How to use Inline Skate Brakes -
in ten minutes or so, three easy steps. Easy!
Chances are you have some inline skates. I don't know where you got them, but I'll bet they didn't tell you the two most important things:
1: WEAR A HELMET! No excuses or exceptions. It's your brain, man! Messing up your hair, looking stupid (you won't), or being teased by your so-called friends won't ruin your life. Brain damage will! If you skate (or bike) long enough, you will eventually plant your skull on the hard, unforgiving asphalt. I'm a veteran marathon skater and mountain biker, I know wot I'm talking about.
2. How to use the brake and actually stop. That's my job here, then you can teach others. No, really!
This is going to be text-only for now, but don't worry! It's simple enough that you don't need pictures. Read the steps, then read the Common Mistakes section following. It will explain what you're probably doing wrong (instinct, not your fault), and how the 3-step method helps you avoid these mistakes.
You don't need skates to learn or practice this! As you read the steps, stand up and TRY THEM! Then grab the skates and amaze yourself.
SETTING UP: Skate forward at a moderate speed, with your feet together under you.
Skate as if you were standing without shoes on. DO NOT give in to nervousness and spread your feet apart! This is best practiced on level ground, or a VERY slight downhill, just enough to keep you moving at a jog. Directions are given for right-side brake, but can be reversed for left brake.
As you learn and practice this, do it step by step, and count out loud as you do each step. It helps you focus, try it.
STEP ONE: Lower your center of gravity.
Bend from the waist, holding your arms out, forward, and down a bit. Imagine placing your flat palms wide on a table in front of you. Bend your knees as far as you easily can and stay stable. Say out loud, "ONE!"
Coast like this for a bit, then go back up and do it again. The key is to lower your body and keep your feet together, while rolling in a straight line. When you have it, move on to Step Two.
STEP TWO: Move your right foot forward one skate length.
Without changing your body position, slowly shift your right foot forward, keeping all wheels on the ground. Shift most of your weight onto your left foot. If you can't keep your right skate flat, you probably need to bend your knees more. Keep your feet parallel and tracking about 8" apart. You should be rolling forward, waist and knees bent, arms forward and down, with your right foot flat on the ground, right brake stopper by your left toes. Say out loud, "TWO!"
Practice rolling forward like this until you can do it straight and comfortably. Don't skip ahead! Get this part right and the rest is gravy.
STEP THREE: Apply the brake.
Raise the toe of your right foot until the brake stopper contacts the ground. Say "THREE!". Press down with your heel to get more force. That's it!
At this point, your body weight is lowered, and lined up with both feet along the line your body is traveling. As you apply the brake, your weight will shift forward, right onto the rubber stopper. You won't wobble, twist, or pitch forward and fall. What you will do is actually stop. With practice, you can lay a smoking trail of rubber on the ground from high speed. Spectators love that!
PRACTICE:
Practice each step in turn and count out loud. The point is to get yourself into the proper position to brake straight and true. Don't try to hit the brake unless you're comfortable and stable in the Step Two position. As you practice, you'll find yourself blurring the steps together as your body heads right for the Ready To Brake position. Soon you'll drop right into a braking pose in one movement and make it look natural and easy. Trust me!
COMMON MISTAKES
Here's what most people instinctively do that makes it difficult or impossible to stop well. Pay attention and bear with me, and you'll see why the 3-step method works.
Info:
Center of Mass
This isn't a mistake, but necessary background. Consider your center of mass
as a weight on a string. When you stand still, it hangs below you along your
centerline. When you're moving at a steady speed, it... hangs below you again!
If you try to slow down, it swings out in front of you, yes? Got it? Cool, now
the mistakes...
Feet too
far apart
Us two-legged animals instinctively spread our feet apart for stability. This
is a bad idea on skates for nearly any reason. Stand up - right now! - with
your feet shoulder-width apart. Feel secure? Now... suddenly pick up one foot.
You begin to fall to that side! Not so stable after all. Now try it again, this
time with your feet a few inches apart, just like you normally stand. Much easier
to keep your balance, yes?
While skating, you're almost constantly going to be skating on one foot. As you shift your weight from one foot to the other, they must be underneath you. If you give in to the urge to spread your feet, you'll be constantly off-balance. Learn to skate with your feet under you, just like you walk.
Standing
too straight
We're bipeds, and
we stand upright. Normally good, but it keeps your mass too high for stopping.
When you brake, there's going to be drag at ground level, which wants to pitch
you over forward. Your center of mass moves out ahead of you, but the stopper
is behind it.
Legs straight,
knees unbent
If your legs are straight and you move your right foot forward, it's going to
be impossible to keep it on the ground. Your leg moves in an arc, lifting your
foot up. The only way to hit the brake like this is to keep the braking foot
under you, where it can't apply any force and you're going to pitch over on
your face from ground-level drag.
All Of The Above, and What Happens Next
Tell me if this sounds familiar... You're skating along upright, legs straight, feet shoulder-width apart because you're nervous. You try to put pressure on the brake stopper. The drag on the ground makes your body pitch forward and try to fall, and suddenly you're jerky-turning to the right.
Your braking foot is to the right of your center of mass, causing you to pivot around that foot. Your weight was balanced directly over your brake, so as the stopper drags the ground, your center of mass (the weight on the string) swings ahead, pulling you forward into a fall. The only way to NOT fall is to let off the brake, bend over and windmill your arms for balance, and try to fight the turn. Who needs that?
Who is this guy, and why should I believe him?
Mark Dobbs: Inline skater, Athens-to-Atlanta Skate (86 miles) 1994, 1995, and 1998. US 10K Classic 1996, 1998.
I skated a lot at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. There's a skate shop by the park, and many first-timers rent skates. I saw many people getting in trouble on the park's hills, and would stop and show them how to brake. I noticed everyone made the same (instinctive) mistakes. Over time, my guidance crystallized into the three steps above. From then on, I could teach any stranger to brake in a few minutes, and an hour later would see them stopping confidently. Many tracked me down in the park to thank me again! I would be rich if I'd taken the money people offered me, but I'm happy helping folks have fun and avoid injury on skates. I've given up skating for singletrack mountain biking now, but I loved it. I want others to enjoy it too!