welcome to hockey Canada's skill
development series this series of videos
encompasses the many skills techniques
and strategies that have become integral
to playing the game of hockey at every
level in this first part of the series
we're going to cover the most essential
skill in hockey skating the ability to
skate efficiently and effectively is the
foundation for all other hockey skills
to put it another way skating is to
hockey what running is to soccer a
player skating ability is directly
related to their performance in puck
control shooting and checking because of
this fundamental connection any time
spent on improving a player's skating
abilities is an investment that will
improve all aspects of their game this
DVD contains a series of progressive
drills designed to develop and improve
any player skating ability it'll also
help you better understand teach and
perform the key elements of balance and
agility edge control starting and
stopping forward skating backwards
skating and turning and crossovers
mastering the drills and techniques on
this DVD will not only improve a
player's skating abilities but also
greatly enhance their enjoyment of the
great game of hockey
when it comes to proper skating
technique balance and agility go
hand-in-hand balance is essential to the
development of all hockey skills a
player who has developed good balance
will be better at skating puck control
shooting and checking agility is
something a player becomes more adept at
as one skating skills are developed
agile skaters are more evasive because
they have the ability to move laterally
while still maintaining their speed the
basic stance balance starts with the
basic stance or ready position this is
the starting position for many of the
basic skating skills in the forward
stance the players feet should be
shoulder width apart with the toes
pointing slightly outward knees and
ankles are flexed at approximately 45
degrees the upper body leans slightly
forward with the weight on the balls of
the feet make sure the head is up and
eyes are looking forward with the stick
held in both hands the blade should lay
flat on the ice and slightly to the side
of the body the backward stance is very
similar except the body is slightly more
upright and the weight should be more to
the front of the foot
getting up from the ice getting up from
the ice is one of the first skills
players need to learn players should
rise to a kneeling position then raise
one knee forward to act as a brace with
both hands on the stick push down on the
Rays knee and lift up to the ready
position balance on one foot being able
to balance on one foot is a fundamental
skating skill as with the basic stance
the player must keep the knees and
ankles flexed to maintain balance
however all of the players weight will
be transferred to the one foot remaining
on the ice make sure the stick is out in
front of the body so that it cannot be
used as a means of support jumping one
foot
once players can balance on one foot
they can progress to jumping up and down
keeping constant flexion in the knee
will help to develop greater agility and
leg strength
gliding arm pump gliding using the arms
to propel the body is not a skill
typically used in hockey but it does
show players the importance of using the
arms in skating and the extra speed that
a strong pumping action of the arms can
generate
writing on two skates
gliding on two skates can happen many
times throughout a practice or game it
is usually the preliminary movement in
which the player begins striding turning
or stopping lighting on both skates is
simply a moving hockey stance performing
this drill backward is basically the
same with the exception that the body
will be in a more upright position
gliding on one skate forward learning to
balance and glide on one foot is
essential because proper skating
technique requires that one foot must be
under the body center of gravity at all
times this is done by maintaining the
basic stance on the supporting leg while
picking up the opposite foot
gliding on one skate backward fighting
backward on one skate is essentially the
same as gliding forward with the main
difference being that the body is more
upright instead of bent slightly forward
again the supporting leg is kept in the
basic stance position with the skate
blade flat on the ice not the edges
gliding with knee bend the next
progression for gliding on one foot is
to add a deep knee bend this will not
only help develop balance it also
prepares the player for forward striding
gliding one foot toe on puck placing the
toe on a puck helps players develop
their balance while moving when players
perform this exercise they are
constantly changing their balance points
therefore they must keep their weight on
the planted foot lateral crossovers step
and plant
lateral crossovers are an excellent way
for players to learn and develop their
balance proper execution of this drill
requires that the feet and shoulders
remain perpendicular to the direction of
the movement it is important that the
upper body is kept as still and level as
possible throughout the drill to
maintain balance during this drill it is
critical to keep the blades flat on the
ice lateral crossovers continuous
the next progression for lateral
crossovers is to take three steps in
each direction make sure to finish and
hold in the ready position before
changing directions increasing the speed
of this drill will become easier with
practice lateral crossovers over stick
the final progression of lateral
crossovers is to perform continuous
steps over a stick this adds an obstacle
for the players to step over and it's an
excellent way to develop balance agility
and coordination shoot the duck forward
and backward
shooting the duck both forward and
backward is a difficult skill requiring
leg strength flexibility and great
balance the key to this truth is that
the player must lean forward as they are
bending down not only is it a great
exercise for many other skills but
players will have fun trying to master
it as well understanding the basic edges
of a skate blade is an important step to
learning and teaching proper skating
technique mastery of one's edges is what
separates the average skaters from the
great ones the skate blade has two edges
the inside edge which is primarily used
for pushing or driving and the outside
edge which is used mostly in turning and
stopping players need to master all four
of their edges if they want to become
great skaters fake your rates forward
inside edge fake your rates on the
inside edge are a fundamental method for
players to learn inside edge control
when performing this exercise the
emphasis should not be placed on speed
but rather the importance of the knee
bend and a controlled upper body younger
players may find it easier to place
their stick on the ice to better
maintain their balance
fake your rates forward outside edge
executing figure eights on the outside
edge is more difficult than on the
inside but again a deep knee bend and
quiet upper body will help to develop
better edge control
figure Eight's backward inside edge
performing backward figure Eight's on
the inside edge requires a quiet upper
body a strong push with a non gliding
leg and a deep knee bend with the
support leg mastering this skill is
critical to executing many of the other
skills built on this movement such as
backward crossovers open pivots and
changing directions to a forward skate
figure Eight's backward outside edge the
next progression for backward figure
Eight's requires that the majority of
the weight is placed on the ball of the
foot while still maintaining a deep knee
bend it is also important that a player
has a quiet upper body and is leaning
slightly forward this will enable the
player to remain in control and ready
for any subsequent movements one leg
weaving forward we being on one leg
allows players to feel the inside and
outside edges of their skates the age
and skill level of a player can have a
noticeable effect on their ability to
perform this exercise younger players
tend to move from inside edge to outside
edge as they turn but because they're
using more of a gliding motion they will
typically lose momentum older players
will usually create propulsion and pick
up speed by bending their new going into
the turn and then straightening their
leg coming out of the turn
one leg weaving backward weaving on one
leg backward is even harder for players
to master than the same skill forward
when weaving backward it's necessary to
place pressure more on the toe in order
to maintain balance versus putting
pressure on the heel when going forward
typically younger players won't have the
balance or leg strength to master this
skill backward but it will come with
time and practice forward scissors gate
small small forward scissors gates are a
great exercise for working on outside
edge control and coordination it is
critical for the players to keep their
glide leg bent and to only use their
outside edges when performing this skill
forward scissors Kate large the
technique for this skill is similar to
the small scissors gate with a main
difference being that the glide is held
much longer this helps players get a
better feel for their outside edges
backwards scissors gate small
a difficult skill to master the
backwards scissors game requires a great
deal of agility due to its unnatural
skating motion again it's a great
exercise for outside edge control as
almost the entire skilled is performed
on the outside edges of the skate the
body should be leaning slightly forward
and the support leg needs to be bent in
order to maintain balance backwards
scissors gate large increasing the
length of the vibe is the next
progression of the backwards scissors
game to maintain balance during this
exercise the upper body must face
forward and remain square it is
important to maintain a deep knee bend
slalom alternating lead foot
performing slaloms by alternating the
lead foot is another great exercise for
improving edge control it's important
that each time they go into a turn the
players feet exchange front and back
positions and never leave the ice slalom
sticks on ice another good exercise for
edge control is the slalom with sticks
on ice players need to focus on using a
deep knee bend to keep them moving it's
an exaggerated move but it helps players
master the proper slalom technique the
sticks are there to prevent any momentum
that may be gained by forward striding
the start is the foundation of the
skating stride and the ability to start
quickly should be one of the first
skating skills mastered by young hockey
players a good start is key for players
to get a head start on their opponents
if you're going to learn to start fast
hey they also need to know how to stop
fast for safety reasons the stop should
be one of the first skills taught as
stops are essential in avoiding checks
shaking off opponents or just changing
directions the ability to start and stop
quickly is crucial to reacting and
adjusting to the rapid changes that can
develop during any hockey game t start
the t start is normally the first start
taught to beginners because it's
relatively easy to demonstrate and
explain the upper body should lean
slightly forward with the weight over
the drive leg the drive leg should also
be rotated outwardly approximately 90
degrees to the direction of travel the
start is initiated by thrusting off the
inside edge of the drive skate with full
extension of the hip knee
