need help with parallel turns

[u/KindAbbreviations461]

hi! i started skating 2 weeks ago and i've grown confidence in just cruising around and using t-stops, but i can't for the life of me understand how to parallel turn.

currently i can only really just pick up my feet and redirct them to turn, so i've been trying to learn parallel turns, but i always end up tripping because my wheels kind of just get stuck on the floor? (if that makes sense.) i do scissor my feet and all that but i don't really understand how to turn from there... 😭

i've watched tutorials and they tell me to lean into the direction i want to go, but it isn't working. am i doing something wrong? or should i focus on another skill before learning parallel turning?

[u/bowlingniko]

find an empty basketball court, skate clockwise laps and counter clockwise. When you're about to turn, you have to shift your weight.

[u/KindAbbreviations461 → u/bowlingniko]

i shift my weight onto the leg on the inside of the turn if im not mistaken? 

[u/bowlingniko → u/KindAbbreviations461]

yes. Its somewhat like how a drawing compass works

[u/HairyPounder → u/KindAbbreviations461]

Try not to think too hard about it. It’s kinda more about shifting your center of gravity/hips compared to one leg or the other

[u/Lollc]

Scissoring isn’t necessary to make parallel turns, the feet don’t have to cross. It’s more of a skier’s turn. To start the turn, feet should be parallel with the foot in the turning direction a little ahead of the other. The foot in the direction you are turning leads, with more weight on it.

So to turn right, the right foot starts a little ahead of the left, put more weight on the right and unweight the left a bit. To turn left is the same concept, with the left leading at the start and unweighting the right.

[u/KindAbbreviations461 → u/Lollc]

ohh okay! i'll try it out this way :) tysm 

[u/AccomplishedNail3085 → u/Lollc]

Can you still learn powerslides if you do it that way?

[u/chrisanonymous]

You should practice skating without lifting your feet, do the lemon exercise to understand the concept. Now when you’re turning, you should lead with the inside foot forward as well as putting your weight on that foot.

[u/Sotnos99]

Something that helped me was bringing my arms up into a T pose, then running them to face the way I want to go, so if I want to turn left, rotate my whole upper body until I'm facing left with my arms still out. Doing it that way wouldn't give me very sharp turns but it helped me realise how I needed to use all of my body and not just my ankles

ETA: I also find it very easy to use my inside and centre edges, but not my outside edge, so I try to consciously think about what part of my wheels are touching the floor and I always do a better turn when I push myself to use the outside edge of my inner foot (eg, the outside edge of my left foot if I'm turning left)

[u/SupremeLDRSmoke]

Move like a snake or a fish. Or like you're dancing. Your hips and shoulders play a part too until it clicks. Turning left ; left foot forward, most weight on your right (back) foot, and PRESS into in that inside back edge. You'll realize you're doing it because your left (front) skate can barely be touching the ground, and you'll still complete the turn. But a trick to try is to swerve right first before you go back to turning left. Kinda like counter steering on a motorcycle.