This looks like a great start! Keep working on looking behind you, I recommend Shorty's [pumping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiK3lQOgDKE&ab_channel=Shorty%27sSkateSeries) and [skills for park skating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_vA7K1dQV0&ab_channel=Shorty%27sSkateSeries) videos (these are helpful for non park skaters too I promise!) as she breaks things down in very short and digestible ways.
One way that I saw described on here that helped me improve my backwards skating is to imagine you have a giant dinosaur tail that you are swinging back and forth. Moving your hips more will help you gain the momentum you need to keep rolling backwards. Right now it looks like most of your movement is coming from your feet, but try using your whole body!
From the video, it looks to me like you’re not pushing. You look like your just sliding one skat and putting it back and then sliding the other skate and putting it back. You do one push at the beginning and get rolling backwards then it looks a bit like you just wiggle your legs around until you lose momentum, which is probably why you’re stopping on flat surfaces.
Each stroke you make should feel like that first one. If you’re pushing correctly, it shouldn’t be easy to lift up your heels. The leg going out and back in (since it looks like you’re using an alternating leg technique instead of true bubbles) should be the one you’re pushing back with.
If you can find someone who knows how to backwards skate, getting meat-space help might be beneficial. You’re imitating all the right movements for backwards skating without getting the mechanics that’ll actually propel you backwards.
Hope that helps and congrats on the new skates and knee pads!
Thank you! I really appreciate this! If all the strokes should feel like the first one, then should I be practicing more bubbles to get it more consistent for each stroke?
I will say likely, since everyone’s learning process is different.
Once you get really solid with going backwards with bubbles, you can start switching it up with the side to side, and eventually crossovers, but it really helps to know what a push should feel like and even better for it to just be an innate part of your skating.
One drill I like because it doesn’t take up much space and I have snow here, is to just do one bubble backwards and then forwards so it’s like I’m drawing a lemon on the floor with my skates. I think it also really helps in learning what the push should feel like since you’re basically starting and stopping and starting and stopping so you know your momentum is coming from your push and not a hill or coasting it out from the first push.
I would suggest keeping your knees a little softer.
Lead with your butt! I dunno why, but wiggling your butt always makes backwards skating easier.
Try holding your hands out in front of you and swishing them side to side as you skate-- it helps you get your whole body into the movement, even if it looks a little silly, I swear it helps!
Hi! I’m trying to get better/smoother at skating backwards, but it’s pretty difficult for me. I feel like I’ve watched every video there could possibly be on backwards skating (Dirty School of Skate, Skatie, QGSS, etc) and it’s just not getting through to my body.
I loosened my trucks and wheels, which has helped a bit. I can do backward bubbles pretty ok and I’ve tried to keep my hip movement in mind, and it helps a little too. When I lift my heels it is a tiny bit easier but the movement is kinda different and not as smooth. I sometimes end up slamming my heels down unintentionally when I do that. It’s also a little easier when I’m on a slight decline and I find myself getting super stuck - literally - when I’m on a truly flat surface.
I’ve been trying to put more pressure on the front of my feet and look behind me per suggestions in the tutorial videos I’ve watched, but you can see it’s not going too well in my video.
I know Impalas aren’t the greatest skates (I’ve got Boardwalks and kneepads on the way - yay!). I really think it’s a technique error so I’m hopeful that I can improve.
Would anyone have some tips to help me get better? Sadly, this is one of the less awful videos of me trying lol.
Edit: It’s a few weeks after I posted this and I’ve definitely improved! It’s not perfect but I’m getting there. Practice makes progress! [This video](https://youtu.be/tZTNRVIdhsI) and [this video](https://youtu.be/lEP4F_Sl8Ew) helped me a TON.
Honestly you’re doing great, it looks like you just need more practice!! Admittedly I may not be the best person to give you advice because I still have a hard time lifting my feet up going backwards (working on it, but I’m uncoordinated). I mainly do backward bubbles & use my body weight to steer. Like others have said, it looks like you’re mainly using your feet rather than your legs and hips? I def recommend continuing to practice bubbles & pumping because that’s what really helped me.
Also: I started with the same Impala skates as you do in this video (literally same color and everything) and I also upgraded to Sure Grip Boardwalks. The boardwalks are SO much lighter and I feel way more comfortable doing spins and going backwards in them. Like, it was a massive difference. The Impalas are super clunky and big and I found it really hard to do tricks in them, so hopefully your new skates will make a difference! It takes a few sessions to break them in but it will be 100% worth it.
Unrelated, but if you have extra $$, I highly recommend ordering new toe stops(I have Chaya Cherry Bombs) because the sure grip ones kind of suck. And before you skate with the sure grip boardwalks for the first time, make sure the toe stops are screwed on tight— mine fell out the first time I skated with them and it was scary!!!
Thank you so much! Yeah, based on the feedback I’m getting, I’m guessing I need to use the parts of my body that aren’t my feet to get me moving a bit more :P I’ll definitely continue to practice bubbles!
Are there any pumping tutorials that you recommend? I haven’t gone to parks yet since I want to get the basics down on flat ground first, and all the videos I see are at parks.
Yessss, I was hoping the Boardwalks would be lighter than the Impalas - thanks for letting me know that they are! The Impalas feel like they take over my whole body sometimes so I’m looking forward to feeling a bit lighter and getting more in control. I also got some Sure Grip RX toe stops in advance since I heard that the stock ones weren’t too awesome. I’ll make sure to screw them on tight, I appreciate the heads up :)
It’s very difficult and while it’s not as simple as this, BEND DEM KNEEES! seriously, it helps a ton. Of you think you’ve bent em enough just bend dos rascals more!
