Summer Inline Skating Drills with Marsblade

As a young hockey players I was always looking for ways to work on my skills in the summer. One summer I bought a pair of roller blades and was excited at the similarities to skating on the ice (until I tried a full speed hockey stop, ouch). Besides not being able to stop, I slowly realized roller blades aren’t exactly like skates. I noticed my stride was a bit more upright, and my turns were not as sharp. I still loved rollerblading and accepted the minor differences and made it a part of every summer. Then came the Marsblade roller frame!

I tried the Marsblade roller frame and loved it. It’s such a simple concept, add a rocker. This means the chassis moves up and down at the heel and toe, depending on where the player distributes their weight. This small change really improves the experience of inline skating. I enjoy the extra challenge, and additional balance required.

Inline Skating Drills for Hockey Players

Marsblade offered to fly me to California to shoot some hockey videos. I took this opportunity to share some of my favourite on-ice drills (Adapted and inspired by the many on-ice drills done at Vital Hockey Skills with Jim Vitale) that I thought would work well with the Marsblade system.

These inline skating drills are meant to challenge your balance and agility in a similar manner to on-ice skating drills. The goal is to use these off the ice, and see an impact when you get back on the ice.

Pavel Barber Skating Drills

My friend Pavel Barber was also brought in to record some drills. He is an instructor at UBC and brought his own style of skating drills to the scene. You can see some of his drills below

If you’re interested in getting a pair you can visit their website here. The Marsblade roller frames must be mounted to a pair of hockey boots. I used the Vortex from Verbero Hockey.

For more hockey tips you can follow How To Hockey on social media using the links in my author bio below.

Free sample lessons from our off-ice skating course on The Pond

If you’re looking for more ways to improve your hockey skills, check out The Pond. The Pond is our all in one hockey training platform designed to continually challenge players. We provide you with the most efficient path to improve the skills you will use the most in game. Use coupon code TRYOUTS to get your first month 100% free!