and ankle front v start the front p
start is an explosive start that allows
a player to quickly reach maximum speed
the players center of gravity should be
shifted forward with weight placed on
the inside edges of the toes of the
skates the heels of the skates need to
be close together with the knees and
ankles flexed as the number of strides
increases the player takes progressively
longer strides pushing more to the side
rather than to the back the body should
gradually straighten up as speed
increases crossovers start the crossover
start is basically a V start preceded by
a crossover action of the leg players
will usually use a crossover start when
they need to start rapidly either from a
two foot parallel stop or from a
stationary position it is also used when
a player is perpendicular to the
direction they wish to go backwards see
cut start a backward see cut is used to
initiate backwards skating from a
stationary position without turning ones
back to oncoming opponents starting from
the basic stance the heel of the driving
leg should be turned outward as far as
possible the thrust of this start comes
from the toe of the skate backward
crossovers start the backward crossover
start is a very effective method of
accelerating rapidly from a stationary
position
starting from the basic backward stance
the hips and trunk turned slightly
toward the direction of the crossover
while the head remains facing forward
the outside leg starts with a see cut
and then crosses over in front of the
inside leg one o'clock 11 o'clock stops
this skill gets its name because the
right skate pushes out toward a one
o'clock position and the left skate
toward an eleven o'clock position to
properly execute this stopping technique
the heel of the skate needs to be turned
outward and the toe turned inward the
player should maintain a deep knee bend
while keeping their back straight and
their weight on the balls of their feet
outside leg stop the outside leg stop is
a common stop used by many beginner
skaters to execute this stop correctly
the players weight must be on the inside
edge of their outside leg they're inside
leg should be held above the ice ready
to initiate a new stride two foot
parallel stop
the two foot parallel stop is an
excellent way to stop quickly at the
beginning of the stop the knees should
be bent beyond the toes of the skates
and the weight distributed as evenly as
possible over both skates there should
not be any upward extension of the body
before rotating as this makes it
difficult to apply sufficient pressure
to the blade inside leg outside edge
stop the inside leg outside edge stop is
primarily used as a learning exercise
for players having difficulty with their
outside edge in the two foot parallel
stop this stop is rarely seen in game
situations because it's very difficult
to execute at high speed and it leaves
the player in an awkward position to
initiate another skill one leg backward
stop the one leg backward stop is
commonly used because upon completion
the player is in a forward T start
position to properly perform this
maneuver the body should be bent forward
with the weight of the body on the rear
leg at the end of the stop the knee of
the back leg should be flexed and ready
to move in any direction to leg
backwards stop
the two legs stop is the most efficient
and commonly used backwards stop it
permits quick stopping and resistance
against an opposing force while placing
the player in an excellent position to
initiate a forward start at the end of
the stop the toes should be pointed
outward and the skates should be in a V
position if there's one skill that
separates good hockey players from great
ones it's skating good technique allows
a player to skate harder and faster with
less effort thus allowing the player to
perform to their maximum potential
without having to think about the
mechanics of skating the efficiency of
the skating stride depends on applying a
few fundamental principles to develop
quickness speed and strength which are
all essential to being a better skater
see cuts left foot right foot see cuts
are a basic skill that can help younger
players with their forward skating the C
cut is an important skill to master
because it's a necessary component of
many other skills such as crossovers and
propulsion while turning the basic see
cuts involves using one leg as the glide
leg and the other as the drive leg the
drive leg must recover directly under
the body next to the glide leg
see cuts alternating the next
progression of the basic see cut is to
alternate the leg
see cuts both feet the third progression
of basic see cuts is for both feet to
perform the action simultaneously see
cuts pulling partner having the players
pair up and pull each other while
performing see cuts is an easy way to
offer resistance if done properly the
added resistance will help players
perform a more precise see cut allowing
them to concentrate on doing the
technical aspects of the skill correctly
slalom see cuts narrow slava masse cuts
narrow is a similar motion to downhill
skiing it is in fact an unnatural
skating motion because the feet are
always together and parallel this is a
great skill for helping players develop
their coordination and achieve better
control of their skates slalom see cuts
wide
this exercise is similar to slalom see
cuts narrow the difference is a wider
pattern for the slalom and the C cut is
more exaggerated
slalom pulling partner using the slalom
technique while pulling a partner is a
great exercise that adds resistance
while also building strength
see cuts back foot cross unders this
combination skill involves two actions
the first is a simple C cut on the
inside edge the second is a see cut on
the outside edge of the same skate this
second action is a difficult skill
because creating the additional
propulsion requires that the entire
skate blade remain in contact with the
ice while the outside edge of the heel
is driving downward see cuts alternate
cross unders the next progression of C
cuts is both feet taking turns
performing the see cuts and cross under
see cuts heal only a good exercise for
improving quickness of the feet is to
perform see cuts with the heel of the
skate by concentrating on only using
their heels players can greatly improve
the strength of their push
forward striding taking fast short
strides helps to develop powerful
skating the basic forward stride is
derived from a sequential extension of
the hip knee and ankle in a lateral
thrust the knee of the gliding leg must
be fully flexed extending beyond the toe
of the skate the weight of the body
needs to transfer over the striding leg
at the beginning of each stride the
ankle and foot of the striding leg
should be completely extended to the tip
of the toe the skate of the recovery leg
should be kept low to the eyes passing
under the center of gravity it is common
to see younger players use a high heel
kick after the stride but this makes the
recovery time longer as speed increases
longer and less frequent strides may be
taken to maintain speed exaggerated
stride
the exaggerated stride is a good
technique for getting players to slow
down and lengthen the movements of the
forward stride this not only helps them
get a better feel for how these
movements should flow together but they
can also put more focus on the push
Glide and recovery stages forward
striding pulling partner forward
striding while pulling or pushing a
partner is another technique that will
force a longer stride the player doing
the pulling typically leans forward more
which causes them to use longer strides
the resistance also helps build leg
strength
we've crossovers with pylons a good
exercise for working on edge control is
performing crossovers while weaving
around pylons it helps players
concentrate on gliding on their outside
edges and the pylons keep the players in
controlled movements where speed is not
important we've cross unders with pylons
this drill can be used to help develop
edge control it promotes agility and
coordination the feet are constantly
crossing each other and alternating
pushes off the inside and outside edges
forward striding hands on stick on ice
this is a good technique for both
starting and forward striding because
keeping the hands on the ice forces a
strong toe push and a long stride as
players further develop they should be
able to stand up from this position in
one motion and continue on in a full
stride stride and bend the stride and
vent technique is a great exercise for
developing leg strength and balance as
players continue to practice this
technique they will naturally adopt the
deep knee bend and incorporate it into
their normal stride
jumps drive
the jump stride is a plyometric skating
technique used to develop agility leg
strength and an explosive stride the key
to this exercise is to jump from the
inside edge of one skate to the inside
edge of the other without taking a
stride between jumps backwards skating
is a key element in responding to
hockey's constant changes in position
and direction all players need to master
backwards skating not just the defense
everyone needs to skate backwards
efficiently and effectively if they want
to become good well-rounded skaters see
cuts left foot right foot see cuts are a
basic skill that can help players
develop their backwards skating the C
cut is an important skill to master
because it's a necessary component of
many other skills such as crossovers and
propulsion while turning the basic see
cut involves using one leg as the glide
leg and the other as the drive leg after
a strong push by the toe of the skate
the drive leg must recover directly
under the body next to the glide leg see
cuts alternating
alternating see cuts are the foundation
of backwards striding it is important
that players maintain a quiet upper body
and resist leaning too far forward
maintaining a deep knee bend in the
glide leg allows a long thrust from the
drive leg players should also avoid
swinging their hips from side to side
swinging the hips causes an improper
transfer of weight from one state to the
other gliding on two skates backward
gliding backward on two skates is simply
a moving backwards stats it isn't often
done during a game but players will
usually use this technique when they're
either relaxed or not involved in the
play
riding on one skate backward gliding
backward on one skate is the preliminary
move for many other skills as in forward
skating the basic principle in backwards
skating is that one foot must be under
the body's center of gravity at all
times the blade of the glide scape
should be flat on the ice not on the
edges
slalom see cuts narrow
adding an arrow slalom pattern when
performing see cuts is great for helping
players develop their coordination and
achieve better control of this case
slalom see cuts wide this exercise is
similar to slalom see cuts narrow the
differences that the slalom will cover
more of the ice and the sea cut is more
exaggerated
see cuts pulling partner
having the players pair up and pull each
other while performing see cuts is an
easy way to offer resistance if done
properly the added resistance will help
players perform a more precise c cut
allowing them to concentrate on doing
the technical aspects of the skill
correctly slalom pulling partner
using the slalom technique while pulling
a partner is another method of adding
resistance while also building strength
it may be useful to have the partner
give instructions such as head up or
