Tips · 5 tips
Inline skating drills: lemon, cross and footwork
Five short tips to gain control, coordination and flow: lemon, alternating cross and your warm-up.
If I had to keep just one drill on skates, it would be the lemon: feet in a V, feet in an A, and start over, drawing a lemon on the ground. Mastering it with no added push trains your body to change direction and move fluidly, and almost everything else comes from there.
From the lemon you move on to the cross, forward and backward, and from the cross to the snake. The order matters: one move leads to the next, and connecting them is what makes flow arrive naturally. Speed comes later; what's valuable is the symmetry between your two sides.
Close with my warm-up sequence for flow. If you're looking for a complete warm-up routine before training, it's in the warm-up tutorial.
Tip 1 · Beginner
The lemon: the base drill of your skating
Key points
- You start with your feet in a V shape and end with your feet in an A shape.
- You repeat it continuously, drawing a lemon on the ground.
- Master it with no added push.
Common mistake
With these transitions you train your body to change direction and move fluidly, the foundation of the rest of your skills.
Tip 2 · Beginner
Footwork: lemon and alternating cross, backward and forward
Key points
- First the lemon, slow and well controlled, to work on the base of your mobility.
- Then the alternating backward cross: not fast, but symmetric and with good control.
- Lastly the alternating forward cross, looking for the same balance between sides.
Common mistake
Speed comes later: what's valuable is watching your posture, noticing whether one leg dominates and working to balance them.
Tip 3 · Beginner
The cross: lemon push with one leg ahead
Key points
- Start with a push similar to the lemon's, but the leg that will cross goes slightly ahead and passes behind or in front of the other.
- Spread and bend your legs and cross one behind or in front along a line (in the video, the line of cones); repeat with the other.
- Line up your center of gravity with your support leg and relax your arms; if you're going backward, look over your shoulder.
- At your own pace, increase the speed and alternate between right and left.
Tip 4 · Beginner
Flow: from the lemon to the cross and from the cross to the snake
Key points
- Start from the lemon, heels together: open and close your legs to go back and forth.
- If you master the lemon, you can do a forward cross and a backward one.
- If you master both crosses, you can do a snake, and from there play with many other moves.
Common mistake
Master your fundamentals and the rest is construction: one move leads to another, and flow appears naturally.
Tip 5 · Beginner
My warm-up for flow
Key points
- I'm sharing my general warm-up sequence, for all levels, to improve the flow in my lines.
- Flow is the ability to move quickly and easily while you skate, without obstructing or limiting your movement.
- Warming up with rhythmic movements is the first stage to improve it.
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More ways to supportFrequently asked questions
- What's the best drill for beginners on skates?
- The lemon: you start with your feet in a V and end in an A, over and over, drawing a lemon on the ground. Master it with no added push and all your techniques benefit.
- How do I practice the cross?
- With a push similar to the lemon's, but the crossing leg goes slightly ahead and passes behind or in front of the other. Line up your center of gravity with your support leg, relax your arms and, if you're going backward, look over your shoulder.
- What drills improve my footwork?
- Three in sequence: slow, controlled lemon, alternating backward cross and alternating forward cross. It's not about doing it fast, but about doing it symmetrically.
- How do I gain flow when skating?
- By mastering the basics in order: lemon, then forward and backward cross, then snake. From there everything is construction: one move leads to another and flow shows up on its own.