HOCKEY MADE EASY – More Skating Tips for Young Players

As promised in our last news letter, here are a few more specific skating tips for young players.

Skating Stance

Your skates should be shoulder width apart, with your knees slightly flexed forward beyond your toes. Your weight is equally balanced on both blades prior to skating. As you begin skating your body weight shifts from the stroking leg to the leg gliding and supporting your body.

Forward Skating

-          Stance, feet are shoulder width apart, this will provide you with better balance and stability.

-          Knees are always slightly bent and flexed forward ahead of your toes.

-          Never lock your knees or skate straight legged, always keep them flexed forward.

-          Bend your body at the waist and lean slightly forward as if pushing a chair.

-          Stroke/push 45-degrees to the outside and push backward with one skate, like the letter “C” and your other skate will glide straight ahead forward.

-          Push outward with the inside edge of your stroke skate through the ball of your foot.

-          Power is generated from your thigh down through your knee and calf to the ball of your foot.

-          The stroke leg is bent close to 90-degrees at the knee and is pushed to its full extension 180 degrees.

-          The glide skate will move forward then it becomes the stroke/pushing skate. Repeat the sequence.

Rhythm of Skating

-          Simply Stroke and Glide, Stroke and Glide, the faster your foot speed the faster you skate.

-          Alternate each skate and leg quickly at the start of the stride, then lengthen your stride and glide over the ice after your 4th or 5th stride.

-          Your body weight shifts from one leg to the other with each stroke. Try to maintain your balance.

Forward Starts

-          Push outward and backward using the front 1/3 of your blade and through the ball of your foot.

-          Angle it as close to 90 degrees to the direction you wish to go using the inside edge of your stroke skate.

-          There is several start positions and they include: The Inverted T start for beginners and the Power V start for more experienced skaters/players.

-          The first 4 steps are critical to generate power and to get up to top speed. Push hard and fast.

-          Your knees must be deeply bent/flexed and skates positioned close to 90-degrees during all starts.

-          The Inverted T start, place your back foot 90-degrees and behind your glide skate and to the direction you wish to go, then push, push, push. Your glide skate will move forward.

-          When using the “Power V Start” place both your skates in a V position and stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke, there is no glide until after the 4^th or 5^th stroke.

Forward Stops

-          To stop moving forward, try to shave a very thin layer off the top of the ice using 1 or 2 skate blades. 

-          For basic Snow plow stops use 1 or 2 feet, turn your skate at a 45-degree angle using your inside edges.

-          For Inverted T stops, turn your back foot 90 degrees to the forward direction by using it’s outside edge.

-          For Parallel stops, use 2 feet, turn your upper body, then both feet 90 degrees to the forward direction.  Use the inside edge on your outer skate, and the outside edge on your inner skate to come to a complete stop.

-          Parallel stops are the most difficult for a beginner to master so practice them every chance you get.

Strides

-          The first few starting steps or strides are short and choppy. You then lengthen your stride to get a smooth and fluid skating motion after about the first 4 or 5 strides. You should reach top speed after 5 or 6 strides.              

Backward Skating

-          Stance, feet are shoulder width apart for better balance and stability.

-          Knees always flexed, and they should protrude in front of and over your toes.

-          Your seat/bum should be in a semi sitting position with your upper body leaning slightly forward.

-          Cut the letter “C” using the inside edge of your stroke skate and push outward and backward to create backward motion in one skate and your other skate, the glide skate, will move backward automatically.

-          Push hard using the strength in your leg and continue pushing downward through the ball of your foot.

-          Rotate each hip inward in a semi circular motion, left or right with alternating strokes.

-          C stroke and glide, C stroke and glide, alternating each skate quickly for speed.

Backward Stops

-          One foot 45-degree snowplow stop to the backward direction by using your inside edge.

-          Or, the 2-foot, 45-degree snowplow stop, place both heels inward about 45-degrees to the backward direction using both inside edges and push into the ice using the front 1/3 of the blade.

-          Use the inside edges to shave the top layer of ice to come to a complete stop.

-          Lean the body slightly forward to keep your balance and you are in position to skate forward.

Backward Angling

-          A defenceman must be able to angle the puck carrying forward toward the boards while skating backwards. S/he must be able to lift one foot up and off the ice, then turn 135 degrees and quickly go from backward skating to forward skating and angle the player into the corner or boards.

180-Degree Pivots

-          Players, forwards and defencemen, must be able to go from forward to backward, and backward to forward skating many times during the game, turning 180-degree pivots to change their direction quickly.

-          Lift one skate off the ice and turn it and your body 180-degrees to the new direction.

Crossovers

-          Used for quick 90-degree change of direction or sharp turns. To go left or right quickly, players will have to cross one foot over top of their other foot several times while maintaining their balance.

-         Try skating all the on ice circles using crossover steps during practice.

Change of Pace

-          Just like a baseball pitcher, players will have to change speeds and go from coast or glide speed to all out top or fast speed in a split second. A change of pace is used to get to open ice for a pass, to beat a defenceman while carrying the puck to his outside, or on a breakaway.

-          Use short V strokes to increase your speed and to pull away from a backchecker.

Aerobic Conditioning

-          All players require aerobic (long term) conditioning in order to play a full game without tiring.

-          Jogging, biking, swimming, or skipping rope, non-stop for 20 to 30 minutes every 2^nd day will improve your Aerobic condition.

Anaerobic Conditioning

-          All players require anaerobic (short term) conditioning in order to play all out for a 1-minute or 90 second shift without tiring.      

-          Sprinting for 30 seconds to 1-minute, then walking for 1 to 2 minutes to recover, then sprint again for 30 seconds to 1-minute for a duration of 30 – 40  minutes every 2^nd day will improve your Anaerobic condition.

Yours in hockey,

John Shorey

Author – Hockey Made Easy – www.HockeyMadeEasy.com