Overcoming fear of falling/mental block

[tedonedges]

I started skating 6 months ago and I’m currently working on waltz jump and half flip jump. Since the beginning I have been struggling with mental blocks which I believe is greatly hindering my progress. I know this sounds really stupid but I simply loses my ability when I head out to the middle of the rink without anything near me. When I get to the middle I just gets so nervous and could not do anything. It feels as if my brain is inhibiting every single signals I try to send to my muscles.

I can perform the moves pretty well whenever I am near or touching a wall but I simply don’t have the courage to go out there and do some crossovers, not to mention doing jumps. I wear hip pads every time but it doesn’t seem to have alleviated my fear for falling. I know that in long term this is going to prevent me from advancing into further levels and I have to cope with that asap. Could someone please give me some advice on how to overcome that?

 

[emilinkaa]

The thing about skating is: it’s not a question of if you’ll fall, but WHEN you’re going to fall. AND! You’re going to fall a lot. You’ll fall on footwork, on spins, and on jumps. Like how death is an inevitable part of life, falls are an inevitable part of skating. Sorry, that’s a bit morbid.

Have you learned to fall? That’s one of the first things you should learn, along with getting up. You can also work on shoot the ducks (or teapots is another name), because those are something you’ll fall on a lot, but you’re closer to the ice, and it doesn’t hurt as much, or at all. I am sure there are tons of videos on falling. Here’s one I found, but didn’t watch all the way. Learn to fall, so you do it properly, and then you won’t be so worried.

Learn to Skate - Falling Down & Standing Back Up

One of the first things skaters learn is how to fall down and get up safely and properly. Learning how to do this off ice can help new skaters feel comfortab...

youtu.be

 

[outside edge enjoyer]

When you try to skate out to the middle, is it with the intention of doing your jumps? If so, start by leaving the jumps and even crossovers alone and just spend a while slowly stroking through the middle of the ice. Or do swizzles or slaloms at first if being on two feet will help you feel more secure. The more you can show your brain and body that it's okay and you're not going to die, the easier it will get and the more skills you'll feel comfortable doing. So practicing falling like the previous poster suggested will help too! In addition to shoot the ducks/teapots, trying to learn a knee slide has also given me SO MUCH falling practice that definitely made me less nervous doing other skills even when I wasn't super conscious that fear of falling was holding me back.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I know it feels counter-productive, but the faster you skate, the less it hurts when you fall. You're more likely to just keep sliding along the surface instead of the sudden "whap" falls that go straight down and land hard. Even as an adult skater, my friends and I have sometimes been in a silly mood and circle in crosscuts as fast as we can, drop sideways into a slide and, without breaking the rhythm, cross over again and stand up on that foot and keep going. It's actually fun. (No, really it is! Honest! )

And while slaloming on two feet down the midline of the ice, or across from boards to boards, bend those knees as deep as you can (think of it as you doing a great strength training exercise for the thigh muscles, not as you trying to overcome a fear). And press your weight down into the soles of your boots. If you're afraid of falling, the tendency is to pull up as if you're walking in shoes on an icy sidewalk and gingerly avoiding pressing on the ice because you're afraid of skidding.