What is the correct posture for skating forwards?

[morgothaod]

Been skating for about 2 weeks. On YouTube, I have heard "get low" and bend your knees so you can't see your toes. When I try that though, it feels really uncomfortable and I find myself quickly in an almost upright position with my knees slightly bent and my chest slightly forward. I assume that is the wrong posture. Maybe I'm not flexible enough to stay low? Will I be more comfortable in time? I use inline skates by the way. Any advice or comments appreciated. Thanks!

[ursle]

Googling hockey skating, this position is a good start, just ignore the stick, your arms and hands do the same thing.



And here's a video of speed roller skating.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4yy1gurzRQc

[bjvircks]

so... you said "inlines". That is a start, but a lot more is needed from you for anyone to give you legitimate help.

Are you doing speed, recreational, rollerhockey, artistic, other? What are your goals? Are your skates rockered? If all you ever want to do is mosey along trails for general recreation/exercise... you get answer "A". If you want to speedskate you get answer "B". Hockey gets you answer "C".

[rufusprime99]

Giving you a set posture like that can be good, but also bad. It "assumes" you are doing things you might not be doing.

Try this, bare foot, or in shoes. No skates involved. Stand on your left foot, the right foot a foot off the ground. Lean forward. This out of balance position will make you start to fall. As you start to fall, save yourself by putting your right foot down. Hold the position you land in and examine it. Your left leg should be straight, your left foot still on the floor. Your right foot is in front, and your knee is bent.

In actual skating, it is a little modified. The left foot is down, but you lean forward and to your right, so you can push off the left foot. The thing is, you don't have to STAY low. Normally, a skater is up and down.

So, you have stepped forward and to the right with your right foot. Then you bring your left foot to join the right and roll. Now you are in an UP position. Legs probably partially bent, but not low. As you now use your left foot to step forward and to your left, you again dip down. So it is up and down. Staying low is technically not correct. There will be some oscillation, down, up, down, up. Something more useful would probably be to say, don't lock out your knees full up. Have a little bend, and, obviously MORE bend as you stride.

[nickajshelden]

along with the last two, what are you doing? what are you skating on?

on my hockey skates, yes, my legs are significantly bent more.
on my quads just rolling along, my legs will be nigh to straight, head up, back fully straight, headphones on, hands in pockets....
at the rink most everyone is going to have a straight back, you don't need lots of power. of course there's always that one girl groovin' along with not a straight limb in sight ans swinging her hips with only one foot on the ground.
I'm not really giving any advice here, just painting a picture of how WHAT skates you have on and WHAT you are doing on those skates WHERE makes a huge difference.

[Tarninou]

Hi.

I can only give the point of you of a beginner like you ( I beginned in ferbruary).

As far as I can see for know I'll say that your last statement is probably true: you'll be more confortable in time.

The guy who teaches us says to adults, and to children, and two teens: "bend your knees, not your back".

But everyone begins the same way. And everyone doesn't understand till the body understands, and everyone says "my back hurts when I skate for 2 hours", and... I think wondering about technic is a good thing but what really solves the thing is to go out and ride those wheels.

[ese002]

Originally Posted by morgothaod

Been skating for about 2 weeks. On YouTube, I have heard "get low" and bend your knees so you can't see your toes. When I try that though, it feels really uncomfortable and I find myself quickly in an almost upright position with my knees slightly bent and my chest slightly forward. I assume that is the wrong posture. Maybe I'm not flexible enough to stay low? Will I be more comfortable in time? I use inline skates by the way. Any advice or comments appreciated. Thanks!

At two weeks, you shouldn't be worrying about getting low. Getting very low is HARD. It allows for more efficient movement but it requires many subtle and quick adjustments to stay stable. You are not ready for that.

What you can do now is:

Bend your knees. Don't try for 90 degree bend but get lower than you are probably doing now. Straight is unstable. Extreme bend is unstable at your skill level. Find a happy medium and, over time, work to move lower.

Bias slightly forward. You can recover more easily from an error if biased forward plus it allows you to fall on your pads if you don't recover successfully. If you go back, you will fall on your unpadded backside. It will not be fun. This will also change with time and experience. You will learn to move center of balance closer and closer to centered without actually going behind. This will allow for more efficient skating and tolerance to road defects. But you are not ready for that today.

[morgothaod]

To answer some of the questions...

I am skating for recreation and exercise. My skate wheels are all the same size. My skates are Rollerblade Spark 80. The wheels are 80 mm. Right now I'm skating on a newly paved parking lot. In the future I will skate on a bike trail (Smooth concrete). If I can find a roller skating rink that doesn't play the music so loud, I'll also skate there!

[Desafinado]

Originally Posted by morgothaod

To answer some of the questions...

I am skating for recreation and exercise. My skate wheels are all the same size. My skates are Rollerblade Spark 80. The wheels are 80 mm. Right now I'm skating on a newly paved parking lot. In the future I will skate on a bike trail (Smooth concrete). If I can find a roller skating rink that doesn't play the music so loud, I'll also skate there!

I will say it come when you start to skate for longer time on a more straight trail like the bike trail you mention. Then you will automatic - over time - adapt to the correct position since it will feel natural comfortable. On the parking lot I guess you more go around in circles and don't really get up to full speed. The parking lot is great for getting used to your skates but try to come out on the bike trail and get some continuous strides then your posture will be there in no time.