Why Crossovers Feel Wrong (And How to Fix Them)
April 8, 2026
The crossover is the most misunderstood skating skill. Most youth players learn it wrong and carry the bad habit for years. Zealin Cronk breaks down the three common crossover faults and the exact drill progression that fixes each one.
The crossover is learned early and rarely revisited. By the time most players are 12, they've hardwired the motion — right or wrong. The problem is that even a 70% crossover looks fine at slow speeds. Acceleration reveals everything.
Here are the three faults I see most often and the progressions that fix them.
Most players lift their outside foot and place it across. The power actually comes from the inside foot pushing under the center of mass. Fix: wall drill — stand beside the boards, push your inside foot laterally as far as possible without moving your upper body. If your shoulder moves, you're not getting the right mechanics.
You cannot crossover effectively when you're standing tall. Your hip angle needs to be at roughly 45 degrees. Players who go upright lose edge engagement and turn the crossover into a shuffle. Fix: low cone circles — set cones in a tight circle and force yourself to stay low enough to touch each one as you pass.
After the crossover step, the inside foot recovers to a flat position instead of biting on the inside edge. That's free power being left on the ice. Fix: isolated edge drills — single-foot glide on inside edge only, feeling where the edge engages. Then add it back into your crossover pattern.
Edge work sessions at Ice Forge are designed specifically for this kind of correction work. You're not skating laps — you're isolating the mechanics that make the difference.