Quick tidbit: at a Leaf game the other day and I was watching warmup with my daughter. Anyhow, my daughter pointed out Wayne Primeau was doing crossovers very poorly (funny little hitch in his crossover to the right...not there when going to the left).

Figure skating obviously will not make you shoot harder, or have better anticipation, or see the ice better; but, it will definitely help your skating.

[furlanitalia 1]

I'm honestly surprised how unanimous this is. I know there are benefits and I knew a couple kids growing up that did it (along with myself) but you just don't hear about anyone who does it anymore.

[Law Goalie 147]

Neat observation, Jodan; your daughter's a sharp cookie.

[mnpucker 33]

I'm honestly surprised how unanimous this is. I know there are benefits and I knew a couple kids growing up that did it (along with myself) but you just don't hear about anyone who does it anymore.

We all may believe it to be a better way, not many strap the toe picks on and actually do it......same reason I did not swim on the swim team....the uniforms suck! haha

[Machinehead2k5 32]

I'm honestly surprised how unanimous this is. I know there are benefits and I knew a couple kids growing up that did it (along with myself) but you just don't hear about anyone who does it anymore.

The stigma of you being gay, because you're figure skating is why people don't come out and say it. There's always going to be that machismo effect in hockey, whether it comes to using figure skating as a base or I use a 110 flex shaft because I'm a man, nobody will really say I took up figure skating first.

Lynn Swann a HOF receiver from the Steelers took up ballet as a kid because he knew that he could control himself better as a player if he could "tiptoe" around the field and have good body control in the air.

When I started to learn to skate classes at 16, I learned from Augusta Lynx goalie Judd Lambert's wife who was a pretty good figure skater. I was taught very well then I didn't skate from 20-25 and redeveloped bad habits now. :(

[n3ss 0]

if you took a figure skating class (now, as an adult) would you (in general) use your hockey skates or rental figure skates?

[furlanitalia 1]

I think it would depend on the coach. If you're doing it for hockey then they might let you use your skates as it will be what you want to be comfortable in.

[chk hrd 164]

if you took a figure skating class (now, as an adult) would you (in general) use your hockey skates or rental figure skates?

you use your hockey skates. They are not teaching you spins and jumps or things that you need a toe pick for. They are teaching you propper stride, how to get the most power with each push, how to use edges and all those other things that make you a good skater. One of my sons former coaches (who is a retired pro) still works with him over the summer and has private camps. He always has a figure skating coaches work with the kids, regardless of thier age. It is always one of the toughest stations that they skate in, nothing "girlie" about it.

[goblue9280 33]

Prior to starting mini-mites, I had my 5 year old son taking weekly learn to skate lessons for about a year. By the end of the year he was taking classes with the hockey instructor... good kid (young to mid 20's). Around that time the rink started offering a class called power and edge which was led by the figure skating coaches. It is a great class where they really stress form and edge control. I got my son taking the class for a few weeks until the hockey coach came over and jokingly said "why are you taking a girly figure skating class?"... I wanted to smack him in the back of the head... after that, I couldn't pay my son to get out there on the ice for that class.

[jeffw 1]

We used to have a figure skating instructor come to our practices from time to time to run our boys through some pretty tough skating drills & especially edge work.

They all improved, and it was nice eye candy for us coaches. Win/Win B)

[RadioGaGa 162]

Prior to starting mini-mites, I had my 5 year old son taking weekly learn to skate lessons for about a year. By the end of the year he was taking classes with the hockey instructor... good kid (young to mid 20's). Around that time the rink started offering a class called power and edge which was led by the figure skating coaches. It is a great class where they really stress form and edge control. I got my son taking the class for a few weeks until the hockey coach came over and jokingly said "why are you taking a girly figure skating class?"... I wanted to smack him in the back of the head... after that, I couldn't pay my son to get out there on the ice for that class.

The correct answer there would be..."So he can be a better player for you!" Good job Coach D'bag!

[<TJ> 0]

Well... after seeing all these replies I'm deffinetely gonna try it. About which skates to use, I've talked to the one decent coach around here and he says he only teaches people on figure skates. I'll guess I'll just use some rentals and give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up really liking it and spinning and jumping around on the ice.

[Law Goalie 147]

I really don't see the need to do it in figure skates. Just explain that your hockey skates have been carefully fitted, and you're not about to put on a pair of crappy rentals that don't fit. If, down the road, you really do enjoy it enough to want to get into spins and jumps, by all means, find yourself a nice pair of toe-picks.

[chk hrd 164]

I agree, it's not fair to a kid to put him in crappy skates that don't fit well and more than likely have no edge then ask them to go skate to the best of thier ability. You can always give them a little white lie and say the only way your kid said he would do it was in hockey skates.

And the coach who made the girlie figure skating comment, I would have told him now you know why he isn't a good coach.

[zebra_steve 11]

Law Goalie has a point, hence my original suggestion of a GOOD power skating coach (most of the better ones have a background in figures if you hadn't noticed) - but so does the coach...... If you want to learn solid skating technique then use a figure skate as it will be harder to "cheat" the technique. The blade on the figure skate won't "allow you to cheat on your knee bend or the centering of your weight. You have a hard time doing anything unless you bend your knees and center your weight. If you are leaning forward... "toe pick" and down you go.. too far back and you feel like someone is holding you by the calves from behind.... the blades usually have between a 9' and 11' radius for their rocker (comparable to hockey skates) and the tails are an inch or two past the heel of the boot. All you hot dogs that think your skating technique is so great, take some time to find a pair of figures to try out.... It WILL be a bit of a revelation. I'll bet that most will get frustrated from snagging the toe pick since we usually get waaaay up on the toes alot in hockey skates.

Again, we are talking learning balance, edge control, and proper skating technique.... you can do this in any kind of skate, but the things that we've all noticed about the figure skaters are a result - in part - from the type of blade they learned on.... Yeah, you will need to pay attention to the rentals, or get a lower end beginner level Reidell figure to work on... plenty of support 'cuz you don't start looking at spins and jumps until you get into the freestyle test levels.... I would offer you some of my daughters old skates, but you don't want white ones.

[Jordan 13]

If you wonder if figure skating "edges" are relevant to skating in hockey skates...check out this video of former world champion figure skater Kurt Browning (he's the guy that landed the first quadruple jump in competitition) performing in hockey skates: