An optimized Hockey Stride

Ever wondered how is a really good hockey stride "technically" put together?

For optimum power and optimum speed?






Here's my take on a near perfect hockey skating stride:

1. Knees AND ankles must be bent - (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - and LACKING in many present day skaters).

2. In forward skating only, feet must cut ice off inside edge at 45 degree angle and as close to center line of body position as possible. When gliding or doing cross overs or cross unders - use of outside edge becomes extremely important.

3. Must encourage a FULL LENGTH stride with toe snap at extension AND, after leg is freed from ice, then add foot 'back kick' towards butt with a quick recovery to next stride... (Watch for shortening of strides - must keep them 'longer' --- Also, even though stride is 'FULL' - the feet must still MOVE IN QUICK AND CHANGING RHYTHM OR TEMPOS.... 1,2,3, - 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 - 1,2 - 1,2 - 1,2,3 'FAST CHANGING FOOT SPEED' is a general deficiency in youth hockey)

4. Arms are to swing in 'front to back motion' with elbows bent creating an 'almost’ across the body finish... i.e. keeping hands with stick in 'ON ICE' ready position. Adding hands-snapping-at-wrist will also increase thrust. (Here again fast hands in rhythm with feet will create a faster skater --- i.e. fast hands - fast feet.) (Being natural with the above foot speed technique will keep upper and lower body separate and cause the player to RELAX his hands which in turn will lighten the grip on the stick and thus make the hands 'faster'... hence 'fast feet - fast hands'... though it is not the connection that causes the speed - it is the DISCONNECTION!!!)

5. Adding a shoulders' rising motion with the forward stride will increase thrust and speed even more.

6. As one advances in natural stride perfection adding a slight head turning motion will add even more 'weight' to the forward thrust.

7. Finally, though not necessarily completely, the upper body should have a comfortable forward lean. - This will vary with the size and 'nature' of the body... but a trend towards a lower and forward leaning body position will help the overall acceleration, speed and power of the stride.

REMEMBER: FOCUS ON ACCURACY AND INTENTIONALITY OF ALL OF THE ABOVE FIRST... MAKE PERFECT REPS.... THEN ADD SPEED/POWER AS THE REPS ARE PERFECTED.

*** Repeat perfectly 1500 times and you won't ever have to think about how to do it ever again!! ***

"Practice does NOT make perfect" - only PERFECT PRACTICE makes PERFECT!!

Good Luck with the Puck,

Martial