Is Figure Skating Training Good for Hockey Players? What Transfers and What Doesn't

Learn-to-skate, figure skating lessons or power skating: three options that get lumped together

"Figure skating training" can mean three very different things. Separating them answers most of the question.

• General learn-to-skate classes. Group lessons, often run by local skating clubs and community rinks, that teach the basics: gliding, balance, stopping, simple edges and crossovers. Best for: young children who can't skate yet. What's missing: anything hockey-specific.
• Figure skating lessons and programs. Taught in figure skates and aimed at the sport itself: edges and turns in set patterns, then jumps, spins and eventually programs set to music. Best for: children who want to figure skate. What's missing: the hockey stance, starts, stick, puck and contact. A hockey player also spends much of the time on jumps and spins the game never uses, in skates that aren't built for hockey.
• Hockey power skating built on figure skating technique. A coach applies figure skating technique (edges, weight transfer, turns, body control) to hockey skating, in hockey skates and gear, with drills that build toward game situations. Best for: players who can already skate and want sharper turns, stronger edges and cleaner transitions in games. What's missing: jumps, spins and artistry, which is the point.

Power skating and figure skating rely on the same fundamentals: edges, balance, weight transfer and turns. The difference is where each one is headed. Figure skating builds toward jumps, spins and patterns judged on precision. Power skating builds toward a balanced, efficient hockey player with a stick in their hands and their eyes on the play.

Power skating programs can also differ in emphasis, from straight-line stride and conditioning work to edges, turns and transitions, so it's worth asking a coach how their sessions split the time. For a hockey player who can already skate, that third option is usually the one worth looking at.

What transfers from figure skating to hockey

These skills carry over, though several need their form adjusted for hockey.

• Inside and outside edges. Every blade has two edges, created by the hollow ground into it. Figure skaters learn to hold each edge forward and backward, on each foot, on a controlled curve. For a hockey player, a confident outside edge, paired with the inside edge of the other skate, helps make tighter turns and cutbacks without bleeding speed. The inside edge also supplies much of the push in the stride and the bite in a stop.
• Balance over the blade. Figure skating teaches a skater to stay centred over the skate they're standing on, not rocked back on the heels. In a game, that helps a player stay balanced while their weight shifts. Staying on their feet in a corner battle also takes things figure skating doesn't train: a wider base than figure skaters use, a low centre of gravity, strength, and body position against an opponent.
• Weight transfer. Figure skating is exact about moving weight fully from one skate to the other. A hockey player who half-commits to each skate pushes against themselves. Full weight transfer helps make a stride powerful rather than busy, and lets a player change direction without an extra step.
• Crossovers. Figure skaters drill crossovers in both directions, forward and backward, including the push from the skate that crosses under. That under-push is where a lot of a crossover's speed comes from, and it transfers directly. The form has to be adjusted: figure skaters turn the upper body into the circle and often hold a long glide, while a hockey player usually keeps the shoulders and eyes on the play, stays lower, and uses shorter, quicker crossovers to accelerate.
• Turns and transitions. Figure skating has many turns that switch between forward and backward. One that hockey players borrow is the mohawk. In hockey it's usually taught as an open-hip, heel-to-heel pivot, a looser version of the figure skating open mohawk, where the free heel comes to the instep of the skating foot. Defenders in particular use it often, alongside two-foot and crossover pivots. A defender who opens the hips and transfers weight in one clean motion can turn with the rush and hold a tight gap instead of taking extra steps.
• Backward skating. Backward edges and crossovers get serious attention in figure skating, though figure skaters usually skate backward tall, looking over the shoulder toward where they're going. Hockey players skate backward in a low, seated stance, facing the play, and push with C-cuts, a staple of hockey backward skating. For defence in particular, strong backward C-cuts, crossovers and pivots are a core part of gap control, along with reading the rush and taking good angles.
• Body control. Figure skaters learn precise upper-body control: they rotate and check the shoulders on purpose to start and stop turns, rather than letting them swing. The control carries over, but the positions change. The goal on the ice is a player whose upper body stays controlled and facing the play while their feet adjust underneath them.

