Push and Glide vs Step and Glide

[Dazzler]

I've always skated in the same way. I make a V shape, step out and glide. I do this on quads at the rink and I do it on my inlines out doors. This week, when I was looking up instruction videos to help my 6 year old learn to not keep his legs so wide, I came across a number of videos about inline skating and have learned that my own skating technique is wrong. At least I think it's wrong on inlines and could be ok for quad/rink skating?

Instruction videos on quads seem to show the step and glide skate that I've always done. Whereas any inline videos that are more than extremely basic show pushing from the back foot, inside edge and gliding out at an angle on the outside edge. Yet any videos or articles on the difference between quad and inline skating are all about balance and speed rather than the different technique.

I'm finding my mind a bit blown by it and I'm not sure if all my skating has been wrong or just the inline skating. I've been trying to inline skate for longer distances and plateauing at 10k so this has probably been a result of the poor technique. I've started going out and just practising the push technique and I do think there is a difference but I keep finding myself reverting to how I've always done it. I also tried to push and glide at the rink and that definitely felt wrong. But I don't know if that's just in my head or not. I've been watching people skate IRL and online to try and determine which technique they use on which skates and I do think it's different on each kind.

I love both kinds of skating fairly equally and I want to do my best on each. I now know I've been working off a poor foundation on inlines and need to go back to nearly square one and relearn what I thought I knew. Should I be doing the same on quads or is it different? Are there any particularly good articles or videos that take an indepth comparison of the two types of skating. In real life I don't know anyone who skates on both types of skates, never mind skates well on both. (I actually don't know any inline skaters at all.)

[nickajshelden]

*I am NOT the expert on this*
I think I've heard the push and glide technique described more often, but never really as the "right" way.
personally, I use both in combination, sometimes to double stroke, sometimes to slightly vary where my feet will be in 50 feet (I tend to go fast outdoors) so as to miss a crack or pedestrian. I do the same backwards. whatever works for you should be just fine. I know we like to talk about the science of skates (I appreciate the physics playground a set of wheels on your feet provides), but often times skates can be more about preference and how YOUR feet are than others.
I will say one distinguishing remark on jump vs push. I push more at speed and jump more accelerating.
other related topic: how do you start your movement?

I'm gonna skate during lunch and think about this more while on wheels....

[Oicusk82huh]

Wow. Don't overthink it. There's no wrong way. If it's speed skating you're interested in, then there is a section here for speed skating, I know they have some sort of power move, but I don't know what it is. I'm sure they'd be happy to help.

I skate both inlines and quads regularly. To me they are the same. Step glide, step glide. Good luck and welcome.

[Dazzler]

I get the instinct to not over think it, I've literally never thought about it before this week. I've been skating since I was 6 and once I cracked, step and glide, I've always just done it from basic muscle memory. It was the same when I switched to inlines in the 90s and whenever I've had the chance to skate on ice. Looking at my wheels, it's clear I'm definitely skating too much on the inside edges, which is more common with step and glide due to the V formation.

I've been practicing some push and glide exercises and already I think I'm feeling a difference in the amount of glide I get in exchange for effort. For outdoor skating, push and glide seems more efficient as I feel like bumps/pebbles/cracks/etc don't slow me down in the same way. I don't especially want to speed skate but I do want to complete long distances. I have a goal of being easily able to complete 25-30k by the end of the summer. And I'd like to work towards doing a marathon (ideally Berlin) in the next few years. I don't think that will be possible if I'm relying on step and glide. I have a 15k route mapped out that I'm hoping will be more doable with push and glide. I was hoping to do it tomorrow but may have to leave until later in the week as the forecast is for rain.

[Dazzler]

Getting more used to the push and glide method. I find that if I start to revert to step and glide, I do a few double/triple pushes on each side to refocus myself and that helps me get back on track. It's definitely easier and more efficient for outdoor skating as the 'force' you are using to propel yourself isn't impeded by uneven surfaces. Unfortunately I'm on new migraine medication which impedes exercise so I had to cut my skate short after 5K today even though the rain held off. Hopefully I'll manage a better skate tomorrow, though I'll avoid the hillier parts of the route that I seriously struggled with today.

[ese002]

I am unfamiliar with quad technique and terms but, for classic inline speed technique, there is no starting V.

1. Start gliding on your right skate pointed straight ahead directly under the center of balance.
2. Push straight sideways (rightward) through the heel toward the inside edge.
3. As you reach the end of your right skate push, drop your left skate under your center of balance and lift your right skate.
4. Glide momentarily and put your left skate directly left. As you do so, bring your right skate back around.
5. When your left skate reaches the limit, lift and drop your right skate under your center of balance.
6. Repeat.

[rufusprime99]

Like a couple of other posters said
I am not an expert
and
Don't overthink it.

Unless you WANT to. I couldn't give you the finer points of inline skating. I am pretty basic myself, and I don't even like going forward on inlines AT ALL. I always go backwards. But if you wanna try different stuff, give it a try and evaluate for yourself. Give yourself some credit. Sounds like you are skating well enough.