Question: What are the mechanics behind roller skating?
Many new skaters wonder how to achieve forward acceleration when roller skating on a flat surface. Some think skating happens when body weight is shifted forward, side to side or back and forth to create forward acceleration. This is not quite true.
Answer: When skating on a flat surface on inline or quad skates the safest and most efficient forward motion is best achieved with side push and minimal body movement.
If you think of each skating foot as being an individual scooter, forward motion comes from the keeping body weight over one skate (the employed skate) while pushing to the side and back with the other skate (the free skate). The more control a skater has in keeping the feet close for the transfer of feet, and the more the skater keeps his/her body over the skate that is supporting their weight the faster and safer the skating.
Skating happens when a sequence of right and left foot scooter pushes are done in a sequence. The only body movement is the slight shift of weight to keep the main weight of the head, chest and hips over the rolling skate.
Rollerblade has created a series of nice training animations that show this in use for recreational inline skating. Usually skaters who are more sport specific and may do stunts, complicated maneuvers or jumps on quads, inlines or ice will keep their feet a lot closer than what is shown in the Rollerblade example.
If you think of each skating foot as being an individual scooter, forward motion comes from the keeping body weight over one skate (the employed skate) while pushing to the side and back with the other skate (the free skate). The more control a skater has in keeping the feet close for the transfer of feet, and the more the skater keeps his/her body over the skate that is supporting their weight the faster and safer the skating.
Skating happens when a sequence of right and left foot scooter pushes are done in a sequence. The only body movement is the slight shift of weight to keep the main weight of the head, chest and hips over the rolling skate.
Rollerblade has created a series of nice training animations that show this in use for recreational inline skating. Usually skaters who are more sport specific and may do stunts, complicated maneuvers or jumps on quads, inlines or ice will keep their feet a lot closer than what is shown in the Rollerblade example.