What does not transfer, and what has to be adjusted

A hockey player who takes figure skating lessons without any hockey adjustment can pick up habits that work against them.

• The upright forward stride. Figure skating's forward stroking uses a tall, straight upper body and a long glide, often with the free leg held extended behind after the push. Hockey needs a lower athletic stance, with deep knee and hip bend, the body angled forward, and a quick return of the pushing leg back under the body. The balance work transfers; the posture and leg recovery don't. The forward angle should come from the knees and hips, not a rounded back.
• How a start works. Figure skating teaches skaters to push through the middle of the blade and generally treats pushing off the toe picks as a fault. A hockey start looks different: the first few strides are short, quick, running-like steps with the toes turned out, pushing off the inside edges over the front half of the blades with very little glide, before the stride lengthens out. They're still pushes, not stabs off the toes. A player trained only in figure skating stroking may glide too soon, and those first steps matter in a race to a loose puck.
• Toe picks and blade feel. Figure blades have toe picks at the front; hockey blades don't. Figure blades are also longer, extending past the heel of the boot, generally wider, and shaped differently along their length, including a more curved section just behind the picks that's used for spinning. Because the two blades grip, balance and turn differently, edge feel learned in one doesn't carry over exactly to the other, and switching between them takes adjustment.
• Arms and hands. In figure skating, the arms are held out for balance and presentation. A hockey player has a stick in their hands, and when they're driving the arms, the swing shouldn't cross the midline of the body. Coaches disagree on direction: many teach a forward-and-back swing, while others prefer a more lateral swing that matches the sideways push of the legs.
• Eyes and decisions. Figure skating patterns are planned in advance. Hockey skating happens while reading the play. Edge work that only holds up while a player looks at their feet isn't finished.
• Stops and restarts. Figure skating teaches stopping mainly as a control skill, usually to finish a movement, and doesn't typically drill it at full speed on both sides. In hockey, both the stop and what comes right after it matter: a player needs to stop hard on either side and push straight into the next stride, often with an opponent closing in. That stop-and-go needs its own practice.
• Contact, gear and the puck. Figure skating lessons don't involve skating in full equipment, staying balanced through a bump, or handling a puck while working an edge. Those have to be trained in a hockey setting.

The case for training based on figure skating rests on coaching experience and what people see on the ice, and no one can promise a specific result.

The objections skeptical hockey parents raise

"Won't it make my kid skate upright?" It can, if a player copies the figure skating forward stride. It shouldn't when the technique is coached in a hockey stance, keeping the edge and balance work and building it into a low, athletic position with a quick leg recovery.

"Won't the toe pick teach a bad push-off?" Not usually. Figure skating coaches treat pushing off the toe pick as a fault, too. The pick mainly causes trouble for beginners, who can catch it and trip, and for players switching between skate types. The bigger mismatch is the start: figure skaters learn to push from the middle of the blade and glide, while a hockey start uses short, quick pushes over the front half of the blades. Training in hockey skates, with the hockey start coached on purpose, deals with both.

"What can a figure skater teach a hockey player?" A lot of figure skating training goes into pure technique: one-foot balance, deep edges and clean turns in both directions. What figure skating on its own doesn't teach is the hockey stride, the start, and skating with a stick while an opponent closes in. So ask any skating coach two things: what hockey they have played or coached, and which figure skating habits they change for hockey players.

"Wouldn't more ice time do the same thing?" More ice time does help, especially for younger players. What games don't usually offer is the chance to slow down and isolate one specific flaw, like a weak outside edge on one side. Without focused feedback, extra ice time tends to reinforce existing habits, good or bad. Focused technique work is where a specific habit changes; games are where the change gets tested.

"Will it make my player faster?" It may help, but speed isn't the main thing it works on. Figure skating technique does most for edges, balance, turning, transitions and efficiency. Straight-line acceleration also depends on a hockey-specific start, stride mechanics and strength. A player who wastes less energy on each stride and turn can look quicker in a game, but no one can guarantee a speed gain.