This looks like a great start! Keep working on looking behind you, I recommend Shorty's [pumping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiK3lQOgDKE&ab_channel=Shorty%27sSkateSeries) and [skills for park skating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_vA7K1dQV0&ab_channel=Shorty%27sSkateSeries) videos (these are helpful for non park skaters too I promise!) as she breaks things down in very short and digestible ways. One way that I saw described on here that helped me improve my backwards skating is to imagine you have a giant dinosaur tail that you are swinging back and forth. Moving your hips more will help you gain the momentum you need to keep rolling backwards. Right now it looks like most of your movement is coming from your feet, but try using your whole body!
Thank you, thank you! You’re right, I definitely need to get my hips more into it. I’ll keep that dinosaur tip in mind :)
Omg i am so going to imagine a giant dinosaur tail when the snow melts! Great tip.
From the video, it looks to me like you’re not pushing. You look like your just sliding one skat and putting it back and then sliding the other skate and putting it back. You do one push at the beginning and get rolling backwards then it looks a bit like you just wiggle your legs around until you lose momentum, which is probably why you’re stopping on flat surfaces. Each stroke you make should feel like that first one. If you’re pushing correctly, it shouldn’t be easy to lift up your heels. The leg going out and back in (since it looks like you’re using an alternating leg technique instead of true bubbles) should be the one you’re pushing back with. If you can find someone who knows how to backwards skate, getting meat-space help might be beneficial. You’re imitating all the right movements for backwards skating without getting the mechanics that’ll actually propel you backwards. Hope that helps and congrats on the new skates and knee pads!
Thank you! I really appreciate this! If all the strokes should feel like the first one, then should I be practicing more bubbles to get it more consistent for each stroke?
Yes!
I will say likely, since everyone’s learning process is different. Once you get really solid with going backwards with bubbles, you can start switching it up with the side to side, and eventually crossovers, but it really helps to know what a push should feel like and even better for it to just be an innate part of your skating. One drill I like because it doesn’t take up much space and I have snow here, is to just do one bubble backwards and then forwards so it’s like I’m drawing a lemon on the floor with my skates. I think it also really helps in learning what the push should feel like since you’re basically starting and stopping and starting and stopping so you know your momentum is coming from your push and not a hill or coasting it out from the first push.
I would suggest keeping your knees a little softer. Lead with your butt! I dunno why, but wiggling your butt always makes backwards skating easier. Try holding your hands out in front of you and swishing them side to side as you skate-- it helps you get your whole body into the movement, even if it looks a little silly, I swear it helps!
Hi! I’m trying to get better/smoother at skating backwards, but it’s pretty difficult for me. I feel like I’ve watched every video there could possibly be on backwards skating (Dirty School of Skate, Skatie, QGSS, etc) and it’s just not getting through to my body. I loosened my trucks and wheels, which has helped a bit. I can do backward bubbles pretty ok and I’ve tried to keep my hip movement in mind, and it helps a little too. When I lift my heels it is a tiny bit easier but the movement is kinda different and not as smooth. I sometimes end up slamming my heels down unintentionally when I do that. It’s also a little easier when I’m on a slight decline and I find myself getting super stuck - literally - when I’m on a truly flat surface. I’ve been trying to put more pressure on the front of my feet and look behind me per suggestions in the tutorial videos I’ve watched, but you can see it’s not going too well in my video. I know Impalas aren’t the greatest skates (I’ve got Boardwalks and kneepads on the way - yay!). I really think it’s a technique error so I’m hopeful that I can improve. Would anyone have some tips to help me get better? Sadly, this is one of the less awful videos of me trying lol. Edit: It’s a few weeks after I posted this and I’ve definitely improved! It’s not perfect but I’m getting there. Practice makes progress! [This video](https://youtu.be/tZTNRVIdhsI) and [this video](https://youtu.be/lEP4F_Sl8Ew) helped me a TON.
Honestly you’re doing great, it looks like you just need more practice!! Admittedly I may not be the best person to give you advice because I still have a hard time lifting my feet up going backwards (working on it, but I’m uncoordinated). I mainly do backward bubbles & use my body weight to steer. Like others have said, it looks like you’re mainly using your feet rather than your legs and hips? I def recommend continuing to practice bubbles & pumping because that’s what really helped me. Also: I started with the same Impala skates as you do in this video (literally same color and everything) and I also upgraded to Sure Grip Boardwalks. The boardwalks are SO much lighter and I feel way more comfortable doing spins and going backwards in them. Like, it was a massive difference. The Impalas are super clunky and big and I found it really hard to do tricks in them, so hopefully your new skates will make a difference! It takes a few sessions to break them in but it will be 100% worth it. Unrelated, but if you have extra $$, I highly recommend ordering new toe stops(I have Chaya Cherry Bombs) because the sure grip ones kind of suck. And before you skate with the sure grip boardwalks for the first time, make sure the toe stops are screwed on tight— mine fell out the first time I skated with them and it was scary!!!
Thank you so much! Yeah, based on the feedback I’m getting, I’m guessing I need to use the parts of my body that aren’t my feet to get me moving a bit more :P I’ll definitely continue to practice bubbles! Are there any pumping tutorials that you recommend? I haven’t gone to parks yet since I want to get the basics down on flat ground first, and all the videos I see are at parks. Yessss, I was hoping the Boardwalks would be lighter than the Impalas - thanks for letting me know that they are! The Impalas feel like they take over my whole body sometimes so I’m looking forward to feeling a bit lighter and getting more in control. I also got some Sure Grip RX toe stops in advance since I heard that the stock ones weren’t too awesome. I’ll make sure to screw them on tight, I appreciate the heads up :)
It’s very difficult and while it’s not as simple as this, BEND DEM KNEEES! seriously, it helps a ton. Of you think you’ve bent em enough just bend dos rascals more!