Synthetic Ice Skating Series: Part 3 - Stops

HockeyShot’s Skating Sensei, Jim Vitale from Vital Hockey Skills has been coaching for over 25 years. Once you’ve heard his voice, you know instantly that Jim has been around a few hockey arenas, yelling at players (maybe some parents) from time to time.

Jim has run successful hockey camps for years to improve hockey player’s training and skills to develop them for the next level.

Stopping is more of a state of mind then it is a physical activity. Players who have trouble stopping, panic when they feel the ice pushing against them. This can send you into a panic with the brain not recognizing what is occurring, but you can learn to master the ice by learning how to stop properly. Get low as you stop is the most important first step because it allows you to gain control of the natural forces surrounding you. Dropping your weight makes your blades sink into the ice, it’s the pressure you need to counter balance the force of the ice pushing against your feet.

When Vitale is coaching youth how to properly stop, he gets them to stop and then to swivel to maintain proper balance.

Pivoting is a great way to train your balance to know how to stop on the ice. The trick is to do both at the same time. Jim stresses the importance of not getting discouraged, because most will not be good at both ways.

Jeremy Rupke asks: How much does Synthetic Ice relate to stopping on real ice?” and Vitale responded with “You can really come to a full stop with the same type of resistance.

Look no further than HockeyShot’s Synthetic Ice! The use of premium grade materials in a unique blend makes this surface the closest thing to real ice in the world. It has a self-lubricating additive that requires no wax or upkeep to give players a genuine feel like they’re on the frozen stuff. Perfect for basements, garages, driveways or anywhere outdoors, this product is quick and easy to install with interlocking grids. AND depending on where you play (residential or commercial use) HockeyShot Synthetic Ice comes in a variety of formats.

Please visit: Synthetic Ice Revolution Tiles or Extreme Glide Synthetic Ice for all the details on HockeyShot’s industry leading training surfaces used in these videos!