"Isn't figure skating for figure skaters?" Some players worry what teammates will say. What they actually do in this kind of training looks like hockey: hockey skates, hockey gear, hockey drills. Holding a deep backward outside edge on one foot at speed is demanding, athletic work.

Figure skating lessons or a hockey skating coach? How to decide

For a child already playing hockey, a skating coach who teaches figure skating technique in hockey skates is usually a better fit than figure skating lessons. A learn-to-skate program makes most sense for young children who can't skate yet, and figure skating lessons for kids who want to figure skate as a sport in its own right. If your player is progressing well and enjoying the game, extra skating work may not be needed yet; team practice and public skating are a reasonable, lower-cost place to start.

Beyond that, the choice depends on age, skating level and goals:

• Young children who can't skate yet. A general learn-to-skate program is a sensible place to start. Balance, gliding, stopping and basic edges all carry into hockey. Advice differs on whether a future hockey player should learn in figure skates or hockey skates. Starting in hockey skates avoids having to adjust to a different blade later. Whichever you choose, make sure the skates fit snugly.
• Children who love both sports. Figure skating lessons are a great activity in their own right, and the edge and balance skills are real. Just know that the hockey side (stance, starts, stick and contact) will still need attention, and that two skating schedules take planning.
• House league and rep players who can skate but look stuck. This is where technique work built for hockey tends to make the most sense. The player doesn't need to become a figure skater. They need figure skating technique built into their hockey stride, turns and transitions.
• AAA, junior, university and older players. As the game gets faster, small inefficiencies cost more. Technique work at this stage focuses on efficiency, edges under pressure, transitions and starts, in full gear and at game pace.

Whatever you choose, a few questions will help you judge a coach or program:

• Will my player train in their own hockey skates?
• Which figure skating habits do you adapt for hockey, and how?
• Do drills progress from isolated technique to game-like situations, with a stick and puck?
• How will we know it's working? Look for a concrete answer, such as video or repeating the same drills every few weeks. New technique usually shows up in practice before it holds up in games.

Signs your player could benefit from skating technique work

Watch a game or practice with this list in mind. If several sound familiar, technique work may be worth a look.

• Turns sharply one way but swings wide the other.
• Skates tall, or hunches over with a rounded back instead of bending the knees and hinging at the hips.
• Has a busy, choppy stride that doesn't cover much ice, with a pushing leg that never fully extends.
• Crossovers look like stepping over rather than pushing under.
• Loses a step when switching from forward to backward.
• On defence, gets beaten wide on the rush or has to turn and open up too early.
• Loses balance easily when their weight shifts or they take a light bump along the boards.
• Needs a long, sliding stop instead of a short, sharp one, stops better on one side, or needs extra steps to get going again.
• Loses races to loose pucks over the first few strides, even when they react at the same time as the opponent.

None of these is unusual, and none of them means a player lacks talent. Many are technique problems, and technique can be coached. Some have other causes, though: skates that don't fit, blades that are poorly or unevenly sharpened, strength, a recent growth spurt, or how well the player reads the play. Check skate fit and sharpening first, since both can cause edge problems. If the pattern keeps showing up across several games and the equipment is right, technique work is worth a look.

How the Sawkins Hybrid Method connects the two sports

Jessica developed The Sawkins Hybrid Method. Every drill is grounded in figure skating precision and then translated into game situations, such as races to the puck, battles in the corner and gap control on the rush.

No figure skating experience is needed, and most of the players we coach have never done any.

The method rests on four pillars:

• Edges & Balance. Deep, confident edge control on inside and outside edges, for sharper turns, tighter pivots and better balance while protecting the puck.
• Explosive Power. Proper blade mechanics and hip drive, aimed at more speed with less effort.
• Agility & Footwork. Quick foot speed, plus crossover technique drawn from competitive figure training, applied to hockey movement patterns.
• Body Control. Full-body coordination, posture and core stability.

The pillars describe what we work on, not a promised result. How much a player's speed changes also depends on strength, age and growth.

Sawkins Elite Skating Academy coaches hockey power skating in the Greater Toronto Area for players from around age 6 through the professional level. Sessions are private (one coach to one player), semi-private (one coach to two or three players) or group (one coach to five players).