There are a number of common mistakes in braking when it comes to skating. Here is a look at some of those common braking mistakes, and even more importantly, what it is that you can do in order to eliminate them simply by improving your form and your ability on your skates.
Mistake – Another problem that is associated with braking incorrectly is scissoring your legs insufficiently.
Solution - When you scissor your legs insufficiently, meaning that you are not allowing your legs to scissor enough, you are going to increase rather than decrease the tendency to fall down, either forward or backward. What scissoring is, is the process of sliding the braking leg in a forward direction while sliding your other leg in a backward direction. As you slide the braking leg forward, you should be attempting to keep all of your legs on the ground so that you do not accidently engage the brake prematurely.
As you allow your legs to scissor, the heel of the braking skate should be approximately 6 inches before the toe of the other skate, which is going to provide you with an increased level of stability so that you will be prevented from falling down.
Mistake – Leaning on the skate that is not your braking skate is another type of braking mistake that people often perpetrate without intending to.
Solution – If you put too much weight on the non-braking skate, you are going to end up causing yourself a great deal of frustration when it comes to learning how to brake and stop properly. If you end up putting too much weight on the skate, then you are not going to stop, but rather you are going to end up turning yourself into the direction of the braking skate.
If you want to avoid this issue, then you are going to want to keep the weight on the braking skate, allowing it to hold you while you are sliding it forward. Make sure that your feet are both as close to one another as possible to the point where they are nearly touching. Then, when you go to slide the braking foot forward, you should make sure that it is not going out on the side. This should have you end up going in a straight line without putting your weight on to the wrong skate in the process.
Mistake – The final mistake that is associated with braking while skating is planting your feet in too wide of a stance when you are attempting to brake.
Solution - If you plant your feet apart too far, then you will not be able to put the maximum weight on the braking skate. You need to avoid positioning your feet and legs apart too far to make sure that you avoid becoming unstable as a result. Keep your weight behind the braking skate rather than putting yourself in too narrow of a line.
Photo Credits: ldskater
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