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Posture is important in any form of athletics and in in-line hockey refers to the general body position of the skater. The stomach should be comfortably drawn in and the chest held high. Always bend your knees! You should feel that your knees are centred over the balls of your feet. You can make sure that your knees are bent by letting your ankles lean forward against the tongue of your skates. Use this as a reminder every once in a while to check your knee bend.
From the starting position, stride forward with your left skate, at the same time giving a push with your right skate. Centre yourself over your left leg as you begin to bring your right leg forward. As you bring your right leg forward, you should be getting ready to give a push with your left skate. Now, push with your left skate and stride forward onto your right leg. Centre yourself over your right leg while maintaining a good knee bend.
Now, give a good push with your right skate as you prepare to stride with your left. This cycle of pushing, striding, centering, and bringing the rear leg forward while preparing to push off with the other skate repeats itself again and again. You are now skating forward!
This seemingly simple manoeuvre is actually a foundation exercise that will improve all aspects of your skating. Practising the swizzle helps you to feel your inside edges, works on your knee bend, stretches and strengthens your groin and inner thighs and improves your balance. Start with your knees bent and your skates in the V position. Push with both inside edges of your wheels until your feet come to about shoulder-width apart.
Point your toes inward in order to pull your skates back together. Now, with your knees still bent, point your toes out, and push with your inside edges in order to repeat the swizzle. Repeat this as many times as you can!
Before you try this backward swizzle, make sure you have mastered the forward swizzle. Because this exercise requires you to have a strong 'skating muscle' strength. The backward swizzle is the best introduction to skating backwards. It is the exactly same motion as the forward swizzle. The only difference is that you execute the swizzle backwards. Start with knees bent and your toes pointed inward. Push (backwards) with the inside edges of both skates, bringing them to about shoulder-width apart. Feel that you need more strength compared to the forward swizzle? Point your heels inward, and pull your skates back together. Do this as many times as you can!
Do this exercise with all your wheels in contact with the ground. Instead of pushing with both skates at the same time, push with one skate while holding the other in a straight line. Think of your inside edges "carving" the letter "C" on the ground. Again, work on bending both knees at all times. This exercise will build your strength and balance, and will prepare you to execute sharp turns and crossovers.
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