Stopping at speed
Ready when: Glide and stop (b2) done.
What you are learning
Three stops for when you are moving faster: the plough stop (feet wide, toes in, heels pushed out), the T-stop (the back skate dragged behind at a right angle) and the heel stop at speed. A skater who can stop any time can skate anywhere safely.
Words on this card Stride, Heel stop, Plough stop, T-stop
- Stride
- Pushing one skate out to the side to move forward.
- Heel stop
- Sliding the brake skate forward, toes up, and pressing the heel brake down.
- Plough stop
- Feet wide, toes turned in, heels pushed out to slow down.
- T-stop
- Dragging the back skate behind at a right angle, like the letter T.
Set up
A straight lane with a stopping line; full gear.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Plough stop: roll slowly, feet wide, turn the toes in, push the heels out, hands on knees.
- T-stop: weight on the front leg, put the back skate down behind at a right angle and drag it.
- Heel stop: as in Glide and stop (b2), but from a faster roll.
Your part while they practise
Call the stop and its name; watch from the side.
Step by step
- Plough stop.
- T-stop.
- Heel stop at speed.
How much: 5 of each 10 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Stop call
You call "heel", "plough" or "T", and the child stops that way.
Who plays: the skater against their own best; you call.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- The skater rolls toward the stopping line
- A few metres before it, call a stop
- The skater stops that way, as close to the line as possible
- 9 calls
- Fair play
- Call earlier for a younger skater.
- Points
- 1 point for the right stop; 1 point for stopping within a skate's length of the line.
- Fouls
- No points for that call
- Spinning round in the T-stop
- A narrow plough that does not slow down
- Grabbing something to stop
- Winning
- Beat your best from 9 calls.
- 6 points for 1 star
- 12 points for 2 stars
- 16 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Slower run-in.
Stop on a sudden call.
What you will see, and what to say
- the T-stop turns the child
Weight on the front leg
The back skate only drags. - the plough is narrow
Push the heels out
Wide feet, toes in.
Self-check
A plough stop and a T-stop to a full stop on the line, 3 each.
Stop and get a coach when
Repeated falls while braking.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains braking, control at speed.
Intermediate is done when the child can do the test items without falling.
awiseathlete.com/sports/roller-skating/roller-skating-i4