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12U: 5 Off-Ice Ways to Improve Skating

12/19/2014, 10:30am MST
By USA Hockey

Skating: It’s the first skill players learn in the game of hockey. It’s a skill that sets our sport apart from others and one that is absolutely necessary in order to succeed on the ice.

“At 12U, players are primed to make significant improvements in their skill development in all areas,” said Kevin Neeld, assistant strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team. “But none is more important than skating efficiently.”

Becoming a great skater takes time. At 12U, many players demonstrate a few common skating flaws that can limit their speed, potentially causing them to ingrain bad habits. To address these, players not only benefit from a handful of simple on-ice coaching cues, but also from basic off-ice training exercises that address the specific on-ice flaw.

Here are five effective ways to tackle and correct any skating woes plaguing players this season.

1. Address the Flaws

In addressing any skating flaw, it’s important to recognize that players may be exhibiting a specific skating pattern because that’s the best pattern their body has the ability to use. An individual player simply may not have the mobility, control or strength to adopt a more optimal skating stride.

“From a physical standpoint, an optimal skating position and stride requires foot and single-leg stability, ankle and hip mobility and a strong lower body,” said Neeld. “If any of those areas are lacking, a player’s skating is lacking.”

2. Wall Ankle Mobilization

Purpose: To improve the ability of the knee moving forward over toes.

Setup: Put one foot on the wall so that the ball of your foot and toes are in contact with the wall and your heel is flat on the ground.

Performance: Drive your knee forward toward the wall until you feel a slight stretch in the back of your calf. Pause for a second, then shift all the way back. Repeat for 10 reps on each side. 

3. Barefoot Squat Hold with Torso Rotation

Purpose: Improve foot stability, and lower body/hip strength and muscular endurance in a deep skating position.

Setup: Stand with the hands on the shoulders and feet hip-width apart. 

Performance: Drop down into a deep skating position, while keeping the back flat, knees pulled out slightly and a nice arch in both feet. Maintaining this position, slowly turn through your shoulders to one side, pause for a second, then to the other side, pause for a second, and repeat for 10-20 reps on each side. 

Notes: The torso rotation not only helps mimic the rotation through the chest that happens regularly in skating and shooting, it also challenges the players' stability (they shouldn't sway) and helps keep the players mind off of the burn they feel in their legs.

4. Barefoot Split Squat Hold with Torso Rotation

Purpose: Improve foot stability, lower body/hip strength and muscular endurance, and single-leg stability in a deep skating position.

Setup: Start in a short lunge position with your hands on your shoulders and a slightly forward lean of your torso.

Performance: Push through the heel of your front foot to lift your back knee slightly off the ground. Maintain this position as you slowly turn through your shoulders to one side, pause for a second, then to the other side, pause for a second, and repeat for 10-15 reps on each side. Switch legs and repeat.

5. Two-Way Skater

Purpose: Improve foot stability, lower body/hip strength and muscular endurance, and single-leg stability in a deep skating position.

Setup: Stand with the hands out in front of the body, and feet hip-width apart. Drop down into a deep skating position, while keeping the back flat and knees pulled out slightly and a nice arch in both feet.

Performance: Maintaining this position, reach one leg 45 degrees out to the side/behind you, mimicking a skating stride. At the same time, reach the same arm forward and toward your midline, and drive the opposite elbow back. Pause for a second and then return to the starting position. Now reach the "stride leg" under the stance leg and go through the same arm motion as above, pause for a second, then return to the starting position. Focus on maintaining the deep skating stance and also hip-knee-toe alignment of the stance leg while going through these two motions. Repeat for 6-10 repetitions of each motion, then switch legs and repeat.

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