eyes forward slalom alternating lead
foot just as in forward skating
alternating a lead foot when performing
a slalom is another great exercise for
improving edge control it is important
that each time a player goes into a turn
that the feet exchange front and back
positions and never leave the ice this
is a great exercise for developing
agility and coordination backward
sculling
backwards sculling is simply combining a
series of C cuts a quiet upper body
without excessive arm movement is the
key to performing this drill efficiently
jump stride backward the jump stride is
a plyometric skating technique used to
develop agility leg strength and an
explosive stride the key to this
exercise is to jump from the inside edge
of one skate to the inside edge of the
other without taking a stride between
jumps when changing directions turns
pivots and crossovers are more energy
efficient than stops and starts because
of the nature of today's game players
need to learn to turn equally well in
both directions proficiency in these
skills will enable a player to react
more quickly to whatever's going on in
the ice glide turns glide turns
typically happen when a player is either
not involved in the play or is getting
ready to react to what is happening
around them it begins with the skates
shoulder width apart and is initiated by
the head and shoulders using a proper
knee bend the body must lean in the
direction of the turn it is important to
follow the stick into the turn tight
turns
tight turns permit players to change
direction in a very limited space while
expending the least amount of energy
during a turn pressure should be kept on
the outside edge of the lead foot and
the inside edge of the following foot
the weight should be distributed as
evenly as possible on both skates by
keeping the skates close together and
the center of gravity ahead of the
skates players will be able to cross
over after the turn and accelerate
rapidly players should learn to master
tight turns on both sides of their body
tight turn dive in to turn this exercise
involves four tight turns two in each
direction because the pylons are
staggered the player has to dive into
each turn it's an easy drill to set up
for players to practice their tight
turns as well as their speed and agility
coming out of a turn 360 s left and
right 360s to the left or right are
essentially tight turns without using a
pylon for guidance players should
concentrate on leading with their front
foot and taking it into the ice during
the turn it is important to lean into
the turn and then accelerate out of the
turn with one or two quick crossovers
360 s alternating alternating 360s not
only helps to develop a player's tight
turns but also their speed and agility
after changing directions players should
master the ability to perform tight
turns in both directions as well as
their ability to pick up speed following
the turn see cuts a round circle outside
foot the motion for performing see cuts
around a circle with the outside foot is
essentially the same for see cuts in a
straight line the only difference is
that the glide leg uses the circle as a
guide it's the push from the inside edge
of the outside foot that propels the
player in a circular motion the heel
should turn outward and push into the
ice with the recovery occurring close to
the glide foot
see cuts a round circle inside foot when
performing see cuts around a circle with
the inside foot it is the push from the
inside edge of the inside foot that
propels the player in a circular motion
the power comes from turning the heel
outward and pushing it into the ice see
cuts a round circle both feet a
combination of the previous two
exercises this is not a natural skating
movement but it does help to develop a
strong push equally from each skate
see cuts a round circle cross unders
this is a preliminary movement for the
cross over where the inside leg extends
and pushes off it begins with a normalcy
cut but instead of recovering next to
the glide leg the drive leg crosses
behind the glide foot and executes sassy
cuts with the outside edge of the skate
the cross under motion is how players
can develop extra power from there
inside drive leg
crossovers forward
crossovers are a method of turning while
maintaining or picking up speed the
crossover begins by extending the
outside put back and to the side the
player then pushes off the inside edge
and brings the outside foot over and in
front of the inside leg at this point of
the inside foot also extends sideways
and backward by pushing off the outside
edge the steps are repeated as the
player continues to turn crossovers crab
stick low grabbing the stick low while
performing crossovers is a great
exercise to help players who don't have
a deep enough knee bend during their
crossovers this positioning helps the
players create a stronger push and also
forces greater flexion in the knees
crossovers three quick left and right
this drill is a great way to improve a
player's agility and foot speed by doing
three quick crossovers to the left and
right the player is constantly changing
directions younger players often forget
to complete the crossover when
attempting this exercise with speed
however note that technique is more
important than speed when performing
this drill
see cuts a round circle outside foot
backward performing see cuts around a
circle with the outside foot is
essentially the same when going backward
as it is forward again it is the push
from the inside edge of the outside foot
that propels the player in a circular
motion the power comes from turning the
heel outward and pushing the toe into
the ice see cuts a round circle inside
foot backward just as in doing see cuts
with the outside foot this drill has the
