Learn to skate / with or without stick ?

[5MinutesMajor]

Hi,

I just have bought RBK 5K skates. I'm a beginner, i skated for the 1st time yesterday. My goal is to play hockey.
My question is : can I learn to skate and hold a stick on the same time ? or is it better to separate stick handling and skating on the beginning ?

Thanks for your answers

[Canadiens1958]

Originally Posted by 5MinutesMajor

Hi,

I just have bought RBK 5K skates. I'm a beginner, i skated for the 1st time yesterday. My goal is to play hockey.
My question is : can I learn to skate and hold a stick on the same time ? or is it better to separate stick handling and skating on the beginning ?

Thanks for your answers

Without a stick otherwise you will never develop proper balance and will be too dependent on the stick. Check for "learn to skate programs" for adults in your area - Verdun. If Verdun does not have one I belive the closest would be NDG at the Doug Harvey Arena. They have one of the best "learn to skate programs for pre-school kids" in the city.

[kr580]

I would NOT use a stick while learning how to skate. You won't learn proper balance if you're leaning on it all the time (which you will.) I would just go to as many public skates as you can (no gear needed outside of skates) or take a 'learn to skate' class, as mentioned above, to get the basics down before jumping into hockey activities.

[noobman]

I have to go with the consensus here... learn how to skate without the stick first, then add the stick in later.

Otherwise you're going to wind up leaning on your stick for balance, and won't be able to stickhandle or open up for passes without the stick in your hand.

[Thepandamancan]

I've played like 15 games of roller hockey in my life so I still consider myself a beginner. Two weeks ago my new teammate noticed I was depending too much on my stick for my balance.

Before my last game he told me to warm up by just skating around the rink without a stick. It did wonders for my balance and I wasn't using my stick as a crutch. Ended up finally scoring my first goal.

[Jarick]

That's a good idea. I always take warmups with a stick. I can skate just fine without it, but I feel "naked" on the ice without it.

Anyways, you should be able to do all skating maneuvers without a stick.

[WhipNash27]

IDK if it's such a terrible idea to have a stick if you're at the point where you can hardly skate 5 feet without falling. Then once you get past that point, then do the rest without one.

I learned how to skate without one though.

[tarheelhockey]

I heard a rule of thumb on here, which I have found to be effective:

1) Choose a specific thing you want to learn -- crossovers, stopping, backward skating, etc.

2) Learn it without a stick and practice until you're pretty good at it.

3) Add a stick. Practice until the stick makes no difference.

4) Add a puck. Practice until you can do the move and keep the puck under complete control. This is really hard, but you'll have it mastered.

[kr580]

Originally Posted by DubiSnacks17

IDK if it's such a terrible idea to have a stick if you're at the point where you can hardly skate 5 feet without falling. Then once you get past that point, then do the rest without one.

I learned how to skate without one though.

I don't have experience with this but I would think once you took the stick away you'd be back at sqaure one with not much balance. You'd be leaning on the stick 100% of the time if you have no balance to begin with.

[Trojan35]

From someone who just learned to skate:

No stick skating
Then skating with a stick
Then skating with a stick on the ice (but not leaning on it)
Then skating with a stick and a puck
Then skating with a stick and puckhandling

Focus on a low center of gravity, balance, footwork, and a full, quick stride.

[jacklours]

WITHOUT

It makes a big difference.

I started when I was about 2-3 years old. Right away I started playing with a stick. I was lucky to be a smooth skater and to have good coaches who developed the skating technique without the stick (was lucky to have midgetAAA coaches when I was novice and Magh).

Anyways, I started refing when I was about 14 years old (now 26). I notice a big difference in my skating. it opened my eyes about skating and I started watching people who had been refing for years and notice most of them were really smooth skater. Also noticed that a lot of players in beer leagues I play in aren't as smooth as I am (though many are faster) (I figure I wouldn't be as agile though as I am right now and it helps as a defender)

My 0.02$ anyways

[Blueland89]

I started with a stick not trying to brag but I'm a very fast learner and could already skate pretty good just from skating a lot as a kid i never leaned on the stick. I play inline and i would just hold my stick in my hand and keep the shaft parrellel to the ground not for any reason except i didn't want to already start shaving down the blade on the stick against the concrete.

[Seanconn*]

Originally Posted by jacklours

WITHOUT

It makes a big difference.

I started when I was about 2-3 years old. Right away I started playing with a stick. I was lucky to be a smooth skater and to have good coaches who developed the skating technique without the stick (was lucky to have midgetAAA coaches when I was novice and Magh).

Anyways, I started refing when I was about 14 years old (now 26). I notice a big difference in my skating. it opened my eyes about skating and I started watching people who had been refing for years and notice most of them were really smooth skater. Also noticed that a lot of players in beer leagues I play in aren't as smooth as I am (though many are faster) (I figure I wouldn't be as agile though as I am right now and it helps as a defender)

My 0.02$ anyways

qft- tons of ppl can beat me in a race, but I'd say im a more fluid skater than 95% of the people i have played hockey with, and am more comfortable in skates than shoes.

keeep that stick at home until you are zipping around the rink

[Hawkey36]

Learn to skate without the stick first. Once you can skate without having to think, then pick up the stick.