How To Stop On Roller Skates (Ultimate Guide)

When you are about to learn how to roll the skates, the biggest challenge is learning how to stop them.* Spoiler* A few accidents are a must. 

Roller skates can roll at an incredibly fast speed, so a beginner kind of faces difficulty in learning to stop it. Many learners get disheartened and quit learning roller skating. However, once you practice and get used to it, roller skating is the most fun-filled outdoor activity. Not only it improves overall balance and hand and eye coordination, but it also enhances strength and stamina. 

How To Stop On Roller Skates

So in today’s blog, we will be discussing different stopping methods to slow down your speed and eventually stop the roller skates. 

For the beginner, it is recommended to ride on a quad skate which comes with toe stops. With the help of these attachments, you can learn different moves. However, if you want to use inline skates or ones without toe stops, you need to be a skilled skater with a grip on yourself and perfect control over speed.

The toe stop drag

So the first method to stop the quad skates using toe stops is the toe stop drag. In this method, you simply need to balance your weight on one leg so that with the other, you can lightly drag the skate on your toe to slow it down. Try the following steps for a toe stop drag.

● Bend the leg on the front and try to shift all or max 80% load on it.

● The stopper of the other toe should tilt and scrape on the floor in a way to slow you down. Bend this knee also so that the foot in this skate will point downward. 

● Remember that your weight should be on the front foot so that the rear one remains light enough to drag and stop you down. 

T-Stop 

T stop is the safest method of slowing down and stopping your quad skates. However, this method requires the skater to master the skills of balance and have core strengths. This stopping method involves a nearly one leg posture, so beginners may need to stick on the toe to stop drag. 

But as it is said, Practice makes Perfect, and repetitive practice will enable you to stop on higher speeds and steep slopes.

● Like the toe stop drag, shift your all or maximum weight to your front foot. Keep your front knee bent and your body upright.

● Slide the back skate either on the two front wheels, two side wheels, or all four skates. 

Heel Brake Stop

Like the inline skates, some models of the quad skates come with a heel brake attached to the rear side. This feature makes it easy to stop while riding on sloping surfaces and taking emergency stops.

● Bring together both the knees and bend them. Keep your both skates aligned.

● Shift approx 70% of the weight on one leg and then bring the other skate in front. Aly the brake when it lies just ahead of the frontal wheel of the back skate. 

● Allow to slide it for a while, maintaining the brake position near the front wheel of the rear skate. 

● This kind of stop allows immediate stopping because all the rider’s weight exists behind the brake.

Plow Stops

There are two different styles of plow stops on quad skates. They are the sliding lough stop and stepping lough stop.

Sliding Plow Stop

For this move, the skater needs to balance himself in an A position. The feet should be farther apart than shoulders, and the skates should remain parallel, the knees slightly bending while the body must be upright. In this style, the speed slows down at first, and then you stop. 

The thing which requires a lot of practice is that you need to apply pressure with your heels while the heel should angle out and toes should move in. However, you should prevent the joining of the skates while maintaining this posture. This style of storing the roller skates helps the most when you are riding an indoor rink. 

Stepping Plow Stop

Like in the sliding style, you need to come into an A posture and keep your skates parallel but wide apart. 

● Lift each foot one by one and lace the skate in a position where your toes are in, and heels are out. Maintain the same position every time you shift the feet. 

● With this position, the skates will start moving in a central direction. In this way, the toes will not come near and prevent the falling off. This style works to stop you immediately, provided you have correctly moved the skate while keeping it pointed on the inner side. 

Combinations

All these methods written above can be combined to perform some stunts as well. Combination moves help in taking more decent and formed stops without losing the balance. For example, the T stop and Stepping lough are often used together. T stop tends to reduce approx 50% of the seed, and the stepping lough brings the skate to a stop, all while maintaining the stature. These combination moves reduce the wear and tear of your skate wheels. Remember to buy a skate with a toe stopper when you are just learning because stoppers can be easily replaced compared to the wheels. 

Conclusion

Just like you need to know how to stop a car or a bike before driving it, you also need to know about the roller skate and all of its stopping methods. Do not wait for an accident or injury to take place before you learn the importance of stopping the skate. It is also advised to master one stopping style first and then move to the next one. Practice the combination moves and then move to the inline skates or the skates without toe breaks. Practice, constant self-improvement, and development will make you a perfect skater. We hope our blog will help you learn and practice the different styles of stopping on your roller skates. Skate well