Almost every new skater makes the same handful of mistakes. The good news is they’re all fixable — usually with one small change. If skating feels harder than it should, check this list.
1. Standing up straight
The problem: Straight legs raise your center of gravity and make you unstable.
The fix: Bend your knees like you’re sitting in a high chair. When in doubt, bend more.
2. Leaning back
The problem: Weight on your heels makes your wheels shoot forward — the classic backward fall.
The fix: Keep your weight over the balls of your feet with your chest slightly forward. Your nose should be roughly over your toes.
3. Looking at your feet
The problem: Your body follows your eyes. Looking down pulls you forward and off balance.
The fix: Look ahead to where you’re going. Your skates aren’t going anywhere without you.
4. Walking instead of gliding
The problem: Taking quick, running steps wastes energy and makes you unstable.
The fix: Push out to the side, then glide. Count “push… glide… push… glide.”
5. Pushing straight back
The problem: Pushing your foot straight behind you like running gets very little power — and on quads, it can make the toe stop catch.
The fix: Push out to the side and slightly back with the whole wheelbase.
6. Loose skates
The problem: If your heel lifts and your ankles wobble, your skates aren’t laced tight enough.
The fix: Lace snugly, especially around the ankle. Tighten trucks slightly if your quads feel too loose.
7. Skating stiff and scared
The problem: Tense muscles make it harder to react and balance.
The fix: Breathe, shake out your arms and relax your shoulders. Wear full pads so you can trust your falls.
8. Not learning to stop
The problem: Relying on walls and other skaters to stop is dangerous and stressful.
The fix: Practice the plow stop, T-stop and toe-drag (quads) or heel brake (inlines) at slow speed every session.
9. Skipping the wrist guards
The problem: Wrists are some of the most commonly injured body parts in skating.
The fix: Wear wrist guards every time, along with a helmet and knee pads.
10. Practicing too long, too rarely
The problem: One marathon session leaves you exhausted and sore, and tired skaters fall more.
The fix: Shorter sessions, more often. Thirty minutes a few times a week builds skills much faster.
Bonus: comparing yourself to others
The skater spinning in the middle of the rink has probably been skating for years. Measure progress against yourself last week, not against anyone else. Every session, you’re getting better.
Grew up skating at Super Wheels? The floor remembers — and so do we. Share your Super Wheels memories and photos so the next generation knows where South Florida learned to roll.