Hockey is a tremendous sport. All those fans excitedly screaming for their favorite teams to win. There’s a lot that we don’t know behind the scenes of hockey. Such as the shoes in which they skate on. Are rollerblades good for hockey players? Let’s take a look at the history of the ages through hockey and find out how rollerblades would suit hockey players.
What Shoes Should Hockey Players Wear?
Let’s start with the basics. Hockey players have to wear an assortment of different clothing for that big game. In hockey, it is the number one rule that all hockey players should wear flat or dimple sole hockey shoes. That is for playing the sport on an artificial surface. Any footwear that has a sharp blade or studs will likely damage the pitch.
Importance of Shoes For Hockey Players
All hockey players need traction. That’s why all hockey player shoes should have ankle support. They’re going to have a long game, therefore needing comfortable shoes. Shoes like metal studs or blades are not designed for an artificial hockey pitch as they are designed more for wet or muddy grounds. If hockey players wore these types of shoes their ankles are only in danger. Along with the knees, too.
Rollerblades vs. Ice Skates
There is a slight difference between rollerblades and ice skates. One of the major differences between the two is the overall movement. Stopping and turning is another contrast. So, if you want to practice on rollerblades before the beginning of hockey season, just know that there is a huge difference. Avoid picking up bad skating habits on rollerblades.
Rollerblading and ice skating contrast in technique. Terrains play a huge element in both fields.
Ice Skates
- The blade-like bottom which slides easily
- Stopping: Maintain weight towards the middle of blades
- Balance: Tough to Balance
- Thin Blade
- Generate friction by inclining in different directions
- Potential Hazards: Ice skates are very sharp. It is easy to cut your hand if you treat skates poorly
Rollerblades
- Don’t slide as easily like ice skates
- Stopping: Make sharp turns while dragging your back foot
- Balance: Better balance than ice skates
- Wider Wheel Base
- Have multiple locking systems, secure your feet in place
- Potential Hazards: Holes in road, vehicles, uneven patches, passerby’s
How Do Ice Skates Resemble Rollerblades
As different as ice skates are to rollerblades, ice skates resemble rollerblades in the mechanics, generating friction and pushing the blades while gliding to dig into the surface of the ice. Rollerblades just glide along the ground. The thrust of ice skates for hockey players generates the skates to make smooth movements on the ice.
Difference in Surfaces
Skating on the ice and rollerblading on the ground are two very different locations. The contrast in the contact area for the rollerblade wheels and blades of the ice skates is that one stays in contact with the skating surface of the road while the other touches the ice. The contact point of each surface shifts as you skate making it difficult to maintaining balance.
Should Hockey Players Use Rollerblades
While it is not recommended to use rollerblades during the season of hockey, it’s safe to practice with rollerblades in the time off from the sport. There are many positive benefits from rollerblading that are essential to hockey players.
- Rollerblading improves
- Balance
- Single leg control and agility
- Develop a better sense of movement
- Become more confident on skates
- Develops leg power
- Better control and balance
Are Rollerblades Bad for Hockey Players?
Here are some notable reasons why rollerblading is not good for hockey players. Rollerblading may hurt hockey players. In all actually, rollerblading is meant for long-distance rather than a hockey game.
- Rollerblades don’t have the edges like hockey skates are supposed to have
- The blades don’t slide when coming to a complete stop
- Don’t have the same ability to stop like regular hockey skates
- With rollerblades, it is easy to stand straight on blades
- Cannot get a full stride.
Is It Better to Practice on Rollerblades
Yes. It is better to practice on rollerblades than compete in a hockey tournament with rollerblades on. Let’s think about it like this. During the summer would you rather spend it inside an ice rink practicing, or would you want to be out with your friends so you can hang out?
In this case, you should start practicing with rollerblades so you won’t fall out of practice. It always depends on how the skates are being used for these sorts of escapades.
Benefits of Practicing on Rollerblades
- Work on Mechanics
- Your stance and setup
- Lengthen your stride
- Conditioning
Major Contrast When Stopping
Have you noticed that when you stop on rollerblades all you need to do is pick up the back of your foot and then you stop? Did you just try the same technique on ice skates? It didn’t work, right? That’s back, skating is a whole different world. Ice skates don’t have that mechanism. For hockey players using ice skates, they need to sustain optimum weight towards the center to sustain balance and use the blades for stopping on ice by shaving off the surface.
Remind yourself the next time you are practicing on rollerblades that you have to stop a completely different way on ice skates. Avoid falling because it is vital to pay attention to any sport.
What You Should Look Out For (AKA Cons)
To those who go ahead and practice on rollerblades during their time away from hockey, we recommenced that you avoid getting comfortable with it. There are multiple different ways to train to work on your form and technique.
Rollerblading and ice skates are two very contrasting sports. Rollerblades are never going to replace ice skates out on the ice. Think about that funny concept. All that slipping and sliding on the ice.
Cons
- You may pick your feet up a little too high when ice skating
- Making mistakes on rollerblades that mess up gameplay in Hockey
- Adjusting to a difference in body weight
- Contrast in design
- Difference in stopping
How Can I Practice
There are several drills to help one become better at transitions on ice skates when rollerblading. Various strides allow ice skaters to turn. Other transitional movements are taught within skating or rollerblading. It is highly recommended that all who practice on rollerblades work on forming new habits to manage a proper technique.
Drills to Help Hockey Players
Remember, practice makes better. That’s why you should always practice getting better on rollerblades. Some of these drills work well as transitioning from rollerblades to ice skates. For example, turning maneuvers and other transition movements are almost identical in that of ice skating. But, you should avoid creating new habits so you won’t mess up your routine in hockey.
Here are some drills to help hockey players become better players on rollerblades.
- Inside Edges: Helps agility, balance, single-leg power, and become a more comfortable skater
- Transitions From Forwarding to Backwards: Foot works. Teaches you how to transition without losing speed
- Leg Power: Generates leg power. Good exercise and workout on the ice
Try to Two-Foot Crossunder
This drill is designed to keep the feet low to the ground while turning. Then you build up the strength in your inside, crossing-under leg so you can accelerate better in your turns. Have confidence while performing this exercise going in both directions, and turning in circles.
Here is how the Technique Works
- Bend the knees over the toes of your rollerblades/skates
- Keep both rollerblades/skates touching the ground
- Create a half-moon cut with the outside foot, maintaining on an inside edge
- Cross the inside foot, form the letter ‘y’, Don’t ever let it leave the surface
- Put weight on your body 100%
- Don’t give up too easily. It’s difficult to get the hang of, but if you keep trying you will get better.
Will These Drills Correct My Stance?
In the long run, there are various outcomes when it comes to practicing on rollerblades. If you concentrate very hard that the rollerblades are the ice skates, then you will not have this problem. When practicing it is very important to note if you do pick up your feet a lot, on the ice or the ground. Start correcting this problem on rollerblades when you are doing drills.
For most ice hockey players, they can practice more on rollerblades to improve balance and their stance. In conclusion, make every attempt to create new and better habits to enforce transitions from rollerblades to the ice. Don’t mess up your habits, creating mistakes that can easily be avoiding.
Will Rollerblading Help Me Become Better at Hockey?
Yes. Rollerblades are good for hockey players. Rollerblades help hockey players have better balance, improve agility, and provides a better sense of movement for skates. Because hockey players have practiced, rollerblading improves self-confidence helping improve skills. To all those who practice on rollerblades, remind yourselves that rollerblading is not like ice skating. Be careful and practice.
