A Skating Tip for Beginners
Plus updates on my summer plans
Recently I wrote a Twitter thread about why hockey is such a tough sport to learn for adult beginners.
After I shared my thoughts, a new player DMed me the following:
I saw your thread recently about learning hockey. I learned how to skate about 6 months ago and joined beer league.
Is there any skating drills you’d recommend to a beginner? Right now i’m trying to balance on one leg at a time. Any other progressions or other drills you’d suggest to quickly improve?
One thing I notice a lot when skating is my ankles collapse so I naturally go on my inside edge a lot like a “bender.”
Would appreciate any feedback at all. Thank you!
Bending is a relatively common phenomenon among beginner skaters, regardless of age and physical composition.
Seldom is bending a strength issue. Instead it’s typically a weight distribution issue.
Bending as a compensation mechanism actually makes total sense. Whenever we feel off-balance in bare feet or in street shoes, our natural inclination is to get wide, get low and, most importantly, dig into our heels.
When you do those things while wearing tall metal blades, your ankles will naturally bend inwards unless your skate boots and/or your lower extremities are strong enough to counteract gravity. Even then, you would still suffer from all the negative consequences of bending (inability to access outside edges, poor glide, poor ability to change speed & direction, vulnerability to lower-body injuries, etc.).
The best drill to correct this issue isn’t really a drill at all. As in yoga practice and as espoused by the book Inner Game of Tennis, the solution is quiet awareness of where you actually are.
Red: Where beginners put their bodyweight most of the time
Green: Where advanced players put their bodyweight most of the time
Developing a feel for where you are in relation to those two sets of dots is of the upmost importance if you want to move fluidly with both feet, one foot or even no feet (after launching yourself off the ice in an explosive manner a la Nate MacKinnon or Connor McDavid).
Once you learn to feel your weight distribution through your feet, you’ll begin leveraging your body’s energy in an efficient way and finally start to unlock your hockey abilities.
Here’s a few updates on what I’m working on these days
From now until the end of July, I’ll be slowing down my working pace somewhat in order to enjoy the off-season and continue my Achilles tendon rupture rehab
I will still post here on a regular basis: right now I am putting the finishing touches on a paid subscribers-only presentation on the tactical details that defined the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run
In the last week of July, I will be traveling to Windsor, ON to attend the U20 World Junior Summer showcase, representing the Swedish National Men’s Team, which I have recently joined as a consultant
Signing on with Tre Krenor will allow me to continue sharing hockey information online with enthusiasts such as yourself, while contributing to a top-level program at the biggest international events (Men’s World Championships, World Cup & Olympics)
As usual, send me an email (jack.han@hey.com) if you have a question and would like to get in touch. I’m already building toward a great 2026-27 season and would love to help you do the same!
Get the best visual hockey resource & support the Newsletter!
Jack’s work doesn’t just present information—it connects overlooked details in a way that sharpens how people understand the game. - Adam Nicholas (Montreal Canadiens Director of Hockey Development)