inside foot following the same pattern
the heel must turn outward and a strong
push with the toe will initiate the arc
like motion the drive leg should then
recover next to the glide leg
see cuts a round circle cross unders
backward just as with the cross under
movement in forward skating the cross
under going backward is designed to
isolate the inside foot and generate
more power from the outside edge of the
tub crossovers backward crossovers
backward are usually used only by
defenseman during games but it's
important that all players are able to
perform them equally as well as forward
crossovers the skill starts by picking
up the outside foot and bringing it
across and in front of the inside foot
at the same time the inside foot extends
back and to the side creating a pushing
force with both feet the outside foot
which is now on the inside of the body
pushes outward
crossovers backward reaching this
technique helps to increase a player's
speed when skating backward when a
player initiates a crossover move the
outside foot should reach out as far as
possible once the toe is planted the
reaching aspect forces the player to
pull the rest of the body to the outside
this creates more power and momentum for
the player to perform additional
crossovers crossovers high and low this
drill develops a great deal of foot
speed by performing three or four quick
crossovers in one direction and then
three or four in the other it is done
around the top of one circle and then
the bottom of another performing the
drill in this way is more relevant to an
actual game situation than performing
crossovers around a complete circle
crossovers for pylon race a great way
for getting maximum effort out of
players in practice is to set up a relay
race or competition style drew this
drill consists of four pylons placed in
a square with one player at each pile on
on the coaches signal the players take
off in the same direction and try to
catch the person in front of them the
pylons should be placed so that the
players are constantly crossing over
backward one foot stop and t start this
skill is a great way to transition
quickly from backwards skating too
forward skating as the player is about
to stop it is important for the skate
blade to rotate outward before
positioning itself 90 degrees to the
desired stopping direction the weight of
the body should be on the front portion
of the rear skate blade this enables the
player to dig deeply into the ice and
get in position for a forward t start
pivots backward to forward and forward
to backward backward to forward and
forward to backward pivots allow a
player to change directions without
modifying speed before a player performs
either of these pivots their weight must
be over the glide leg to make a backward
to forward pivot a player must rotate
their drive skate 180 degrees outward
and place it down on the ice following a
simultaneous rotation of the head
shoulders and hips the weight is then
transferred rapidly to the rotating
skate while the glide skate rotates 180
degrees becoming parallel to the
rotating skate
to make a forward to backward pivot the
actions are similar except the player
will need to rotate their Drive skate
almost 270 degrees players will find it
easier to first master the backward to
forward pivot before they can fully
master the forward to backward pivot
pivots open and reverse these types of
pivots are used to change direction when
carrying momentum into a turn the open
pivot occurs when a player is skating
backward then with the weight on the
inside leg reaches forward and sideways
with the outside leg to change the
momentum from backward to forward in the
reverse pivot a player skates forward
and then turns the feet as if to stop
but instead leads with the heels
parallel to each other in a short
circular glide
heel to heel glide the heel to heel
glide is a skill that is not performed
very often but it can be used as an
escape move to avoid contact or sneak
through a narrow opening to perform this
move the player picks one foot up and
rotates it 180 degrees then places it
back on the ice so that the heels are
facing each other players will need to
have great balance control and
flexibility in the hips in order to
perform this maneuver Mohawk on circles
open this is a progression in pivoting
that enables a player to always be
facing the play in performing this skill
the player picks up the inside foot and
rotates it 180 degrees then places it
back on the ice so that the heels are
facing each other the other foot is then
brought up and rotated 180 degrees so
the feet are once again parallel
mohawk on circles open and reverse this
next progression of Mohawk on circles is
used to increase agility and foot speed
by quickly exchanging the foot that
carries the body's way it's an important
skill that allows players to change
directions without losing speed skating
agility drill number one this racing
drill can help players develop quick
feet the players will need to perform a
quick start a forward to foot stop a
backward to foot stop and crossovers all
in the same drill this is a great drill
for developing a player's agility and
overall conditioning
skating agility drill number two this is
another drill that can be used to
develop quick feet it incorporates many
different skating skills in a confined
area
skating is the most important skill in
hockey strong fundamentals and
continuous practice and improvement will
enable skaters to become proficient in
the skills necessary to play the game as
players gain confidence in their skating
abilities they'll begin to see
improvements in all aspects of their
game which ultimately leads to a more
positive experience and more enjoyment
for the game of hockey