Skating Technique: Mastering the Inside Edge – A Beginner's Guide

Many of you know that we are supposed to start on out toes. But do you know why? And do you know when to start on your toes? First of all, by the toes, what we

Hockey Speed: How Skating Skills Drive Performance

The sport of hockey is all about SPEED, SPEED, SPEED! Coaches, scouts, EVERYONE, is looking at your speed.Skating, and the ability to control the puck and do ma

Mastering Hockey: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Complete Player

What does it take to become a complete hockey player?Hockey is an intricate and difficult sport. It requires many skills, all of which are separate and distinct

Hockey Transition: Mastering Sudden Changes in Play

Hockey players weave, cut turn, and change direction at blinding speeds. Transition in hockey means sudden changes in play from one direction to another. When t

Master Hockey Skating: Technique & Speed Training

To become a great hockey skater, correct skating technique is imperative. In the process of learning to execute a skating maneuver correctly, I insist that play

Maximizing Hockey Skating Skills: Beyond the Basics

Over the years Ive noticed that the majority of hockey players enroll in power skating programs once, occasionally twice. Only a minority of players considers i

Age-Appropriate Hockey Training: Optimizing Development for Young Athletes

With special thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Jack Blatherwick, PhD., Physiologist, Washington Capitals Hockey Team.His thoughts, insights, and knowledge

Laura's Signature Forward Stride Drill: Proven Hockey Training

Its been my favorite drill for 28 years. Ive used it to improve the forward stride of thousands of hockey players ranging from novice to pro. Tried and true,

Developing Hockey Skills: Lessons from Little Ovechkin

There are skills … and there are SKILLS in the heat of battleThis tip was written by Jack Blatherwick, renowned expert in the field of hockey training and condi

Hockey Skating Pushes: Mastering Forward & Backward Movement

There are four major pushes in hockey skating (one or two others are not mentioned here). I have named these pushes so that players can easily visualize and rem

Mastering the Gait Cycle: The 1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3 Principle for Efficient Strides

A common misconception is that the push of the forward stride comes mainly from the front of the blade (the toes). This is not so..We push from the entire blade

Mastering Force Application for Explosive Speed in Sports

All sports utilize the elements of force application to generate movement. The elements are the same in all sports but the methods of applying them are differen

Understanding Skates: Edges, Hollows & Sharpening

What They Are, How To Use ThemThe skate blade is like a sharp knife, except that instead of having one sharp edge, it has two sharp edges. We call these the in

Mastering Skating Speed in Hockey: Essential Elements

Speed in todays hockey is almost blinding. Players seem to move at the speed of light. When we think of skating speed, we seem to focus on straight ahead speed.

Mastering Weaving Crossovers for Enhanced Skating Mobility

Weaving from one side to another creates lateral mobility and is the basis for faking (deking). Faking is accomplished by crossing over one way (right over left

The C-Cut in Hockey: Definition, Technique & Uses

When I first started teaching power skating in 1971 I needed to find a name for a certain push that is used or incorporated into many hockey maneuvers. Because

Mastering the Hockey Skate: The 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 Principle

One of my principles of hockey skating involves what I call the "one third, one third, one third" principle. This means that the hockey blade is divid

Mastering the Hockey Pivot: A Guide to Tight Turns

The Pivot (Tight Turn)One of the most important agility moves in hockey is the pivot or tight turn. Wayne Gretzky was a master of this move. He used it magicall

Mastering the Hockey Stop: Technique and Efficiency

The hockey stop is that sudden, flashy move that sends snow flying and has spectators gawking. It is the move that players use to stop on a dime. Many coaches i

Mastering Hockey Crossovers: Techniques & Benefits

Crossovers are the maneuvers used to accelerate on curves, circles and corners. They make it possible for players to weave in and out of traffic, zigzag down th